Barcelona Housing Accommodations

The apartment we stayed at while in Barcelona was very artsy!  Our Barcelona host's name was Sonya.  She was very helpful, giving us lots of recommendations for food and places to see.  We figured out that most of the furnishings had come form good old Ikea!  The apartment was pretty quiet (except you could hear voices very clearly when people were in the stair well).  Like in Rome, we had 2 keys for 2 different doors -- entry from the street, then entry to our apartment.  We found it a little odd that our apartment door was a security door.  There were little posts that would go form inside the door and secure the door through the doorjamb (like what a bank vault would have).  It was kind of crazy.

(You entered the apartment via a door (to the right behind that crazy white floor lamp).  The hallway connected all the rooms together -- bathroom is to the left, kitchen to the right, and the bedroom straight on.) 

(The bedroom was pretty simple.  Just a bed, a mirror, and a cabinet (with hangers - where a lot of our clothes dried).  This may be gross, but the first night I got into the sheets, I could feel little pieces of stuff in the sheets, so I flipped back the blankets and noticed there was lots of hair and dirt in the bed.  The sheets were clean (well, they smelled clean) and even felt a little damp.  We found a blanket from in the living room, and just slept atop that blanket.  I tried not to think about what else was in the bed. . . )

(Here is the "showerless" bathroom - ha.  It had a handheld shower squirter, but no hook or mount to put it on.  Definitely made for a memorable shower.)

(View of the living room from the hallway.)

March 22 -- Last Day in Barcelona

**Originally, we were to take a bus to Montserrat for the day.  However, there was rain in the day's forecast.  After searching online about Montserrat, people said it wasn't worth visiting the monastery on cloudy days, because you couldn't see good views.  Therefore, we decided to make the day easy and do a tourist bus.  The tourist bust would allow us to see major sites we hadn't planned on as well as protect us from the weather.**

I woke up around 8:30 and went back to ironing.  I had a lot of damp clothes that needed to be in suitcases by the next morning.  I ironed quietly while Steve slept in (we had stayed up late the night before because I was busy ironing, journaling, and using the internet), especially since it was pouring rain outside.  By the time he was up and showered, I was at a stopping point. We left the apartment around 11 (drizzle outside) and headed to the metro.  We took the metro from our stop at San Antoni to the main train/bus station.  We wanted to check the station out and get our tickets for tomorrow's train ride to Madrid (we had purchased them online and printed off a sheet, but was unsure if the sheet was a voucher or the actual tickets).

After finding out our print out serves as the tickets (I'm still a little skeptical, but we'll see), we got a pastry and then went in search of the tourist bus bust stop.  After spotting a bus a following it around the station, we found the stop.  Later, we discovered there are 2 competing tourist buses (we found this out by trying to get on the wrong bus).  There was the blue Turistic bus & red Barcelona City Tour.  We were on the red bus.  The tour had 2 routes -- orange & green.  Our tickets (24 euro each, bought on the bus) were valid for the entire day.  You could get on & off at any stop on either route in order to visit places.  While on the bus, they had an included audio tour to listen to (earphones included!).

We started on the orange route at stop 12.  (18 orange stops, 17 green).  We rode until stop 2 & got off at Placa Catalyunya where we started the Rick Steves's Barri Gothic walking tour.  When we had started the bus tour, it was drizzling a little as well as overcast. Halfway on the walking tour, the sun came out!  Even though we had visited the Barcelona Cathedral the previous day, we didn't vie it from the outside.  Along the walking tour, we got to see the front side of the Cathedral.  There was a little flea market set up outside that we strolled through.  In a little shoe box was a bunch of different crystal chandelier pieces that matched the style of our chandeliers at home.  I wanted to replace a little pendant from the living room chandelier and bought a new pendant for 2 euro at the flea market.

(Old Roman towers in the Gothic Quarter)

(Little flea market in front of the Cathedral of Barcelona)

(Cathedral of Barcelona)

(Along the Rick Steves tour, he had you pass through a little courtyard that serves as a playground on weekdays.  Here is a picture of the school and the kids playing games like tag, juggling, and ball.)

