Sept 13
My technology is breaking down, first no camera and now no phone(except it still works to take pictures). I think I wasn’t meant to do any photography this tour.
Woke up to the message that my phone has no Sim card, so I guess it’s not gonna work as a phone anymore. Thank you Apple.
Same routine, up, bags out, down for breakfast, back up make sure we have all our bits, down and on the couch and away we go toward Barcelona. Today we get to taste sparkling wine somewhere wherever they make it.
My phone is a phone again. I swore at it, waved it around, threatened it and finally turned it off and swore so more. When I turned it back on, it worked- ya!
Our first stop at Peniscola. Nice little village on the Mediterranean. We wandered down the beach toward the castle that was El Cid- used in the movie with Sophia Loren. We walked along the bottom and watched some guys fishing. They had a piece of wood with 2 or 3 big hooks nailed on it. That wood was attached to a long thin rope. They swung it around their head and then threw it in the ocean and let it sink. They gave little jerks on the line and finally pull it in. I didn’t see any fish.
We walked back towards the meeting point looking for an open shop to get a coke. Found one down a side street- no coke, but a Mountain Dew instead.
We stopped at the public WC. That was an experience. 3 lights beside the door- red, yellow and green. I go inside and close the door. I look around, almost all metal, all of a sudden the door opens and an old guy is standing there saying something. The 3 people from my tour were standing outside and didn’t see him until he opened the door- thanks guys. Good thing I hadn’t taken my pants down yet. He opened the door again and I said get the h*ll away and finally my friends said something as well. So to get out you push the red button on the inside, the toilet flushes and the door opens. After the door closes it locks and the yellow light flashes for 20 seconds while it disinfects the place. Would have been ok except for the old guy.
Back on the coach and away down the road towards Barcelona.
In an hour we stopped for lunch, just a cafeteria by a gas station on the side of the highway. Good sandwich and desert and away we go.
We had a great stop at a small family winery. This is the area for sparkling wine. We toured their museum- old stuff back to the 1700’s. It was great – no other tours there, just us. After we got to taste the types of wine they made and snacks. They don’t serve booze without some type of nibbles.
Back on the highway, and promptly into a traffic jam. I think at least 14 lanes coming out of the tool booths into 3 lanes and another highway merging as well.
Took 1/2hr to get through. So those 3 lanes were down to 1 while police checked each vehicle. From there it was a breeze. Got to the hotel in time to rest! For 3/4hr and then out for the Gaudi tour.
Again we had a king size bed!!! And our friends from North Carolina had twin beds, so we switched. I ran down the stairs to find Toni and tell him so the bags would go to the right room.
Out and about in Barcelona is a bit like fighting rush hour on the day before Christmas – chaotic to say the least. We went to see Park Guell or the Gaudi Park. Lots of weird things there. The longest bench in the world, supposed to be very good for your back – not. The north end of a south bound elephant. The market square which had many columns- didn’t look like it was a market square. And 2 houses, one of which was the gift shop – can’t miss the gift shop.
Back on the coach after walking back uphill ( the park is on a steep hill, and we started at the top and what goes down must go back up – the coach didn’t fit on the street at the bottom). One of our group said, Do I look like a goat? – not impressed.
From there we drove to Las Rambles and were set free for 1 1/2hr to eat and shop and wander among the pick pockets. We were very original- we ate at the Hard Rock Cafe. A good club sandwich. Then out into the horde. We walked down 4 or 5 blocks, ducking and weaving through the crowd. I got asked if I wanted some weed, do I look like a druggy ??? Lots of trinkets.
Back up to the meeting point and a ride past 2 of Gaudi’s houses that were lit up. We stopped and jumped out to take a photo or 2 with the police watching everything. I think security is higher because of the incident yesterday at Sagrada Familia. We are going the tomorrow, so I hope all is good.
Back to the hotel in time to see our tour guide swoop in in front of us in his scooter.
Now to rest a bit. We get to sleep in tomorrow morning, then out for the afternoon.