San Carles de la Rapita to Barcelona
Having only just begun getting to grips with Spanish we are now in Catalan country which is even more complicated and they are determined not to speak anything else. (Probably because they can’t)
This little resort on the Southern edge of the Ebro delta is probably fun in the summer but most of the hotels were closed and we had an extremely cold night in one of the only available ones. There was a great procession both last night and this morning outside our window because it is St Antonio’s Day, which involved lots of bands, children and horsemen all led by two figures on huge stilts and somewhere in the middle a cart horse pulling an effigy of St Antonio (we think - the whole procession may have been a funeral in which us whooping and hollering on our balcony may have been a little inappropriate). It was a bit like being in Northern Ireland in the marching season with the drum bands and the penny whistle flutes.We then had a very happy day exploring the Ebro delta which is huge and not surprisingly VERY flat. This is a rice growing area, and seemed flooded, whether by the recent rain or by design we don’t know. There were tractors working away in the mud with 100s of birds following, mostly herons and egrets and some glossy ibis which we haven’t seen before here.
Tractors doing something to do with planting rice!
Glossy Ibis - real beauties.
We drove to the very end of the River Delta to Riumar and the Natural Park where there is a very good route to walk around the estuary and had a happy time on a tower overlooking the whole area. An Osprey was having a tricky time catching his lunch, only getting a fish on his 4th swoop, and then was immediately pursued by sea gulls so had to fly miles before he could eat it. (Watching the poor Haitians fighting over food aid parcels told us it’s not just animals who have to fight for survival)
Having seen the Osprey successfully see off the seagulls and other scavengers we in our turn then had our lunch. We found a wooden shack on the beach offering the most delicious and absolutely enormous Gambas (alfresco it was a lovely day) which turned out to be the best we’ve had in Spain. At the same time three generations of ladies plus a baby a month old a very small dog and a 4 year old boy sat at the table beside us. The small boy stood on his chair throughout screaming at his mother to make the miniature whatever go away. Spanish mothers, grannies and little sisters have an amazing ability to ignore all but the conversation going on around them so they her stood shaking with fear until eventually the minute mutt was tied to a tree some 10yds away after which it kept up a constant howling and the boy sat down. Such is life eh!!
Then we drove the remaining 100 miles to Barcelona.
Having seen the Osprey successfully see off the seagulls and other scavengers we in our turn then had our lunch. We found a wooden shack on the beach offering the most delicious and absolutely enormous Gambas (alfresco it was a lovely day) which turned out to be the best we’ve had in Spain. At the same time three generations of ladies plus a baby a month old a very small dog and a 4 year old boy sat at the table beside us. The small boy stood on his chair throughout screaming at his mother to make the miniature whatever go away. Spanish mothers, grannies and little sisters have an amazing ability to ignore all but the conversation going on around them so they her stood shaking with fear until eventually the minute mutt was tied to a tree some 10yds away after which it kept up a constant howling and the boy sat down. Such is life eh!!
Then we drove the remaining 100 miles to Barcelona.
Sunday and Monday 17th – 18th January
Barcelona We are staying in one of those weird futuristic hotels where you could be anywhere in the world, or even on the Moon. Our bedroom has so many gadgets it has taken us the last 2 days to find out how to work the ‘mood’ lighting, the ‘atmospheric control’ and the shower. We dare not touch the mini bar because if you pick up a drink and then put it down again it has already charged it to your bill. The T.V has defeated us! The hotel is near the beach which is obviously not the place to be at this time of year so was a much better price than others in the main part of the city. Unfortunately the weather has been drizzly and gloomy so we have not done justice to the city’s many sites yet. Yesterday we didn’t do much as Alec had to drop the car back at Girona airport which took some time. We ate a picnic lunch in our room as we had planned to take it to the beach, got the bikes out afterwards and rode north along the beach as far as we could before the beach and harbour ran out.
Barcelona We are staying in one of those weird futuristic hotels where you could be anywhere in the world, or even on the Moon. Our bedroom has so many gadgets it has taken us the last 2 days to find out how to work the ‘mood’ lighting, the ‘atmospheric control’ and the shower. We dare not touch the mini bar because if you pick up a drink and then put it down again it has already charged it to your bill. The T.V has defeated us! The hotel is near the beach which is obviously not the place to be at this time of year so was a much better price than others in the main part of the city. Unfortunately the weather has been drizzly and gloomy so we have not done justice to the city’s many sites yet. Yesterday we didn’t do much as Alec had to drop the car back at Girona airport which took some time. We ate a picnic lunch in our room as we had planned to take it to the beach, got the bikes out afterwards and rode north along the beach as far as we could before the beach and harbour ran out.
