Tuesday, 13 May
Our flight landed at eight after an uneventful flight. It seems that is what you hope for these days. Passport control was a breeze with only a short line. The taxi ride ran into Barcelona rush hour but Dolora and I made it to the hotel by 9:30 and were lucky enough that they had a room already available.
We checked into our pleasant room at the Hotel Jazz and decided to visit the busiest (I hope 🤞) tourist area in Barcelona, Las Ramblas. The pedestrian only street is only a few blocks away.
Las Ramblas started with some ornate street lamps and a still functional fountain. A little further down a short side street was a Roman necropolis. When the Romans ruled Spain, tombs were placed a long the roads outside the city walls. Interestingly, the Roman road is about 10 feet below the current road level,
The Betlem (Bethlehem) Church was another stop for a mixture of ornate and plain, modern and old naves. The treat was a stop at Cafe Granja Viader. I had a hot chocolate which was the consistency of pudding and a churro to dip. Ymmm. Dolora went for the latte and a ricotta type cake.
Nearby is La Boqueria Market full of fruit, meat and fish. Everything looks and smells delicious. The displays look beautiful but sort of staged. The market is known as a “tourist” market with tourist prices. Stalls had hundreds of precooked items – did not seem like a local place and all. And it was mobbed with people.
Dolora and I made it down to the Christopher Columbus statue at the waterfront. Then it was a leisurely stroll back up to the hotel for a little down time before finding some dinner.
After a short nap we decided tapas would make a good dinner. Not too far away was Ciutat Comtal, It was much larger inside than it looked from the outside. Service was great and we tried Mixed Fried Seafood, Duck with Foie and Sea Bass. Dolora and I did leave a little room for dessert though. Back to the hotel to check out the rooftop bar and pool. Not a great view and too cool to swim but good for a quiet drink before turning in.