So we started today early and wandered down La Rambla when there were no crowds. Totally different feel than when it´s packed. Could really see the street and all it contains, rather than just the huge amounts of people. Took the side streets wandering as we wanted. We do this a lot in cities, going where ever the streets take us, discovering the hidden treasures that our camera finds. Today was an especially rewarding wander.
The ´streets´of Barcelona are very different than ours. They do have the main roads that are crowded with small cars, tour buses, but mostly scooters. Everyone seems to have a scooter. The cars are small here so the side streets are narrow, like, back alley narrow. Doesn´t seem to stop anyone from driving down. It´s not wide enough for two way traffic, so you better hope that no one is coming the other way. You´d never know till they were right on top of you, constantly twisting and turning. It´s like the streets were built around the buildings. Likely there were as some of these building date back to the Roman era.
In our walking today we came upon a Cathedral. We were planning to find this tomorrow, but since we came upon it today, bonus. It was beyond amazing. Huge...HUGE. Can´t even describe how unbelievable it was. You´ll have to wait for the pictures. It´s an operating Cathedral, so there were petitioners there. We didn´t have to be told to whisper, the awesomeness of the scene causes you to be respectful of it´s history. Take as many pictures as you like, but no flash. This was no problem as the lighting was perfect. All around the edges are various confessionals to the different saints. Laid with gold, they are all different. Each has a gate in front so you don´t get too close. You can leave your alms, and you can light a candle for the saint that you pray to. They´ve updated this process inside. You put in your coin to the electric candle and one lights up. A bit contradictory to the age of the building, but it´s handy and less prospect of fire. Also, is the addition of the flat screen TV´s on the columns that block your view. That´s just smart thinking. No one wants to go to church and not see the front.
As any catheral in Europe, they are built for a particular person, or are the resting place of a person and usually his family. This one was the same. Though his name is not one I remember....he died in 1058. A day or two ago. His tomb is inside on a huge wall, his name and that of his family with him. Everyone else that chooses to be burried there, they are under the church. If they had enough money they have their ´tomb stone´ scribed into the floor. But there will be hundreds of skulls, as they take less room than the whole skeleton, under this church. The same with the enclosed court yard, all the ground is stone with names and date. So some, creepy as it is, are loose when you step on them. The corner will lift a little and have a hollow sound. We took tonnes of pictures, and are going back tomorrow morning. My mind couldn´t quite grasp what my eyes were seeing, so I need to go there again.
Back to the hotel to grab something to eat. As said before Europeans eat many small meals, rather than 3 large ones. And when you wake up as early as we did, you´re hungry by 9am. We walked back, and decided on our next desitation.
Some tips and tricks we learned today.
The T10 pass is good for ten trips on any public transit, and you can transfer within an hour and it´s considered one trip. Their transit system is fantasic. All automated, even the city buses. You put in your card, it knows how many trips you have, and takes one off.
The subway is the fastest way to travel, they come every 2.5 minutes and get to the next stop just as fast.
There are no public washrooms in Barcelona, it´s faster to take the subway back to your hotel, than try and find one. Good thing that train is every 2.5 minutes.
Europeans don´t feel the need to shower daily, and when you´re on a jammed city bus....stinky. And the old short chubby lady doesn´t have a problem shoving her significant behind into you so she can get a hold on the bar.
Europeans have far less need for personal space than me, once said chubby lady had shoved me out of the way, she then proceded to wedge me between herself and Casey. Nothing like shoulder to knee contact with the unwashed.
Did you know that English is not the language here? I didn´t hear any words I understood until about 4 when we were at a tourist spot and heard someone getting after their child who was not enjoying the sights. They were from Virginia.
Europeans also have significantly more PDA´s than at home. My mother just thought...huh? PDA? Public displays of Affection, they do it a lot, and with gusto...avert the eyes.
Sometimes, just for fun, there is a wafting sewer smell while walking down the street. Just to wake you up. At first we couldn´t figure out where it was coming from. But then noticed it correlated with the grates...and the septic truck that was parked and had a long hose running into the business.