Foreground second from left - Spirit of Australia.We then turned around and went the other way until it got dark passing marina after marina all full of enormous Sunseekers and even a yacht called ‘Spirit of Australia’ which will probably be known to the likes of DN-J, Wells and maybe Nige’s Dad!!.
Spectacular Gaudi designed buildings circa 1905 in downtown Barcelona.
The Olympic Harbour and the double towers overlooking it.
A girl (rather obvious)
Spain's Arc de Triomphe
Part of the two Disney style houses at the entrance to the Gaudi Park
A multi coloured glazed tile salamandar of which there are thousands in the tourist shops.
More houses on the estate.
It is now 5pm and we suffer from plane, boat, train fever so back to the hotel as fast as possible only I being of the sort who thinks ‘time spent on preparation etc etc’ was determined first to establish exactly where the ferry left from so when we had to cycle there in the dark there could be no mistakes. I’m quite glad we did, it wasn’t anywhere near to where we’d been told it was and it was 5 miles from the hotel. Rather upsetting was the young couple of pikeys also checking out the ferry who had two dogs (last seen being attached to a lamp post) and we don’t know what will happen to them.( the dogs that is)
With a combination of buses and walking we eventually made it back to the hotel, collected our belongings (we are now back in itinerant mode) and set forth in the dark and drizzle for the port. Fortunately we (and the pikeys sans chien as far as we can see) are the only tourists on this ferry and as the crew clearly don’t like pikeys and have a sympathy for aging cyclistas we are waved on first and treated like royalty! The most scary moment in the whole of Spain came only minutes before embarkation (oh no Spain must have affected me I’ve just spelt embarkation with a ‘C’). We were peddling for all we were worth after a car with lights flashing which was escorting ‘us’ to the boat when around a corner and out of completely nowhere, doing 50mph came a vehicle straight at me. Vivi and the car behind her both closed their eyes and implored the almighty it would be a quick and painless end but in fact he and I had established eye contact and with some deft left and right brake sequence, dropping 8 cogs out of 24 and years or riding with no hands at Gordonstoun I missed him!!
Dinner on the boat was the worst and most expensive we have had in Spain but the cabin made up for it, the sea is flat calm and we slept until 10.00 this morning.
Wednesday 20th January.
On the boat Barcelona to Civitavecchia.
The boat doesn’t arrive until 18.30 what on earth is one to do on a ferry complete with swimming pool (summer only), numerous bars, a gym and a health and beauty spa for the next 10 hours. Mercifully Jim brought me the January edition of the ‘Field’ when they came for Christmas so at last I can read that. Vivi has taken up residence in the massage parlour – unlike my brother in law Harry, I haven’t – happy ending paah! I’m in the bar with the Field wondering how they’ll get on at Aller this Saturday.
The boat has passed between Corsica and Sardinia, perilously close to Sardinia if you ask me. The captain even had to slow down we were so close to the rocks and I don’t think it was so I could take photos either. Bit reminiscent of our breakfast time sail from Santa Maria to Rota!!
I (Vivi) am feeling very mellow now thanks to the excellent massage and beautifying program I have had for the last 2 hours. The lovely Columbian masseuse was rather sad as she is working on this boat for a 6 months, leaving her 11 year old son in Columbia with her mother. No husband - ‘man very bad’ - apparently. We got on famously in a curious mix of eeenglish, Spanish , Italian and a bit of Garlic (Vivi’s local patois) I now find myself saying ridiculous things like ‘ees very bueno’ but they seem to understand!
The crew are very attentive and it is quite exhausting wondering if we have to tip them every time they insist on carrying a glass or plate for you. It is 4 in the afternoon and there is wonderful Spanish music over the intercom in this bar and the karaoke lights are flashing. Alec thinks he is going to have a snooze but I think they have other ideas!
Great news the pikeys and their dogs last seen waiting for a bus to Roma – phew, we can sleep again!
The Olympic Harbour and the double towers overlooking it.
There are the most extraordinary modern buildings everywhere. Outside our window the hotel next door is built in the shape of a piano keyboard stood on it’s end. And as if it couldn’t get any better there is a great tram service from right outside the hotel so we went to the Olympic City for dinner.
