Our Barcelona holiday

So we set off for another year-end vacation. Barcelona, over Christmas and returning on eve of New Year day. It is the first time in recent years that we could nail down a common time when everyone in the family are free to go together.

When the kids were still schooling it was easy enough to plan for holidays. The year-end school vacations presented the best opportunity for all to go. Holidays together were great for family bonding 24/7. But now, with my elder boy on tight work schedules, and the other two in college, we have not had much luck in packing the entire flock to fit our holiday plans.  Jenny was never too excited about travelling without at least one or two kids in tow. A good experience should be shared. That was her unyielding mantra since children crashed into our lives. And her heart was always with the children.  With only tiny fragments left for me, I knew where I stood in the line. And I am fine with that.

But for this December festive season, viola - I could get all three available. For Spain and Barcelona, a tantalising visit beckoning.  But sadly, the travelling band is not complete. A vital piece missing, now that Jenny has left us.

The flight on Emirates airways went smoothly enough. We had a pick-up arranged for us to bring us to the Airbnb apartment we had booked some weeks ago.  Which was nice given that we were all worn out from the long flight. Staying in an Airbnb apartment would be a first for us.  It was much like the typical self-catering apartment but slightly cheaper.

So how did the vacation go? Free and easy as always. We never believed in trying to cover too much ground. Well, if you still care to read on, here is our travel journal in brief…

The Sagrada Familia

 Day 1 – Bought two-day train passes for everyone that allow us unlimited train and bus trips in the city.  First stop was the Sagrada Familia, a Gothic church building that appears to be perpetually under construction with the famous Catalan architect, Antonio Gaudi adding his unique touches. The outer church façade is impressive indeed, but marred by the looming presence of 3 tall cranes, fingering the sky along with the many church spires. 

We opted to save on the tickets. Having visited countless cathedrals across Europe, many far grander than this one so we were doubtful if was worth spending money on admission. This would also be the first church we have encountered that charges admission fees. Could Spain be in such need for revenue generation?

We spent the rest of the day strolling around the city centre and at the waterfront area. The city have great vibes but enough of street beggars to tell a different story.



Parc Guell
 

Day 2 – Visited Parc Guell, another of Gaudi’s grand if not somewhat gaudy creation. Located high on a hill-top, getting there would have been a vigorous climb but mercifully, much of the ascent was aided by escalators. Someone painted a “Tourist go home” sign on one of the escalator steps to remind us we are not so welcomed. An unhappy resident probably, who got tired of the unending stream of tourist intruding their privacy perhaps. But I'm pretty sure even they would find the escalators useful. And would these mechanical fixtures have even been installed if the park was not such as a popular attraction for visitors all over the world?

Afternoon was spent strolling through the Gothic quarters, the oldest part of Barcelona. Totally enjoyed the walk through the many narrow cobbled alleys and plazas. Almost transported back to medieval times. Visited the Barcelona history museum and walked through the remains of a sprawling archaeological site built since Roman times, more than 2000 years ago. A very impressive curative display of Spanish history.

Had a delicious Christmas eve dinner at a somewhat swanky restaurant downtown. Their juicy ribbed veal, tapas and seafood paella are worth dying for.

Day 3  - Christmas day.  We checked out to make our way westwards to Zaragoza, a city about 300 km away. Rented a car at the Sants Estacio or train station. Turned out to be a vexing 3 hour wait before the car arrived. Got totally flustered. Zaragoza, 300 km away would be a 3 hour drive.  Turned out to be longer, due to heavy fog and it was dark by the time we arrived. Again we stayed at an airbnb apartment, but this one was really a private residence. Tried hunting for a restaurant that can serve a decent meal befitting of a Christmas day dinner but all the restaurants nearby were closed. Managed to grab some hot food served at a small cafe. Simple dinner but were thankful that we got our fill at least.

Day 4 – Strolled over to the Aljaferia palace, a fortified Islamic medieval palace built in the 11^th century, one of the major attractions at Zaragoza. From there, we walked to the city centre along the river Ebro. Chanced upon an Irish pub which shows live screenings of English premier leagues football. Watched the Stoke vs Man United game (Stoke won!) and later the big match between Liverpool and Leicester City (Reds won!). By the time the matches ended at 6.30pm, the city centre was crowded with people – Zaragozans mostly and a few aliens like us, all congregating in Christmas celebratory mood.  Tried searching for a restaurant that can serve us a good meal but they all appeared to close early.  Food-wise, Zaragoza was a major let-down.  Fortunately my boy’s culinary skills spared us from starvation.  We picked up essential foodstuff from a nearby super-market and back to the apartment, in no time we were tucking into delicious chicken stew. A gastronomic delight that would have made Mum so proud too!

Zaragoza city centre was full of people

Day 5 – Checked out early and prepared for the long drive back to Barcelona.  Approaching the city, we detoured and drove up the monastery located high above the Montserrat mountain with its very unique rock formations.  The panoramic view of the city from atop the monastery was simply breath-taking.

Checked into our 3^rd apartment we rented via Booking.com. Supposedly a 3 bedroom apartment about 8 km from Barca City centre but we struggled to locate it.  The address given was wrong and without internet access we could not access the contact number. As it was getting late we drove back to the city for dinner. Thankfully most Spanish restaurants understand the value of free wifi. We finally located the apartment and settled in.

Day 6 – We set off in the morning for a ½ hour drive to the sea-side town of Sitges, known for its picturesque and pristine beaches and many sea-front restaurants. The late morning sun, shimmering like jewels on the Mediterranean sea provided a stunning backdrop for lots of photo-taking. We had seafood lunch at one of the myriad of seafront restaurants.

Drove back to Barcelona city centre and had a simple tacos dinner at the Gothic quarters.

Day 7 – Our last full day in Spain.  Drove to the town of Figueres to visit the Salvador Dali Museum to satiate the artsy cravings of my daughter C. The 1 ½ hour drive was followed by a more than 1 hour of queuing for tickets. I suspect that the long queue time was a deliberate scheme to mitigate overcrowding of the museum building. Inside, we were consumed by Dali’s surrealistic and mystical art-form. It was a unique journey into art leaving us both dazed and inspired.

Back to Barca, we spent the remaining time strolling through the city.

Jenny would have been absolutely thrilled if she was with us for this trip. A self-drive holiday, sight-seeing in exquisite historic towns, walking through the cobbled streets, looking through the many shops with their quaint and colourful souvenirs on offer. Sampling the delicious local food-fare. It would be the perfect holiday for her.

So everywhere I go, I could not shake off the fact that she is missing from our travelling troupe. I pictured her in our midst. She would be wearing her black trench coat, in her skinny blue jeans or black slacks, carrying her bright red knapsack behind her that she uses only for her travels. Such exotic trips without her sometimes put me into a sullen mood, detached from the many attractions and sights. But no regrets on making the trip. The bonding experience with my three kids was priceless. Jenny would give a thumbs up too.