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Walking and Relaxing in Barcelona

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After yesterday’s epic food tour, we indeed had nothing else to eat the rest the day.  We enjoyed a leisurely morning and breakfast in the hotel before heading out to stretch our legs and people-watch.  It was cool enough for my denim jacket, but we saw people wearing everything from tank tops and shorts to heavy coats and scarves. A big department store we remembered from our 2024 trip had closed, and a couple of other stores we wanted to browse in were closed for Good Friday.  We restocked some provisions before returning to the hotel. We saw these cute doughnut versions of monas de Pascua in a bakery near the hotel. For lunch, we walked several blocks to Le Romane, an Italian place we enjoyed on our last visit. Along the way we admired the architecture. Here’s the bar area in Le Romane. We enjoyed a good salad that included red beans and black olives, then a huge pizza featuring four different toppings. We brought half of it back to the hotel and will probably have it ...
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Barcelona Food Tour

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This morning we took a taxi from the hotel to meet our tour guide.  A family of four from London plus the son’s girlfriend from Germany were also in the group.  Everyone was very congenial, thank goodness!  The tour, sponsored by Culinary Backstreet, was led by Pam (in the red coat below), originally from Italy.   First, we went to La Pubilla for a hearty traditional breakfast.  We enjoyed the tortilla (potato and egg casserole), traditional white beans, pork, pan con tomate, and a fried egg mixed with sausage. Coffee with milk was enjoyed after the meal. From there, we walked across the street to a huge market located in the same location for hundreds of years.  The displays were beautiful! We got to sample three kinds of cheese and two types of sausage there. Next, we visited a granary, which has been in the same location since 1885. Originally it focused more on providing seeds for the farmers, but also flours, nuts, and all kinds of dried beans.  T...
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Barcelona!

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Harmony of the Seas had already docked in Barcelona when we awoke this morning.  We had breakfast in Coastal Kitchen (for the first time).  After leaving our cabin at 8:15, we walked down to deck 5 and off the ship immediately (thanks to the suite concierge).  There was a long line for non-EU passports, but it moved pretty quickly.  We met our driver a little before 9:00 and checked into the hotel at 9:15.  Very efficient! Our room was ready, so we unpacked, then took some photos for our loyal blog readers. Our room is next-door to the one we had in 2024.   View from the door  More of our outdoor terrace  Our private terrace  Lovely bathroom  Desk area Here are the views from our terrace: Terrace view of Passeig de Gracia The Gaudi House is in the middle  Then we had a lovely second breakfast in the hotel. Here’s a sample of what we had to go with our mimosas: Pan con tomate, ham & cheese quesadilla, chocolate croissant  Th...
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Day 16: Alicante, Spain

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As of today, we have traveled 5,335 nautical miles, or 6,139 miles from Galveston, and we’re positioned at zero degrees, 29 minutes and 15 seconds west of the Prime Meridian.  Barcelona is two degrees east of it.  Here’s a wider view, to see the relative position of London to Barcelona. We docked in Alicante just as we were waking up about 6:00, and we got to see a beautiful full moon shining over the water.  Unfortunately, soon after getting up, I discovered a terrible crick in my neck and upper back.  It’s somewhat better after an Ibuprofen and a hot shower, but I’m moving gingerly.  This port is a 40-minute walk (or a 7€ bus ride) from the city), so we decided last night to stay on the ship today.  We had already canceled our tour, because it started at 11:00 and we have to be back on board by 2:30. I’m sorry not to have lots of photos to share! Here are some photos Charlie took from the ship.. Arriving at the port  View of the castle Display outsid...
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Day 15: Cartagena, Spain

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We are making our way around the southern coast of Spain toward Barcelona on the east coast. This morning was very cold (in the 40s) and windy, and I really wished that I’d packed a fleece jacket. My wool sweater and long-sleeved tee weren’t sufficient for today’s walking and tapas tour.  We met our tour group near the ship and began walking down the boardwalk.  We first saw a replica of the Santa Maria ship.  I can’t imagine taking to the high seas in such a small ship! Our guide told us that the obelisk is a war memorial.  Behind it is the government administration building. This sculpture is titled El Zulu, and represents victims of terrorists. Nearby is another sculpture, The Whale’s Tail, representing the whales often seen migrating in the area. There are 12 cannons along the waterfront. Next we walked past a naval history museum and saw this early submarine, the Peral, launched in 1888.  It was the first electric-powered submarine capable for combat. Charl...
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