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So I am going to start at the end and work back to the beginning as that is what I ike to do!
Last night before turning in I decided I would book a Walking Tapas Tour and for some reason I booked it for tonight (Sunday) without putting too much thought into it. Well of course today the heavens opened and the whole afternoon it poured with rain and I was in 2 minds if I did turn up or not (and throw away $75) or if I should brave the elements and so I did. I put on my trusty Katmandu mac and my new Arche boots (waterproof) after I had my siesta after my morning outing and braved the elements. I must say I was more brave than most striding out into the rain while others were sheltering in doorways ( I did occasionally stop to recover) and got to my destination (20 mins walk) half an hour before meeting time (I am always early!) ??? There were all sorts of weird people hanging about at the meeting point and I was apprehensive about approaching them until a young fellow approached me and he was the guide thank goodness. It was only him and me and supposed to be 3 others - only 1 turned up, another lady from Melbourne - also in a turquoise mac like mine and Arche boots, like mine (as we later found out). By then we were all drenched to the knees and more and were hoping for a refund or re-schedule but no the tour was on.
We soldiiered on to our first tapas stop (which was a way off) by then we had stopped worrying about being wet and just wanted to get the event over with so the quicker the better. We got to know each other better and things started to become more fun, particulary after the first glass of wine. Then it was tiime to move to the next stop and of course the rain came down again - this did not deter our guide who marched us onwards while we pleaded for a stop not too far away. The next stop was really lovely and we enjoyed it and persuaded him to let us have 3 "bites" there instead of walking further in the rain. We then had a last stop on the way home and of course by then the rain had stopped!!
I started off the day intending to go to Sagrada Familia - the unfinished church designed by Gaudi - silly me did not do the proper research and turned up thinking that I just had to stand in the queue and go in. No - you stand in the queue to get a ticket and then they tell you what time to come back, so I gave that a miss and went on to the Park Guell which is (I think) better value. Designed by Gaudi for Mr Guell - it is an experience which cannot be described, you just have to go there! Probably the highlight of my trip so far actually - a bit like Disneyland for adults or something on another dimension.
Then the rain started and I hopped back on my bus and decided to go to Poble Espanyol which I expectected to be a bit like Skansen in Sweden - a village recreated as a respresentation of the whole of the country - it was actually disappointing and not done nearly as well as Stockholm did it. Just pay 12 Euro to enter into an area where there are restaurants and tourist shops with minimal artisan crafts evident.
After that I gave up and went home for a rest till the tapas tour.
Yesterday I did the hop-on-hop-off bus to death and did each of the 3 routes stopping off at a couple of places and finishing off with a pedicure which I badly needed.
Tomorrow I have a walking tour of the Bari Gotic (old town) at 9am and then ??? till I meet up with my new friend as of this evening, Kerry, for dinner/tapas at 6.30pm.
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