Wed - 29/11/23

Wednesday 29 November 2023

Weather

Barcelona – It was grey and driech in the morning but it brightened up through the day. I went out late (after mid-day) so I didn’t encounter any rain. I wore my GB Masters weatherproof. It did start to get a little bit chilly as the sun went down, late afternoon.

I had a hotel breakfast. It was very nice, typical of a posh (ish) large hotel. It was a buffet breakfast with just about everything anyone would want, including a Nutella dispenser (obviously 😀) I just go for a "fry up" with a large pot of English Breakfast Tea. Bread & butter is my high-carb treat but it does me no favours, I may skip the bread tomorrow. I had café con leche (dos largas) for afters. 

A note, that when I set out in the morning I was in real pain in my left hip. It persisted until I had walked for a couple of miles and then it eased.

Before I set out, back in my room, I pottered around and tried to plan for the day. I decided to head for the Sagrada Familia then go to the Casa Batllo by metro (another Gaudi building). I then got the metro again, (journey three on my ticket) to Placa Catalunya. I walked down La Rambla, calling in at Ale Hop on the way to photograph the ceiling. I had a coke zero while strolling alongside the Rambla del Mer. Then I headed into the Gothic Quarter and had a lunch of a bocadillo and three cañas at Bar L’Anxova. I toured a bit of the Gothic Quarter and arrived at another bar, the bar Espai Puntal, when a pit stop was required. I had some patatas bravas and two cañas, the bravas were very fiery! Next was a coffee shop (Coffee Casa) for a café con leche (grande) para llevar. I was by now heading back to my hotel. All the while I have seen some wonderful sights. Halfway home, alongside a park, I had to stop for another “wee”. So I had to have a caña at El Parc, a bar next to the Parc de la Ciutadella. From there, I made it back without stopping. I have walked about five and a half miles.