Switching backpacks

Please excuse the embarrassingly large gap between this post and the last. A lot has been going on here with the Perpignan Project.

So to wrap up briefly, we were only able to spend a day in Barcelona but nonetheless we wanted to make the most of it.

After saying goodbye to our new friends we walked through Barcelona from the bus station, up and over Las Ramblas to Casanova where Hostal Centric was located. Our room was not ready when we arrived and crew men were working to restore electricity to the building as there had been a fire the night before. Sweaty and loaded down with our backpacks we decided to leave our stuff in a storage room and explore the city with the one small, incomplete map that we had.

Our first stop, as it was closest to us, was Las Ramblas. I have to say I wasn’t incredibly impressed with the street. Yes, there were some interesting street performers and human statues and a few artisan stalls, but in general there wasn’t much there that didn’t seem tourist and commercialized. Trevor said the area reminded him a lot of Telegraph in Berkeley.

From there we went into the Barri Gotic (Gothic Quarter) of Barcelona and walked around looking at the incredible architecture. We happened upon one of the many plazas in Barcelona, this one with the Christopher Columbus fountain statue. It’s quite tall and depicts Columbus pointing out towards the sea. The fountain water was cool and refreshing in the bright sun.

With the heat turning muggy we headed to Port Vell, Barcelona’s main harbor and from there we followed the crowds of people towards Barcelonetta, where the beaches are. Trevor put his hand into the Mediterranean but the beach was too crowded to stay for long.

We walked a different route across town to Hostal Centric, walking by gorgeous Gothic and Renaissance churches.

For dinner that night it was decided I must try a local food: tapas and paella. We picked a small restaurant with outdoor seating and ordered tapas, chicken paella, and a pizza for Trevor.

It’s been decided that I’m not much of a tapas fan and will definitely not be ordering paella any time soon.

As the evening wore on we headed off to one of Barcelona’s most famous sights, La Sagrada Familia, Gaudi’s famous unfinished church. It was a long walk almost all the way across town from where we had eaten but watching the sun set behind the tall towers of Sagrada Familia made it worth it.

Early the next morning we hoped on an aeroport bus and rode 30 minuets to the airport. As a side note I am so glad we decided not to try and walk to the airport, we never would have made it!

Trevor got his plane tickets and we sat together for a while before the Perpignan group arrived and we were forced to part ways, myself traveling back into France and Trevor home to California.

The bus from Barcelona to Perpignan was only 2 and a half hours and I caught a small but much needed nap.

I’ve been in Perpignan for about 8 days now and it is already becoming an adventure of its own. In the next post I will tell you about my cargolade tasting (mmm escargot!) and the great tours we’ve been on here.