Barcelona

After breakfast we decided to catch the Barcelona Bus Turistic. We caught the bus near our hotel which is near the Gaudi La Pedra which is quite ugly really. We started on the blue route and headed for the Sagrada Familia. This Cathedral is also by Gaudi and hideous really however inside is meant to be spectacular but we weren't going to join the line and wait at least half a day to get in. The line went half way around the Cathedral. There was some pictures of the celling outside so in Simone's famous words "we got the gist".

We hopped back on the bus and saw things like the Sarria St Gervasi, Monestir de Pedralbes, Futbol Club Barcelona (lots of people wearing Barcelona soccer tops today as they won 2 nil last night in the semi final against Real Madrid) and Palau Reial - Pavellons Guell. We changed to the red line which took us on the scenic route and we saw Estacio de Sants, Placa d'Espanya, Creu Coberta, CaixaForum - Pavello Miesian Van der Rohe, Anella Olimpica, Pot Vell, Barri Gotic and Placa de Catalunya. We saw a lot more on route but I won't bore you with all the names.

Both the water front and the gothic area were really nice. The architecture was lovely and much more of what I expected. The panorama views at the top of Parc de Montjuic of Barcelona where amazing. Barcelona is so big it is hard to believe.

We head back to the hotel area and Juan and I go for another Paella and then I head for a siesta whilst Katerina and Ricardo head for some lunch and shopping. Juan heads to get a haircut and nearly ends up with a number 3 but lucky another customer speaks English and explains what he wants. The haircut turns out ok thank goodness.

The big wedding tomorrow, the TV here is just saturated with it. Today has been every little movement televised it's getting a bit much but any English TV station has it on. We will have to settle for the highlights tomorrow night as we will be driving to San Sebastian but this is probably a good thing.

We met up for dinner and to what was now Juan and my favourite resturant. We told each other our afternoon tales, Katerina had made a couple of purchases, one a new jacket to replace the one she left behind in Nice and a really nice top. Both where bargains, she had done really well. They got a bit lost on the way back to the hotel but found a info booth and made it back with plently of exercise. For dinner Katerina and Ricardo had a vegetable and a chicken paella, I had a chrizo and pastrami salad and Juan tapas. Katerina even lashed out and had a Majhito and I got another 1/2 litre of Sangria. We happily walked back to the hotel, made our plans for the morning and had an early night.

The restaurant had some shipping maps on the wall and Juan noticed one was Port Pirie/Whyalla, we then found on for the Gulf of St Vincent but no others for Australia. This seemed strange so we asked the waiter, apparently the restaurant used be called Captain Cook but still these two maps seemed out of place.

Tomorrow is one of our longest drives of the trip so we are going to make sure Angelina doesn't take us on any goat tracks this time. Getting out of the city might be fun but hopefully it's as easy as It was getting in. The boys have done a wonderful job of driving and have picked up the left hand drive no problem. You would think They have driven this way for years.

BTW - We have worked out what the exercise bikes are for, "drying washing".

Adios