After finishing up the walking tour, we stopped at a Pans & Co (a food chain known for their baguette style sandwiches in Spain) and split a sandwich.  We then back tracked to Placa Catalyuna and revisited La Ramblas.  We wanted to see La Boqueria (market) while it was day.  While in the market, we bought a little fruit drink.  We then walked to the Mediterranean Sea port & caught the bust at stop 3 (this is where we tried to get on the wrong tour bus, oops).

(Mediterranean Sea Port)

(Mediterranean Sea Port)

(Christopher Columbus Monument)

We took the orange route all the way to stop #1 (overlapping several stops we'd already seen) in order to switch to green.  We rode the green route to #13 (we missed #14, but 15-17 were duplicates of orange stops) where we got off & walked to Parc Guell.  This park was created by Antoni Gaudi.  He intended the park to be a gated community; however, he was ahead of his time and the idea failed.  This trip has irritated one of my knees & it flared up on the walk to the park.  It also didn't help that we had been sitting on the top of the buses all day (except for the overlapping stops) where it was windy & chilly when the sun wasn't out.  It was 6:45 pm by the time we got to the park.  We were cold and tired; so we back-tracked to a metro stop & went home.

(View from the bus.  Notice-- right side of the skyline, La Sagrada Familia towers around the surrounding buildings.  It'll be crazy to see it when they add the central spire, which will be 560 ft in height!)

(Olympic Flame from the 1992 Summer games hosted by Barcelona)

(Rocking out the red headphones on the top of our tour bus)

(Barcelona's Bull Fight Arena -- bull fighting was banned in Barcelona in 2010 and the arena is now home to a shopping center.)

(Security tower to the entrance of Parc Guell)

(Parc Guell)

(This lizard is seen all throughout Barcelona as a symbol of Gaudi)

(At the top of the park entrance, Gaudi had a bench surrounding an open area.  From here, you could see views of Barcelona as well as the paths that you can take throughout the park.)

We stopped & got Beef Empanades right outside our apartment.  We ate them at the apartment along with the leftovers from the dinner I made yesterday and our last Fanta & Coke.  After dinner, Steve planned Madrid while I ironed, packed, & cleaned up.

(I got to do lots of chores while staying in Barcelona -- cooking, washing clothes, ironing.  I must say, it was kind of relaxing to have these ties to home!)

March 21 - Day 8

Today was supposed to be our Vespa tour of Barcelona.  However, there was an 80% chance of rain.  Our reservation was at 10 o'clock.  We decided to go there & evaluate the weather at that point.  While Steve was showering & getting ready, I was busy ironing some of the clothes to help finish the drying process.  Finally, I had some clean warmer layers to wear!

We headed to the Vespa tour location via the metro.  On the way, it was a little chilly, but we didn't want to make a decision until we were closer.  We stepped back onto the street form the metro & began walking toward the Vespa tour.  Before we got there, we already knew it would be a miserable day if we decided to go on the Vespa.  It was already sprinkling & pretty chilly.  We had already put $20 towards a reservation, but knew the other $40 wasn't worth it.

Luckily, the Vespa place was located near one of our sites -- La Sagrada Familia by Antoni Gaudi.  So we started our day off there.  This church has been in the works since 1886 & still isn't completed!  The goal is to be done by 2026, but it is unlikely.  Only last year was it finally dedicated as a basilica by the pope.  We were almost done at the church when we realized it was raining pretty good (guess skipping the Vespas was a good idea!).  We waited out the rain & planned the next part of our day.

(The outside of the church will evenutally be decorated with 3 Facades -- Nativity Facade, Passion Facade, and Glory Facade.  Here, the Nativity Facade (first created) is pictured.  Next, they completed the Passion Facade.  The Glory Facade has not even been begun yet.)

(Here, the center of the Passion Facade is pictured.  Notice the difference in the color of the stonework of the two completed Facades.  The older Nativity Facade is much darker due to stains and weather.  The Passion Facade is also very simple as opposed to the very ornate Nativity Facade.)

