Barcelona, Spain - March 29-30, 2008

After a very long overnight flight and what seemed like an even longer hike through Heathrow Int'l, we were finally in Barcelona. The first order of business - getting Euros from the ATM. The first one we found was out of order which is common. We finally found another one in a bit of an obscure place so make sure you ask if you need one.

Cabs are quite expensive here so we opted to pack a little lighter and take the bus. For 3,90E you can find an "express" bus which takes you directly to plaça Catalunya which is the main plaza in the tourist area. The subway can be accessed from here.

This is a very cosmopolitan city and one of the most popular to visit in Europe. As a result true bargains are difficult to find. Hotels (hostals) book up early so it's wise to make reservations asap. Staying on or around Las Ramblas, the main tourist drag, can be expensive and noisy so choose if you want to be among the action or not.

Even though we personally waited a little late to reserve, we were fortunate enough to find a quad room (very rare in Europe) for a reasonable price just off of Las Ramblas at the Hostal Mare Nostrum. Our room had 4 single beds, a private bath, a small balcony, and included an adequate continental breakfast, luggage storage after check-out, and free internet.

Upon arrival at plaça Catalunya we decided to walk down Las Ramblas for the ambience which was challenging but enjoyable getting through the crowd. Our good friends, Mike and Alice, arrived earlier in the day and had already checked us in. Luckily we were able to reach them via 2-way radios to find our way through the crowds and growing dusk to the hostal. We grabbed a quick bite and hit the hay as we were all exhausted.

After a great night's sleep and a relaxing breakfast we were ready to see the sights. Since we only had a few hours before embarking on the Norwegian Jade, we could only choose a couple of the many things to see. The weather was beautiful so we opted for outdoor sights. We headed down Las Ramblas toward the Christopher Columbus statue. There were many living "statues" encountered along the way. This is a great place to people watch.

From here we decided to take the subway to Park Guell which was designed by the famous Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi. It contains many beautiful mosaic works that Gaudi fashioned including the much photographed mosaic dragon. With its location being high on a hill it has wonderful views of much of Barcelona and the Mediterranean Sea. It was a perfect place to spend strolling on a sunny day.

It was easy and convenient to use the subway system in Barcelona. Installed just before the 1992 Olympics, we found it to be very cheap, clean, and modern. There are electronic maps with lights in each car so you always know where you are at. For those who are there long enough, there is also a hop on/hop off bus service that many people we met had good things to say about.

Please enjoy our video below set to the music of Los Lonely Boys.