We were rather mesmerized by the enormity and touristy-ness – is this a new word? Of ‘downtown Barcelona’. In the end we came most of the way back to find everything was shut except the pizza take away. For a nervous moment I thought we might miss dinner altogether but this very small bistro/takeaway saved us from starvation. Whilst biking around we came upon a film crew filming a very smart new car. They had blocked the roads but not the bridge we came over, so if you see any advertisements of a new Alfa Romeo with 2 random bikers in the background in bright yellow coats, that is us!
We find the locals are particularly courteous and have finally worked out that they may well think we are police on bikes. We are the only 2 who wear helmets and bright jackets but it works well so will keep them on during wet weather.The trip to the launderette was this morning’s highlight but was very pain free as the kind lady took it all off us and told us to return tonight. We had expected to sit there for hours. An indication of the type of area we were in was that the door was permanently locked and access only gained after they had had a thoroughly good look at you. Anyway, unburdened with washing we went off to explore the park and old city. (Inadvertently leaving the dictionary and tourist map in the launderette washing basket)
We were rather mesmerized by the enormity and touristy-ness – is this a new word? Of ‘downtown Barcelona’. In the end we came most of the way back to find everything was shut except the pizza take away. For a nervous moment I thought we might miss dinner altogether but this very small bistro/takeaway saved us from starvation. Whilst biking around we came upon a film crew filming a very smart new car. They had blocked the roads but not the bridge we came over, so if you see any advertisements of a new Alfa Romeo with 2 random bikers in the background in bright yellow coats, that is us!
We find the locals are particularly courteous and have finally worked out that they may well think we are police on bikes. We are the only 2 who wear helmets and bright jackets but it works well so will keep them on during wet weather.The trip to the launderette was this morning’s highlight but was very pain free as the kind lady took it all off us and told us to return tonight. We had expected to sit there for hours. An indication of the type of area we were in was that the door was permanently locked and access only gained after they had had a thoroughly good look at you. Anyway, unburdened with washing we went off to explore the park and old city. (Inadvertently leaving the dictionary and tourist map in the launderette washing basket)
Sagreda Familia - sadly covered in scaffold.
A girl (rather obvious)
on a horse with a boat
Why - we don't know.
Spain's Arc de Triomphe
We started at Gaudi’s ‘Sagrada Familia’ which is not expected to be finished for another 3 decades or so, and is covered in scaffold. However, the parts you can see are very ornate and we would have liked to look inside but at 19 euros each we decided we could look at the outside instead. I am sure we will look back and say that was a mistake but we had to eat as well and we know what’s more important!
So we whizzed past most things until rain stopped play and had a long lunch to dry out. Tomorrow we will try harder.
So we whizzed past most things until rain stopped play and had a long lunch to dry out. Tomorrow we will try harder.
Tuesday 19th January 2010.
Barcelona – our last day in Spain.
Well, the ferry to Civitavecchia doesn’t leave until 22.15, we have to be out of our room by 12noon so what to do. Fortunately we can leave the bikes and the panniers in the hotel. It is – quelle surprise - raining.
Anyway we didn’t think we’d really done justice to Barcelona so far so we bought a day ticket for the trams, buses and metro and set off for the centre of town. Of course traveling by bike you don’t have useful things like umbrellas, wellingtons and Barbours so within minutes we were ‘damp’ and the only solution was to get into somewhere dry – which we did and an hour and a half later it had stopped raining and frankly we didn’t care anyway. Was it to be the cable car (Harriet’s favourite) and the gardens Muntjac or the Gaudi Park in the north of the city. Since the receptionist at the hotel had told us – "eeef you coma ta Barchiloana you merst veeesit de Gaudi Park," that was what we did. OK it’s a 24 bus – there are buses everywhere in Barcelona, but no 24’s. Eventually we found one and 45 minutes later we were at the park which was created in about 1905 as an aristocrats estate with Art Deco Disney style gate lodges and the most superb collection of Art Deco summer houses, band stands and so on. To us it was all very exciting, spoiled a bit by the mud from the rain but made up for X 10 by seeing a Crested tit in the pines!
Barcelona – our last day in Spain.
Well, the ferry to Civitavecchia doesn’t leave until 22.15, we have to be out of our room by 12noon so what to do. Fortunately we can leave the bikes and the panniers in the hotel. It is – quelle surprise - raining.
