bar-theh-LOH-na
I love getting up at quarter to four in the morning! I'm lying, but actually it wasn't that bad today (why does it begin to get light this early in Vienna?!) We knew today would be an adventure, but didnt know that the adventure would begin before the sun even came up.
Finally, the day had come for the start of our Barcelona trip! Budget European carriers are known for being a great way to scout out low fares to almost anywhere on the continent. They are also known for causing a few headaches, one of which is not flying out of major airports. So, our itinerary: Bratislava, Slovakia - Barcelona, Spain.
After napping for most of the flight, I woke up during the descent, over the beautiful clear water of the Mediterranean. When we landed at about 10:30am, the weather was PERFECT.
Central Europe, to Eastern Europe, to the Iberian Peninsula... all before noon!
We took the airport shuttle into the city. We got off at Playa Catalunya, just blocks from where we were staying, in what could be described as the Times Square of Barcelona!
But just off of the huge Playa Catalunya square, and the broad streets of the infamous "La Rambla", were a labarynth of extremely narrow, criss-crossing, Venice-like streets. This made finding the exact location of our place a bit of a task.
After getting settled in, we were back out on the streets, with a full day ahead of us to explore. Making our way down La Rambla had the same feel of most 'tourist-trap' areas in any city. Too many people, street musicians, performers painted head to toe posing as statues (startling the crap out of tourists), overpriced sidewalk cafes, the nagging feeling that you've just been pickpocketed (major problem in Barca), and far too many pigeons! Despite all this, it really is a much see - not that we had a choice, since it was practically right out our door!
Reaching the end of La Rambla, you cross a beautiful promenade and reach the beginning of the harbor, which has beautiful marinas, cable cars, and a really excellent shopping mall.
Wandering further east, we kept seeing people on motor scooters in swimming trunks and bikinis with sandy legs, so we could tell we were nearing the beach. Stretching from the harbor in the south, all the way past the Porto Olímpico going north, Barcelona's beaches were absolutely gorgeous.
I may not have been able to resist the temptation to sprint into the blue water with my clothes on, were it not for our quest to find some real, authentic Catalan food.
We knew this meant getting off the beaten path a bit. So from the beach area, we cut inland, and sought out the seediest neighborhood we could find. Paydirt. After some searching, we found an awesome, nondescript little seafood restaraunt buried within some interesting little neighborhood. I would highly recommend this restaraunt - but I cannot remember its name, and couldn't find it again if I tried!
While we waited for our table, Babsi ordered a pitcher of Sangria, while I salivated at the menu. Worth ever;y minute of the wait, we shared a massive seafood Paella, with muscles, clams, pork, saffron, and prawns the size of my hand! After the whole thing somehow disappeared, along with a bottle of Rioja, we had a Cava sorbet and then limped home.
Finally, the day had come for the start of our Barcelona trip! Budget European carriers are known for being a great way to scout out low fares to almost anywhere on the continent. They are also known for causing a few headaches, one of which is not flying out of major airports. So, our itinerary: Bratislava, Slovakia - Barcelona, Spain.
After napping for most of the flight, I woke up during the descent, over the beautiful clear water of the Mediterranean. When we landed at about 10:30am, the weather was PERFECT.
Central Europe, to Eastern Europe, to the Iberian Peninsula... all before noon!
We took the airport shuttle into the city. We got off at Playa Catalunya, just blocks from where we were staying, in what could be described as the Times Square of Barcelona!
But just off of the huge Playa Catalunya square, and the broad streets of the infamous "La Rambla", were a labarynth of extremely narrow, criss-crossing, Venice-like streets. This made finding the exact location of our place a bit of a task.
After getting settled in, we were back out on the streets, with a full day ahead of us to explore. Making our way down La Rambla had the same feel of most 'tourist-trap' areas in any city. Too many people, street musicians, performers painted head to toe posing as statues (startling the crap out of tourists), overpriced sidewalk cafes, the nagging feeling that you've just been pickpocketed (major problem in Barca), and far too many pigeons! Despite all this, it really is a much see - not that we had a choice, since it was practically right out our door!
Reaching the end of La Rambla, you cross a beautiful promenade and reach the beginning of the harbor, which has beautiful marinas, cable cars, and a really excellent shopping mall.
Wandering further east, we kept seeing people on motor scooters in swimming trunks and bikinis with sandy legs, so we could tell we were nearing the beach. Stretching from the harbor in the south, all the way past the Porto Olímpico going north, Barcelona's beaches were absolutely gorgeous.
I may not have been able to resist the temptation to sprint into the blue water with my clothes on, were it not for our quest to find some real, authentic Catalan food.
We knew this meant getting off the beaten path a bit. So from the beach area, we cut inland, and sought out the seediest neighborhood we could find. Paydirt. After some searching, we found an awesome, nondescript little seafood restaraunt buried within some interesting little neighborhood. I would highly recommend this restaraunt - but I cannot remember its name, and couldn't find it again if I tried!
While we waited for our table, Babsi ordered a pitcher of Sangria, while I salivated at the menu. Worth ever;y minute of the wait, we shared a massive seafood Paella, with muscles, clams, pork, saffron, and prawns the size of my hand! After the whole thing somehow disappeared, along with a bottle of Rioja, we had a Cava sorbet and then limped home.
Brennilein - 28. Jun, 12:41