No stores are their own building, and there are no spaces between buildings. A doorway, no matter how shabby, or small, or low, is the opening to a business. Well, open is a relative term, they seem to open whenever they want...close whenever they want...and always practise Siesta.
Speaking of stores...you walk down these 10 foot wide streets and notice all the little shops, bakeries, restaurants, jewlers, book stores... and then you see a sign ¨Body Shop¨(I don´t think the locals go there much) or it´s a ¨Foot Locker¨. They really seem out of place.
¿Siesta? Mandatory closure between 1-4ish...go home for a nap or ´nap´ (remember, the PDA´s, well they generally lead to the Seista ¨nap¨). Store hours will say 10:00-13:00, 16:00-20:00. And that´s assuming they feel like opening that day. Cause there were plenty that said they should have been open, they weren´t. Definately open in the morning are the bakeries. We haven´t tried them yet, we have free at our hotel, enough said.
Graffiti, Graffiti, Graffiti...if it´s metal, ít´s graffitied. Not the stone though, and not the churches. Or maybe the churches, but they clean it up. We even saw a bus stop today that was aparently tagged by Jesus. He left his name in silver spray paint, with a funky font.
Later I´ll show a picture...but here´s a small description. Down La Rambla there is the bird section, the flower section and the art section. You can buy a pet bird, with cage at any one of the 20 or so vendors. Not sure why you need a bird, but they seem to sell enough to stay in business. Some of them, just for variety sell chickens and roosters. At the end of the day these fold up like those Life Savers boxes you get in your stocking. In the morning, when you´re Canadian and not sleeping, you walk by the closed up shop, and the Rooster is letting you know it´s morning. You know, in the closed box. Cockadoodle doo, heard him on the way there, and the way back. He knew it was morning, too bad his vendor didn´t.
As said, the public trasit system is fantastic, and will get you anywhere cheap cheap cheap...that is, if you can find the bus stop. Subway, no problem...big whole in the ground with the big red M above it, buses, not as easy. And if you do find a stop, hope that it´s the one you need. In a city of 4 million people, there´s a lot of routes.
Parc Güell - pictures to follow. Lots, lots, lots of people, panoramic view of the city and ocean, weird Gaudi architecture. We learned you can Busk there, playing various types of music...videos to follow. It is not necessary to know Enligh to sing Elvis songs, la la la la do doo doo will be okay, if you make sure to the Sway Shoo, in (Blue Suede Shoes) always helps to have huge green sunglasses, dreadlocks and two different shoes on. Just adds character. BUT, if you´re selling your homemade jewlery or knick knacks, you put it on a blanket, and watch for the cops. That way, when someone sends up the signal, you grab the corners and pick it up in one svell svoop, and you´re on your way. You better be a small business though, cause if you´re trying to expand and have too much blanket and knick knack, they getcha. We saw the gotten, he wasn´t happy. Had the international look for "are you kidding me"? Funny, cause if you´re small time, you slowly and efficiently fold up your blanket and pretend as if you´re just sitting enjoying the view. No escaping involved. And when the cops have gotten their guy, you unfold it again and carry on with business.
There are no zoning laws in Spain.
There are few tall people in Spain, or at least tall ones that build the doorways.
No matter how old the building, the neighborhood or the culture, you can always find Starbucks.
Many culinary adventures to be had....huevos del toro...look it up.
Make sure you specify Tapas...appetizer. They´re the big thing around here. Everyone has a Tapas that they want for you, only 3€. Make sure you say that, cause if you don´t they´ll assume you want to pay meal price, not Tapas price. Lesson learned.
When we finally did find a public washroom, Water Closet, there were a few lessons to be had. First, I hope you are effecient, because you only get as much toilet paper and the lady gives you, two winds around the hand, if you wanted to know. Also, there is no Men and Women, there is Water Closet. Boys to the left Girls to the right. And not the far right, or the down the hall right, or even the behind the wall on the right...no, just the stalls on this side, the ones on that side are for the boys. Fortunatley the boys had stalls, a little revealing otherwise.
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