Isn’t it amazing when your flights arrive at their destination not only on time but 30 minutes early? In general, flying today has become so stressful, with random cancellations and delays exceeding even interruptions from the weather. At least with predicted acts of nature, one can be resigned to and prepared for possible schedule revisions.
But early? Wow.
And then there was a painless passport control, where they still physically stamp your little blue book like in the olden days. Then, in the blink of an eye, you find yourself out the door and on your way.
Unheard of!
The only snafu to our arrival experience arose as we tried to depart the airport. We sought out the AeroBus bus line which was our ride to the Plaça de Catalunya, a large public space considered to be the heart of Barcelona…and just a short walk from our hotel, the Negresco Princess. As advised by many Barcelona “experts” in print, online and through YouTube, I had pre-purchased Hola Barcelona Travel Cards to provide us with unfettered travel on any TMB metro line, bus, tram, funicular, etc. for four days. Plus it (supposedly) came with the AeroBus trip included.
That was a big misunderstanding on my part as I found out during a minor verbal altercation with the AeroBus ticket vendor. While I was searching the Internet for validation of my position, Rob made the disagreement moot by purchasing us tickets.
Within 30 minutes, we were standing at the front desk where, as expected, we were too early to be placed in a room. (Check-in time was 3 PM.) Fortunately, we were able to register and deposit our luggage with the hotel to begin our exploration of the city.
And our long day of walking began as day dawned in Barcelona.
One of our first artistic encounters after we left the hotel for the Ciutat Vella (Old Town) was this intriguing sculpture: El Saltador. The diving figure, having leapt from the roof of the adjacent office tower, is captured at the moment of entering the “water,” a representative map of Barcelona. The artist is paying homage to the city and its values of tolerance, courage and commitment.
It became a beacon for us on our many walks back to the hotel. It signaled we were within minutes of taking a siesta!
We were hankering for some fuel to power us through this soon-to-be very long day, so Rob directed us to the Citizen Café Barcelona for a breakfast of cava, a bagel-n-egg sandwich (me) and a poached egg plate (Rob).
After our first Barcelona meal, we were off to the Universitat de Barcelona on a Merlí: Sapere Aude shooting locations hunt. Merlí: Sapere Aude, a two-season Spanish TV series (currently on Netflix USA at the time of this writing) was the continuation of a story that began with the three-season Merlí series. The first series followed a non-conforming but engaging philosophy teacher, Merlí, who inspires and motivates a group of high school students while living life on his own terms. Merlí: Sapere Aude has moved the setting to the University of Barcelona and primarily focuses on character Pol Rubio’s collegiate years post-Merlí. It just so happened that the main university building was located a short walk from the hotel.
Leaving the university, we started walking towards the Mediterranean, heading for the Barri Gòtic (Gothic Quarter). We joined the masses on Las Ramblas for a stretch before turning into the Ciutat Vella. Being the oldest area of the city, it is criss-crossed with narrow medieval streets and passages in which a person can easily lose their sense of direction.
Fortuitously, we happened to turn down the street that took us past the Palau de la Música Catalana (Palace of Catalan Music) designed by another renowned modernista architect and Gaudi contemporary, Lluís Domènech i Montaner. I’ve added a tour of this building onto our must-see list as I understand the interior is even more fabulous than the outside.
[Alas, it did not happen on this trip…but it IS another reason to return to Barcelona!]
Zigzagging through the twisting medieval streets of the Barri Gòtic (Gothic Quarter), we eventually reached our goal: the Mercat de Santa Caterina. Less well known than the Boqueria, this is a “real” market selling local produce and products, with a distinctive undulating roof of multi-colored ceramic tiles “floating” above the stalls. We wandered up and down the aisles, noting the tapas bars located therein for future reference.
Continuing on the unplanned theme of “Market Day,” we left the Ribera district, crossed back over Las Ramblas to and through the El Raval district, reaching the architectural gem: the Mercat de Sant Antoni. What an incredible building! Built in the shape of a Greek cross, each endcap facade has a Victorian look and feel about it like an homage to the Crystal Palace, with the transept crowned by an octagonal dome.
But we were also on a quest here. Prompted by a TV series on Spanish regional cuisine hosted by Chef José Andrés (and suggested to us by our friend and fellow cruiser, Peg), we were seeking out the cafe Bar Pinotxo (Pinocchio) for our first tapas & vermut lunch. Finding it along one of the main arteries, we took seats at the bar and had our first tapas meal.
One take-away for me: I discovered I don’t hate anchovies. They are actually quite good…when served properly! And vermouth is not just the much-maligned “ghost” ingredient in a martini recipe. The sweet Spanish version on ice is a pleasant afternoon libation in and of itself…neither shaken nor stirred!
Satiated, we hopped back on the Metro for a ride to the coastal Barceloneta district and the Mediterranean beach. The beach is broad and sandy…and probably much more visually appealing in the summer with the toned and tanned thong-and-bikini crowd prancing in and out of the refreshing water.
However, it’s December and there’s nary a swimmer to be seen–although we did spot a gam of surfers (Yes. That’s the collective noun phrase for a group of surfers!) trying to catch some waves further down the waterfront.
The tiring effects of jet lag were beginning to creep up on us so we decided to head back to our hotel, hoping they’d have a room ready for us. We were equidistant from the two nearest Metro stops and opted for the unknown (rather than retracing our steps to the one we arrived via.)
Bedraggled, we reached the hotel to find that a room had been assigned and our bags had been placed therein. Quickly unpacking for the week, we settled in for a brief siesta.
A few hours later, refreshed and hungry, we set out to explore the “Gaixample” for a place to eat. (The “Gaixample” is the gay village of Barcelona located entirely within the Eixample district. Hence the nifty portmanteau.)
And voilá: we found Micu Maku for a tapas dinner. Anchovies with olives, calamari and potatoes made up our meal. (We also drank something…but I’ve forgotten what.) And I was modestly proud that we had made it until 9 PM for our first dinner in Spain–a country where dinner is usually a 10 PM affair. We were acclimating ourselves nicely into our new environment.
With mealtime out of the way and our being smack-dab in the middle of Gaixample, we set forth to find a friendly tavern and have a taste (or sip) of Catalan fabulousness. We found our home, the GinGin Bar, specializing in–you guessed it–gins! We started with G & T’s (when in Rome) and, as it was early and fairly empty, chatted a bit with the bartender, an Argentine ex-pat.
A bit later–maybe during our second G & T, two Americans from Vermont drifted over and joined us for conversation and cocktails. This was their last night before returning to the states. Married, they live in separate houses in separate cities (!) which apparently works for them. They were staying in the Axel, notable as the premiere heterofriendly gay hotel in the Gaixample, just across the street from the bar. Unfortunately, our socializing had to be cut short as they had an early morning departure.
After a boatload of experiences and a few cocktails, we walked back to the hotel, wrapping up our first (very long) day in Barcelona.
23,030S/11.3M
Barcelona 
As the old saying goes (sort of) if Aerobus snafu is the worst that happens ….
LikeLike