(Here is the model of what the completed church will look like.  The cross atop the center spire will be so tall that ships coming into Barcelona in the Mediterranean Sea will be able to see it.)

(Inside the church -- it is surrounded by pillars that give the appearance of trees.  Gaudi (the archietect who was commissioned to construct the church) was known for his ties with nature.  He incorporated nature into lots of his architecture seen all throughout Barcelona.)

(This is suspended from the air over the main alter.)

(The church is still under construction.  They get their money from donations and ticket sales into the church.  Here you can see that not all of the windows have stained glass yet.  They replace the windows as the budget allows.)

From the church, we hopped back onto the metro and went to the Cathedral of Barcelona.  We had to walk through some drizzle, but it wasn't that bad.  While inside the Cathedral, the rain picked up.  We had to dodge around some school groups, but were able to find a seat & wait the rain out.  We especially enjoyed the geese in the church's cloister.

(The inside of the Barcelona Cathedral reminded us of yesterday's Santa Maria del Mar.)

(Under the main alter is a tomb of Eulalia.  Eulalia was a Christian martyr during Roman rule in Barcelona's beginnings.  She was 13 years old and had to endure 13 different punishments (each punishment was meant to kill her, but she wouldn't die).  Finally, they crucified her on an x-shaped cross, which is the symbol found throughout the Cathedral.)

(In the Cathedral's cloisture -- covered & open garden area -- are 13 geese (one for each year and punishment in Eulalia's life).  The geese were pretty funny to watch.  They'd just stare at you and cock their heads to the side.)

('The gargoyle's served double duty -- architectural art & rain gutters!)

From the cathedral, we ha d a short walk to the City History Museum.  Inside, you go down 65 feet into a "subsoil archaeological site", where you get to see some Roman ruins.  We did not find the info & "recreation scenes" helpful but got some info from the English audio-guides.

(View of the archaeological subsoil area.  This was a community area that was unearthed.  There were different sections like laundry area, fishery, & a winery.  They had little plaques that tried to show what you were looking at, but it wasn't done well and we couldn't really "see" the sites.  It was neat, but not a must-see.)

(This was one of Steve's favorite plaques in the "laundry" room.  He got a kick out of the fact that they mixed in urine with ash, lime, and bleach in order to wash their laundry.)

After the museum, I was pretty hungry.  Our "brought" food supplies (granola bars & trail mix) are running low & Barcelona doesn't have the quick-stop food places like Rome.  After searching around, we decided to metro back to our "burrow" & see what we could find.  We didn't find anything cheap or quick, so I decided to stop at a little supermarket & make our own meal.  For 6.4 euro we bought: chocolate flakes cereal, package of noodles, 3 small tomatoes, 1 onion, 1 head garlic, 2 cans Fanta & 2 cans coke.

When we got back to the apartment, we couldn't figure out the stove.  We knew it was gas, but the burner wouldn't light.  Steve emailed our host while I did another load of laundry.  She explained via email you have to start the burner with matches.  This was new to me, but camper/pyro Steve got the stove working.  30 minutes later, we had another load of clean laundry air drying & food to eat.

(I boiled the noodles in water with cayenne seeds that I found in the cabinet.  Then I sauted onions & garlic and added it into the noodles along with diced tomatoes & random seasons form the cabinet.  I think they may have been parsley & rosemary according to the pictures.)

After we ate, I had to iron/dry up some more clothes.  Then we layered up and headed back out.  We metroed to a new location and visited Casa Mila/ La Pedrera-- another one of Gaudi's works.  We got to tour the rooftop, attic, and an apartment in the building.  We bought 1 audio guide & shared it via our own set of headphones & "Y" audio splitter.

(View of Le Pedrera from the street)

(View down the center of the building from the roof top)

(Chimneys up on the rooftop)

(Inner foyer of the apartment complex.  The building is now considered a world heritage site and no one lives inside it any more.)

When we were done, the rain had stopped, wind had died down, and it seemed warmer.  We decided to go on Rick Steves's "Block of Discord" walking tour.  The block holds 3 buildings of famous architects (one being Gaudi).  People say that each architect tried to outdo each other, creating a discord amongst the block.