Anyway we didn’t think we’d really done justice to Barcelona so far so we bought a day ticket for the trams, buses and metro and set off for the centre of town. Of course traveling by bike you don’t have useful things like umbrellas, wellingtons and Barbours so within minutes we were ‘damp’ and the only solution was to get into somewhere dry – which we did and an hour and a half later it had stopped raining and frankly we didn’t care anyway. Was it to be the cable car (Harriet’s favourite) and the gardens Muntjac or the Gaudi Park in the north of the city. Since the receptionist at the hotel had told us – "eeef you coma ta Barchiloana you merst veeesit de Gaudi Park," that was what we did. OK it’s a 24 bus – there are buses everywhere in Barcelona, but no 24’s. Eventually we found one and 45 minutes later we were at the park which was created in about 1905 as an aristocrats estate with Art Deco Disney style gate lodges and the most superb collection of Art Deco summer houses, band stands and so on. To us it was all very exciting, spoiled a bit by the mud from the rain but made up for X 10 by seeing a Crested tit in the pines!
Part of the two Disney style houses at the entrance to the Gaudi Park
A multi coloured glazed tile salamandar of which there are thousands in the tourist shops.
More houses on the estate.
It is now 5pm and we suffer from plane, boat, train fever so back to the hotel as fast as possible only I being of the sort who thinks ‘time spent on preparation etc etc’ was determined first to establish exactly where the ferry left from so when we had to cycle there in the dark there could be no mistakes. I’m quite glad we did, it wasn’t anywhere near to where we’d been told it was and it was 5 miles from the hotel. Rather upsetting was the young couple of pikeys also checking out the ferry who had two dogs (last seen being attached to a lamp post) and we don’t know what will happen to them.( the dogs that is)
With a combination of buses and walking we eventually made it back to the hotel, collected our belongings (we are now back in itinerant mode) and set forth in the dark and drizzle for the port. Fortunately we (and the pikeys sans chien as far as we can see) are the only tourists on this ferry and as the crew clearly don’t like pikeys and have a sympathy for aging cyclistas we are waved on first and treated like royalty! The most scary moment in the whole of Spain came only minutes before embarkation (oh no Spain must have affected me I’ve just spelt embarkation with a ‘C’). We were peddling for all we were worth after a car with lights flashing which was escorting ‘us’ to the boat when around a corner and out of completely nowhere, doing 50mph came a vehicle straight at me. Vivi and the car behind her both closed their eyes and implored the almighty it would be a quick and painless end but in fact he and I had established eye contact and with some deft left and right brake sequence, dropping 8 cogs out of 24 and years or riding with no hands at Gordonstoun I missed him!!
Dinner on the boat was the worst and most expensive we have had in Spain but the cabin made up for it, the sea is flat calm and we slept until 10.00 this morning.
Wednesday 20th January.
On the boat Barcelona to Civitavecchia.
The boat doesn’t arrive until 18.30 what on earth is one to do on a ferry complete with swimming pool (summer only), numerous bars, a gym and a health and beauty spa for the next 10 hours. Mercifully Jim brought me the January edition of the ‘Field’ when they came for Christmas so at last I can read that. Vivi has taken up residence in the massage parlour – unlike my brother in law Harry, I haven’t – happy ending paah! I’m in the bar with the Field wondering how they’ll get on at Aller this Saturday.
The boat has passed between Corsica and Sardinia, perilously close to Sardinia if you ask me. The captain even had to slow down we were so close to the rocks and I don’t think it was so I could take photos either. Bit reminiscent of our breakfast time sail from Santa Maria to Rota!!
I (Vivi) am feeling very mellow now thanks to the excellent massage and beautifying program I have had for the last 2 hours. The lovely Columbian masseuse was rather sad as she is working on this boat for a 6 months, leaving her 11 year old son in Columbia with her mother. No husband - ‘man very bad’ - apparently. We got on famously in a curious mix of eeenglish, Spanish , Italian and a bit of Garlic (Vivi’s local patois) I now find myself saying ridiculous things like ‘ees very bueno’ but they seem to understand!
The crew are very attentive and it is quite exhausting wondering if we have to tip them every time they insist on carrying a glass or plate for you. It is 4 in the afternoon and there is wonderful Spanish music over the intercom in this bar and the karaoke lights are flashing. Alec thinks he is going to have a snooze but I think they have other ideas!
Great news the pikeys and their dogs last seen waiting for a bus to Roma – phew, we can sleep again!
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