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| It was a bit chilli in Barcelona. |
We touched down at the heart of Catalunya in the mid-morning
of 11 October 2017. The airport is a bit of a trek from the city itself, so we
had to take two metro lines for a total of about an hour to get to our
accommodation, but it was relatively painless – apart from my shoulders from
carrying both suitcases up and down stairs! Emerging at Liceu station, we were
thrust right into the hive of activity that is La Rambla, and thus began our
time in Barcelona.
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| Our AirBnB just off La Rambla. |
Our next AirBnB was situated just metres from La Rambla
and La Boqueria market; an ideal location from which to explore Barcelona. We
had to go up 4 flights of stairs (Principal; Primero; Secundo; Tercero) to get
there, and boy was that a workout with the suitcases. The actual host, Ximena,
only came home later in the evening, but we were checked in by her neighbour,
Maria. Both were incredibly friendly and helpful. The room was great; very
large, comfortable bed, even a hammock and balcony. The building was very old,
though, so doors were often rickety and needed to be closed with care, and the
plumbing can’t handle toilet paper, so that meant a return to Greek-style,
using the waste bin!
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| The view over the square from our AirBnB. |
The only real downside of the place was the kitchen,
which was a bit old and dirty, with some flies and mosquitoes attracted in by
the compost bin, and often hanging around the chopping boards. So cooking our
dinner was a bit less enjoyable than in other places, but apart from that, the
apartment was great.
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| The kitchen left a little to be desired... |
After settling in, we went for a walk around the local
area and explored La Boqueria fresh food market. There’s an amazing atmosphere
in this place, and so many colours and smells to take in. From fresh fruit to
seafood to Iberian ham to chocolate, basically everything is available. It’s a
great place to stock up on fresh produce, or grab some lunch, or even just
wander around!
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| The sights and smells of La Boqueria! |
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| Delicious fresh fruit and nuts. |
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"Hey guys, I think we fell for it hook, line and sinker..."
"...goddammit, Steve, shut up..." |
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| You never know who you might meat at the market. |
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| Quick, come get a fruit cup, there's only a couple left! |
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| Iberian ham continues in popularity. |
After stocking up on some staples at the local grocery,
we wandered out for some dinner in the evening. After about 1.5 laps of La
Rambla, we chose one of the many places offering tapas and a main course in
set. I opted for paella, while Avy had a hankering for steak. The tapas were a
little bit average, but apart from that it was an okay meal.
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| An assortment of tapas. |
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| Steak and paella. |
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