(Antoni Gaudi's Casa Battlo)

(Josep Puig i Cadafalch's Casa Amatller)

(Lluis Domenech i Montaner's Casa Lleo-Morera)

From the discorded block, we continued heading south towards Placa Catalyuna.  From there, we did Rick Steves's La Ramblas walking tour.  This area is very touristy & offers "street" entertainment, food market (La Boqueria), and American amenities (like McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, Hard Rock Cafe, Starbucks).  By the time we walked this street, it was getting late (past 8 o'clock).  We were supposed to be able to see the Mediterranean Sea at the end of La Ramblas, but it was too dark.

(Steve granted me a coffee from Starbucks for being a trooper throughout the rainy weather.  Behind me is the Hard Rock Cafe -- which my dad had found on a previous trip to Barcelona.)

(A picture of the touristy pedestrian area -- La Ramblas)

(In the middle of La Ramblas is a La Boqueria market.  During the day, this area is bustling with people buying and selling meat, fish, fresh produce, and candies.  We were too late in the day and didn't see much going on.)

We hopped on the metro and navigated back to our apartment.  We are getting good with navigating the metro!  Once home, Steve planned our next day along with some tablet games while I worked on more laundry.  Because of the rainy weather, stuff isn't drying all the way.  Even after using the iron, things still feel damp.  I completed our last load (3 loads total).  One load has been line dried, iron dried, and folded.  The other 2 are strewn about the apartment in various areas "line" drying.

(Even though we're on vacation, I truly enjoyed getting to do some laundry & cooking!)

I went to bed with the plan to get up early and do more ironing/drying.  Everything has to be dried and packed by tomorrow night since we leave for Madrid the next day!

March 20 -- Hola Barcelona

We woke up at 7am, got ready & were out the door 20 minutes later.  We didn't want to lug our suitcases across town, so we got a taxi in Largo Argentina.  8.5 euro & 15 minutes later, we were at Termini Station.  Due to a Rick Steves tip, we knew there were airport shuttle buses located on the far west side of Termini.  We found a bus loading zone, but were unsure of the correct bus & where to buy the tickets.

We ended up finding a shuttle bus (not what Rick Steves suggested, but I didn't want to waste time) and just went with it.  We paid extra for the convenience instead of searching out the cheaper bus.  Another 12 euro & fighting onto the bus, we got seats together & were headed to Ciampino Airport (note: we entered Europe via Rome's Fuimicino Airport).  After unloading the bus & our suitcases, we entered the airport & found the Ryanair check-in.

After dropping off our luggage, we found the security check.  It was slightly different than how it is done in the U.S.  Here, you could keep your shoes & lightweight sweaters on.  The guy in front of us was oblivious to the situation & was taking forever.  We just skipped around him.  He had tons of stuff in his pockets and was still sorting his stuff by the time we were through security and headed to our gate.  We checked out the gate area, but went ahead & got a snack first, since we had 1.5 hours until our flight.  We each got a croissant & then headed through a little shop were we bought Kinder eggs for our nieces (Kinder eggs are chocolate eggs that have little toys inside.  They're banned in the U.S. because they're considered choking hazards).

The airport was quite small compared to the airports we've experienced thus far on the trip.  All A gates were positioned around a big square room.  We found a couple seats (there weren't many seats) and watched how the system worked.  Each gate door had a cue line.  About 15-20 minutes before the "boarding time" the cue would fill up.  We it got close to time, you would show your ticket/passport, exit through the door to outside, & board a bus.

We watched several cue lines fill up & empty when we noticed our own cue was starting to fill up.  Steve continued to sit & play his game while I stood in the cue & read my Kindle.  When an announcement was made for our flight, Steve joined the cue.  Crew members were working at their station, helping some handicapped passengers, and preparing the bus for our flight when Steve decided (against my preference, since he had been sitting and not taking the opportunity at that point) to go to the bathroom.  (It should be known that we were not assigned seats for the plane, and I was concerned with getting on the plane and getting seats together).  Lucky for Steve, he went to the bathroom quick and was back before the line moved.  We showed our tickets/passports and got onto the bus.  After a short 2 min ride, we unloaded right in front of our plane.  We were one of the first onto the plan and picked seats together, close to the front.

