Barcelona

Still half asleep we get off the train in Barcelona and negotiate our way on the metro to the Barri Gotic region, which is one of the older parts of Barcelona. This region is also where our guidebook says there is a selection of cheaper accommodation options. We wander for quite a while from full hostel to overpriced hostel before we eventually take a marginally overpriced boxy second floor room, with a tiny balcony overlooking the street.

The next day morning we stop for breakfast at the delicious bakery downstairs. Almost every meal involved something from here; they have a dazzling array of unhealthy products to sample. From here we walk through the narrow streets of Barri Gotic to the Museu de Historia (or something like that). This museum contains underground archeological excavations dating back to before Christ. You can walk on gangways through them and they have signs depicting what each area may have looked like in its day, quite interesting. After this we head to La Segrada Familia, as I've already described in an email:
"La Sagrada Família is Gaudi's half finished masterpiece. They started working on it in 1896 and the current expected date of completion is 2041!! There are no photos from France, the only one we have is of the inside of the train station and one from the boat in the harbour, neither are very good.

Tonight we are going to watch a light show at some fountains in one of the parks, and then we might go see some Jazz. Tomorrow we are going to see some more Gaudi stuff and try and sort out the camera debacle.

In the evening we are too tired to head for the light and magic thing. For dinner we have a selection of tapas, which are small meals generally eaten while in combination with alcohol consumption. One is a beautiful mushroom and tomato mix of which we have a couple of serves.

This morning is spent doing chores, washing etc, and then back onto the Gaudi trail to Parc Güell. Originally intended to become a housing estate; the funds dried up and ownership of the park eventually passed to the local government. The most striking features of the park include an open air plaza which forms the roof of a market place supported by about 80 large stone columns.

Gaudi also kept with his nature thing here, with raised pathways supported by tree like columns and a covered walkway in a wave formation (pic). Also present are some impressive mosaic artworks (pic). For dinner we buy some stuff from the local produce market before heading to the magical fountain thing. Unfortunately I haven't read the guide book well enough and it’s just a pond on Mondays, it’s quite nice though. Atop the hill, overlooking the fountain lined boulevard and the large plaza containing a massive statue is a large (poorly lit) palace.

Our last morning in Barcelona is spent (after picking up my camera from repairs way out in some industrial estate) at the Picasso museum. The museum houses a vast array of the artists work from every period in his life, from an early age through to his last years. I especially like one from the blue period of a flower in a glass (yes, I’m sure it has a name!), but I am a little disappointed to discover that Guernica is not housed here (both Erin and I studied it at school).

From the Picasso Museum we negotiate the metro once more and arrive for our flight running a little behind schedule. I have some items I have to send home and we hurriedly organise postage for this, which is made all the more difficult by the fact I haven't got enough Euros left. When we finally sort out funds and pay the hefty price we are running late for boarding.

But it gets worse still, when in my rush to get to the gate I lose Erin. When I finally manage to explain to the gate staff in my poor Spanish that I have lost my partner, one of them heads of to look for her (and call her over the PA in Catalan and Spanish, very useful hey?!) whilst the others try and tell me she has stopped to shop. A little upset, Erin finds her way and we are off to Cuba!