A Half Day in Barcelona: November, 2008

I love digital cameras that allow us to take dozens of photos when one will do, allowing us to pick and choose among them when we get home.

My problem is that I think all of my photos have value, and we took lots of photos of Barcelona.

I'll include too many here, but suffice it to say that we really enjoyed strolling La Rambla and the adjoining streets and alleyways on the Saturday morning before our cruise embarked.

We checked out of the Atlantis early and left the bags in an unattended storage area by the lobby, since the hotel did not have any kind of concierge or porterage for holding the bags. (Three stars, remember?)

Later on the ship, I couldn't find my cholesterol medicine, so perhaps some Austrian drug fiend pilfered them and proceeded to overdose his liver at a late-season Oktoberfest, but other than that (and in all likelihood I lost those some other way), we had no problem with that arrangement. I would advise anyone traveling with loose jewelry or other valuables not to leave them in unattended luggage.

Several performers dressed and painted to appear like statues stand along La Rambla for photos. Unlike their counterparts in New Orleans, who manage to stay perfectly still for so long that when they do move it can be surprising, the Barcelona human statues mug for photos almost constantly, changing positions and expressions every second or two.

They are like Barcelona itself, constantly in motion.

Talented street musicians also set up shop. Flamenco bands, singers with karaoke machines, what inexplicably looked like Incan tribesmen playing South American instruments, harpsichord duos and many others played beautifully for occasional tips.

We walked through a farmer's market, Mercat St. Josep La Boqueria, in the morning, deciding to return around lunch time to buy freshly cut fruit and bread, which we enjoyed in public chairs along La Rambla.

There are plastic containers for 1 or 2 Euros that contain either sliced pieces of one item like watermelon or pineapple or assorted fruit.

The half-sized, crusty loaf of bread was less than a Euro.

Amy's raspberry smoothie was also 1 Euro. It was a very inexpensive and delicious lunch.

Amy's mastery of Spanish came in handy, but in Barcelona, most of the signs are in Catalan, which is the second official language in the Catalonia region of Spain.

Still, we could figure out what most of the words were, but Amy was a little disappointed.

We walked through Parc de la Cituadelle, a quiet park that includes a beautiful Arc de Triomf similar to the one in Paris.

On this day and the day we spent in Barcelona post cruise, we never made it to the more famous Parc Guell, which features extensive works of Antoni Gaudi.

That will have to wait for another visit, possibly another cruise from Barcelona.

While initially some people feel that cruising wouldn't give them enough time in a particular port, I've found that when those same clients are planning their next trip, they frequently eschew cruises that return to a port they visited previously.

It is at that point they need to remember they wanted to spend more time in that region, and the next cruise will give them that opportunity.

It's true that you can't see all of a great city in one day, but you can see a lot more than you may see if you get too ensconced into a hotel room.

Cruising wakes you up to the opportunity of spending each day to its fullest.

We sat down on the steps of a cathedral to listen to some excellent Spanish guitarists, but since no cafes were within earshot, we wandered off looking for a place to have coffee.

By another old church and a smaller square dominated by a central kiosk selling olive oil, we found Cafe Solo De Te. Julie had Cafe Americain, Amy had chamomile tea and I had espresso, all of which were excellent.

The espresso goes rather quickly, so I ordered a “tube” (a 33 ml glass sized between a small glass and a mug) of Estrella Damm beer to wash it down.

Eventually, we headed back to our hotel and picked up our luggage.

After hours of walking, we debated taking a taxi from the hotel, instead opting to stroll down La Rambla one more time to the water, about a mile away, this time with luggage in tow.

Don't try this if you have more than rolling carry-on luggage. It is a privilege of packing light.

When we got to the water, we realized it would be just too far to walk the rest of the way to the pier, so we caught a taxi, and the driver estimated fifteen Euros for the trip.

Always get an estimate so you don't inadvertently take an unplanned “scenic route.”

It cost two Euros per suitcase, plus about six Euros on the meter, so I paid the driver his estimate, which included a tip.

Despite the fact that Voyager of the Seas is a gigantic ship, we embarked quickly and easily.  There were literally dozens of free personnel available to check us in.

Royal Caribbean and Celebrity understand how important the first impression can be on the attitude of passengers, and they seem to really strive to make the initial embarkation process easy, but you can also make it easier on yourself by simply waiting until an hour or two after boarding starts.

The biggest mistake passengers make is arriving at the pier too early, which puts them into a herd stampeding the gangway. While it used to be wise to beat the crowds by arriving early, now too many people want to get on board for their free lunch.  It's much more pleasant to wait until those folks have cleared out.