Day 3 in Barca
We knew it was going to be a big day today. We planned to get to the Sagrada Familia early but with walking to it, it was about 8.45 by the time we arrived. It looked hopeful as we approached, no big crowds etc! but that was because they had already arrived and the line has snaked around the block. We walked past the front, along one side then along the back of the block...250 or so metres ...and the gates hadn't even opened yet. John had tried and tried to get an online booking but the website had crashed so we had turned up (along with hundreds of others) to try our luck. Brit thought she spied a shorter line on the other side of the main gate so we left our spot and walked over, only to find that this line was for those who managed to get prepaid tickets. Luckily I had struck up a conversation with a couple of New Yorkers in the line before we left and they let us re-join the line at our original spot.
It was a bit of a long wait as the line crept forward but the hour and a quarter passed reasonably well as we chatted to the New Yorkers. Just as we got to within 20 or so metres from the gate, the ladies' friends turned up, quite angry that there were no tickets available. They were going to miss out on the viewing as they were leaving that afternoon. We felt sorry for them so we smuggled them into the line. They were very grateful.
The Sagrada Familia was truly awesome. It took my breath away. The church was originally designed by another architect but a short time into the build it was taken over by Gaudi who must have been a builder's nightmare as he kept improvising and changing the plan. When he died unexpectedly in 1926 very little of the building had been completed (one façade, the crypt one tower and the apse). He also left little by way of definite plans as a lot of it was still in his head. 18 towers now soar over the skyline Inside it felt like a petrified forest of gigantic proportions. The complexity of the engineering was unbelievable. We all wished we had a dollar for each photo that was taken by tourists on the day. I agree with Ginny that it's one of the world's most impressive buildings. Curiously it was built smack in the middle of what looks like a really depressed and somewhat unsightly area.
On the way back to the hotel we chanced upon a magnificent hole in the wall bakery and stopped for a coffee and cake. The artisan breads looked like works of art and the people that shopped there left not with one loaf but with bags full! It was so warm and lovely in there we were reluctant to leave. There were treasures to be found everywhere and on the way back to the city we found a deli that Brit wanted to visit. I say deli but it was deli heaven. It was stocked with what Eddie and Patsy would call all manner of 'gorgeous little (gourmet) things". It looked like a treasure trove of temptation and Brit continued to stock her food hamper for Dubai. The staff wore the old fashioned country store keeper smocks and the service (busily attentive) was also from another era. Of course there were little samples to be tasted and a lovely young man offered us a glass on Mumm. Was I dreaming...no, it really was happening.
The plan was to walk back to the magnificent Boqueria market we had found the day before and have a shrimp lunch. This market boasts its the best in the world and it certainly gets my vote. It was first mentioned in 1217 but most of the current structure was built in 1835.
Unfortunately, getting a bite at the market was the plan of a few thousand other people and by the time we got to the market we could barely walk through the crowd let alone get a seat. We tried several places and were on the cusp of giving up when Brit suggested we try the restaurant next to the coffee shop we visited last time. It was a bit of a wait but we did get in. There was an extensive menu but it was almost impossible to work out what it said. A tall, excitable waitress said in reasonable English that she would help us. We dithered for a while them decided on oysters, prawns, potatoes and a salad. Beers were of course mandatory. It was getting on to 4 o'clock and there was a kind of hysterical urgency to the service as the stall was closing at 5pm for New Year's Eve. The seafood arrived and we started to nibble our way through it waiting for the potatoes. After a while we asked the woman if the potatoes were arriving. Basically she told us to calm down. "You princess. No worry. Leave worry to me" so the princesses waited and some time later, the potatoes did arrive. The food was ok but the cost was extortionate. With a restaurant meal planned for New Year's Eve, we were worried that we had eaten too late. We split up with Brit keen to do a bit of window shopping while we came home for a rest.
Unfortunately, getting a bite at the market was the plan of a few thousand other people and by the time we got to the market we could barely walk through the crowd let alone get a seat. We tried several places and were on the cusp of giving up when Brit suggested we try the restaurant next to the coffee shop we visited last time. It was a bit of a wait but we did get in. There was an extensive menu but it was almost impossible to work out what it said. A tall, excitable waitress said in reasonable English that she would help us. We dithered for a while them decided on oysters, prawns, potatoes and a salad. Beers were of course mandatory. It was getting on to 4 o'clock and there was a kind of hysterical urgency to the service as the stall was closing at 5pm for New Year's Eve. The seafood arrived and we started to nibble our way through it waiting for the potatoes. After a while we asked the woman if the potatoes were arriving. Basically she told us to calm down. "You princess. No worry. Leave worry to me" so the princesses waited and some time later, the potatoes did arrive. The food was ok but the cost was extortionate. With a restaurant meal planned for New Year's Eve, we were worried that we had eaten too late. We split up with Brit keen to do a bit of window shopping while we came home for a rest.
Our game plan was to get to the popular restaurant we wanted to get into, quite early. There were no bookings so we wanted to put our name on the list, take a walk and come back an hour or two later when our table would be free. Unfortunately there WAS a table free as soon as we arrived. We explained to the maître de that we would come back later and took a walk around the university quarter to waste some time. There were loads of camera shops and Brit had earlier Found a model shop so there was no shortage of entertainment for John.
When we got back to the restaurant, the line of people waiting to get in stretched across the front of the bar. Luckily the woman remembered us and we sailed past everyone to a sparking dining room at the back. It was beautifully kitted out. It was like dining in a Ralph Lauren showroom, with one wall covered in a magnificent mirrored bookshelf holding all manner of interesting nick nacks and books. A gigantic white glass chandelier hovered above us. The food was also amazing with some very exciting tapas. We were reluctant to leave too soon as the original plan was to leave the restaurant late and walk to a square to see the fireworks. The only way to stay on was to order more food and drink so this we did..and dessert, ...and coffee. It really was good and amazingly MUCH cheaper than the market lunch. Unfortunately we had exhausted ourselves and all we wanted to do was to go home.
Brit went back to the hotel so she could skype Wil while we tried to find a supermarket to buy picnic supplies for our planned Wednesday excursion to Parc Guell. The internet was down and the supermarket was closed. When we got back to the hotel none of us could face the prospect of going out again, so we ate the lucky grapes early, wished each other a happy new year and went to bed. Bliss! Though our hotel was smack in the middle of the city we didn't hear any crowds or fireworks. The spaniards must bring in the new year in a reasonably restrained way.
Brit went back to the hotel so she could skype Wil while we tried to find a supermarket to buy picnic supplies for our planned Wednesday excursion to Parc Guell. The internet was down and the supermarket was closed. When we got back to the hotel none of us could face the prospect of going out again, so we ate the lucky grapes early, wished each other a happy new year and went to bed. Bliss! Though our hotel was smack in the middle of the city we didn't hear any crowds or fireworks. The spaniards must bring in the new year in a reasonably restrained way.
