Connberry2012: Beautiful Barcelona!!!

22/3

As predicted, we woke to a beautiful clear blue sky and so made for Juan’s place after breakfast in order to get a bike rack fitted as well as hook up some flexi straps in Jeff’s ‘shed’.

A typical mechanic, his Spanish communication was universal with playful flirts directed at Jen, comic smiles & pinches with the kids & manly ,‘can do’ gesticulations - ‘no problemo’ - with Jeff, plus the obligatory busty nude blonde poster on the workshop wall.

His wife dropped us at the tren estacion for another intoxicating day in a truly glorious Barcelona. Travel book shop first in readiness for France.

Next, we made for Casa Baillo again, this time to linger inside. Jeff thought that $65 family entry was bold whilst the kids & I just loved every second.

The house is weird, exotic, intriguing, absolutely beautiful, and way ahead of it’s time. The windows are like peep holes in trees. With it’s sumptuous curves, polished woods, generous curves, varied materials from brass to stones to blue tiles all demand that the house be touched and stroked.

We stopped for a coffee before lapping up our last Gaudi exploration, Park Guell. An open garden around Gaudi’s childhood home, it sits in prime position at the top of the hill over-looking Barcelona. Buskers of all sorts sing and strum in lush corners. It is unmissable and immediately welcoming with more delightful Gaudi entrance creations.

Lunch once again at Mercat Boqueria - wild horses could not tear me from another trip here! Kids & Jeff blissed out on fresh juices,massive empanadas finished by flavoured nuts and dried fruits whilst I had dried anchovies, followed by a large tub of lentils & nuts of all sorts.

Our drew to a close with a walk along the most grand seaside boulevard guarded by Christopher Columbus ( almost as tall as the clouds), past Roman walls built into the ‘new city’ hardscape and exhilarating busking Spanish Bob Marley brass bands.