While on the plane, they did the usual pre-flight safety stuff.  It was all done in English via a recording.  Once we took off, the flight attendants went to work as salesmen.  First, they explained the food & beverage options, then sold smokeless cigarettes, lottery tickets, maps, toys, perfume, and other random items.

We got off the plane at a gate in a bigger airport.  Our luggage was already sitting on the non-moving belt.  We found a tourist information booth & got a map of Barcelona (our Rick Steves Barcelona book is  "snapshot" & doesn't include maps).  We asked them to point us in direction of the Aerobus (#2), which will take us close to where are apartment is located.  But before we found the bus, we split a sandwich & check out the map to familiarize ourselves with Barcelona.

The stop for the Aerobus was easily identifiable.  There was an automated ticket purchase (in English), too.  While on the bus, the stops were labeled & easy to figure out.  We got off the bus at Placa Espanya.  From there, we headed to find a phone & call our host.  We walked around for about 30 minutes, finding & trying several different phones.  Some were card operated while few were coin.  Our calling card from Italy seemed to do us no good.  We finally found a coin operated one (that worked) but the phone number seemed to be wrong.  That's when we realized we were adding the country code, which wasn't needed (thanks Rick Steves for explaining how to make calls via our Barcelona book).

(Steve attempting to contact our Barcelona host.  You'd think after all our experience with European phones, we'd be pros.  Sadly, each phone seemed to be just a little different from the last one.  So bizarre!)

After reaching our host, we walked another 15 minutes to the apartment.  Apparently the online address was a street off, but she expected us to make the mistake, met us at the wrong street and then took us to the correct location.  While inside, she gave us some city recommendations and hooked us up with internet (hers wasn't working, but the beauty salon downstairs gave her access to their wifi).

After unpacking & settling in (5pm), we decided to attempt the metro to get to the Picasso museum (we had a ticked reservation for 7pm).  We walked a few blocks to the nearest metro stop & went in.  Inside, they had automated ticket machines (with English) that let us buy a T-10 card (10 rides, split among multiple passengers).  From our stop (Sant Antoni), we headed to the Jaume 1 stop (had to exchange lines at Passeig de Garcia).  Coming out of the metro, we were a little turned around.  We finally got ourselves oriented & decided to go to the church of Santa Maria del Mar, since we had 45 minutes til our Picasso reservation.  On the way to the church, it was really windy & cold.

(Santa Maria del Mar -- the church was built with money from the shipping industry)

(A fire in 1936 destroyed a lot of the interior artwork.  Black scorch marks can still be seen on the ceiling from the fire.)

(This statue of Santa Maria near the alter has a ship at it's base for the connection to the shipping industry (for which the church was built).)

After the church, we walked to La Ribera & bought two baguette sandwiches from a nice fellow.  He got a kick out of speaking to us in English.  We ate our dinner then went to the Picasso Museum.  The layout chronologically laid out Picasso's paintings from age 12 until death.  The museum was rather fascinating, and really glorified the changes in Picasso's technique according to his life stages.  Sadly, we couldn't take pictures in the museum.

After the museum, we made it back to the metro, reversed our direction & line changes, and successfully made it back to our apartment.  Steve planned the next day while I figured out the laundry machine.  I had umped in the shower first before turning the washer on.  I also had to master the shower.  There is a handheld faucet, but there was no wall mount.  It made for an interesting shower!  While the load was washing, I dried my hair while Steve worked on planning the next day.  All of a sudden, the power went out.  Ooops :).  I had brought a little book light with me that we used to find and figure out the circuit board.  I guess running the washer and drying my hair at the same time is frowned upon in Europe.  After the load finished washing, I had to let it air dry overnight.

(There was a cabinet in the bedroom that we hung some stuff up on.  The rest got hung on a travel clothes line that Steve's mom loaned us.)

Another crazy apartment issue -- we were allowed to flush toilet paper.  Weird Europeans.