First days in Barcelona....

Next day we did some more exploration of the area while waiting for Lorraine and Bill to arrive.  We took a walk down to the marina, Port Vell, which was redeveloped as a major recreational area and marina prior to the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.  There are lots of activities, shops, restaurants to keep you occupied while viewing the 400-odd yachts and sailing craft in the harbour.  There must have been a race on while we were there, as the bridge was opened to let 20-30 yachts and crew from various countries through to the ocean - very entertaining.

Lorraine and Bill arrived around 4.00pm from Paris and joined us in our apartment.  It was good to catch up with them and hear all about their travels over the last month or so.  We had a 'set menu' dinner at a little tapas restaurant a few streets away, but it was pretty ordinary.

We decided to get a good overview of Barcelona by purchasing a 2-day pass for the 'Hop-on-hop-off' Bus tour for 35Euro.  We spent the next 2 days on the bus, and visited sites such as The Pedrera (Casa Mila), built by Antoni Gaudi, a famous and controversial Spanish architect who built many unusual buildings in Barcelona.  We also visited the Sagrada Familia, Parc Guell, both built by Gaudi, as well as several churches and the beaches of Barcelona.  

The bus is a great way to get around and get a feel for the city.  I love the architecture here, the old, the new and the downright outrageous!  Most of the buildings are so elegant, with wrought-iron balconies (or balconettes), and not a lot of high-rise.

Chargrilled squid &
grilled pepper puree

Duck carpaccio with mango salsa

We've had some interesting meals here - the best one so far was Shoko, at one of the beaches - we all enjoyed our meal which was 3 courses, a drink and coffee for only 11.50 euro pp.  Really interesting food for a very reasonable price.

Tomorrow we'll probably have a swim at one of the beaches and have a serious think about where to eat next....