Friends from the North

As well as this being our last week in Barcelona and all the usual winding up things that have to be done, cleaning, packing and people to say goodbye to, we have had 3 visitors from Australia via Sweden. The Agzarians from Wagga dropped in for 4 days. Our little apartment was stretched to accommodate 7 people, but it all worked out OK and it was fun to have people here to share our life with. The program was busy, but in true Spanish fashion, we found enough time for siestas and late starts in the morning, and late nights.
Barcelona in 4 days
Day 1: Arrive in the evening, go for Spanish tapas at a nearby bar. Max’s language skills were put to the test as Jeff and I were out at our last tango class and dinner. They made instant friends with the waiter and sounds like got very special attention.
Day 2: Flea market to search through the piles of junk, clothes, old photos, jewellery, old books, toys and find the occasional treasure.
Home-cooked fish lunch thanks to Michael, and siesta.
Walk to Las Ramblas to check out the shops and buskers, and visit our favourite Plaza Reial and bar followed by a Flamenco show at Tarantos. This is a very good find – every night, 30 minutes of stamping, clapping and wailing flamenco music. Bocadillo dinner - an easy meal of bread roll and various meat or cheese fillings and sauces from a tiny Frankfurt shop in Plaza Jaume. Metro or bike home.
Day 3: Park Guell – always worth a visit. On the way home Menu del Dia in a Palestinian restaurant in Gracia. Very good, authentic, cheap (8.50 euro) and far more than any of us could eat. In the afternoon more shopping or resting and then the Magic Fountain near Plaza Espanya. It runs every 30 minutes and is a very well choreographed display of lights, and water to classical music. Hundreds of people of course but it is so big you can easily see. Home for an omelette dinner.
Day 4: Check out Barcelona beaches – clear water and warm weather, then an afternoon visit to Sagrada Familia – the one place you have to put on your Barcelona itinerary.
In the evening we attended and opening of an Urban Dance Festival where local and international artists did their stuff. It runs for 4 days. The dances were a mixed lot but free and worth a look. Home at midnight but awake until 3.00am as there was a local fiesta happening in the lane beside our flat and the band and P.A were pumping on full volume until then. (This festival ended up going for the next 3 nights 11.00 to 2 am – only in Spain!)
Day 5: Early flight to Paris.

That is one way to see Barcelona – it was busy and fun, some new things and some things worth doing again for us. Not expensive, lots of walking and bike riding and talking, good food and good company.