Thursday (Barcelona)…

The end of the day always seems to get short shrift in these entries, so let’s start at the end today.


2 A.M. Approximately a three-quarter moon tonight. Fluffy clouds. Plaças are busy. Streets in the Barri Gótic are silent.


Ok. I don’t even know how to describe this in words. So, a person…on a bicycle. Covered head to toe in yellow and red flowers. Wrapped in Christmas lights. Circling the Plaça. Jeff had it right: a mini-Rose Bowl parade on a bicycle. Priceless. (On closer inspection, I have to describe him as Cee Lo Green on a bike.) OMG now he has a matching umbrella. No wait. I’m sorry…he has two flower-clad umbrellas!! He was wearing Liberace-sized “diamond” rings on every finger…but please…did you expect anything else?


We returned for refreshing mojitos at the Ocaña Café. A bit of a nip in the air tonight, but this doesn’t seem to lessen the bustle on the Plaça Reial. Tonight we sat under the historic arcades that ring the square…quite reminiscent of Venice’s Piazza San Marco, albeit on a far more intimate scale. Cute server wearing a lime green L.A. tee shirt. Stylish second-floor bathroom with a long stone sink controlled with a foot pedal overlooking the plaça arcade below. Groups of clubbers dressed to the nines, drawn to the throbbing bass from the electronica club downstairs.


We were drawn back to the Plaça Reial by fond memories of our meal the night before. Tonight we spun the dial and chose a different Plaça-side restaurant. Tonight we shared a classic paella accompanied by some manchego cheese, patatas bravas and a mushroom omelette… Dos cervezas por favor.


Before dinner, we wandered thru the Barri Gótic. Taking random side streets. Wandering into random art galleries. Discovered (and then devoured) a decadent blackberry cupcake. YUM!!


Caught a dramatic street performance. Hard to describe. A dark-haired woman…long flowing white dress. Music a mix of opera and Enya. And a chair. This woman was on the chair, under the chair, and draped over the chair in the middle of a medieval cobblestone plaza. Quite unexpected.


Toured the Museu d’Historia de Barcelona, which features a subterranean tour of the ancient Roman roots of Barcelona. Fascinating tour of well-preserved streets, walls, and sewers. Learned the many uses of urine in Roman village life.


Lunch in a quiet inner courtyard adjacent to the Museu d’Historia. A simple-but-filling potato omelet Coke Light sure hits the spot on a warm Spanish afternoon. A light breeze cooled us.


Spent a few hours touring the Catedral de Barcelonia…a fine example of Gothic architecture. We have seen dozens of big, awe-inspiring cathedrals across Europe, and this one stands up well. A highlight for us was a walk on the roof, providing a panoramic view of the city. Oh and there were big geese in the courtyard fountain.


Began our day with a warm shower, hot coffee, and a filling ham and cheese croissant. I bet this will be a grand day 🙂