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Wed 11 Nov. In the air. We have booked business seats on Aerolineas Argentinas and have access to the lounge when we arrive about 8pm for our flight. It reminds of Coolangatta airport facilities but we have a ham and cheese sandwich with a glass of wine and the toilets are clean. The lounges are so low we have trouble getting up from them - great for the young, fit and people with shorter legs than ours. We feel we are on a movie set with the people around us. There is the long moustache man in torn jeans and leather vest, the crowd of (sub-continental) Indians who are talking so loudly we cannot hear each other speak, the over the top glitter girls with their old men and the glamorous young things with the trolley who only do half a job but chat to every member of the air crew. After a long day we board and note that the captain does not look comfortable when he finally arrives and tightens his tie and tucks his shirt in. The Airbus is new, the champagne good and we go to sleep after enjoying Buenos Aires "by night". Two hours later we can smell the hot food being handed out but keep our eyes shut. It disturbs me that each time I open my eyes I can see through to the cockpit controls. It is a very busy doorway all night with staff moving in and out of the cockpit. There is turbulence for about 10 of the 12 hour flight and it only stops when we have crossed the Atlantic and pass over Casablanca. In the early morning I am concerned when the man in the seat in front wraps his head and arm in a leather strap. The box on his head has a menorah engraved on it and his yamulka gives me the clue; he says his prayers. (He has left the biggest mess across two seats I have ever seen. Obviously taught his prayers but did not learn to pick up his own mess.) No service overnight unless you press the call button. Most of the attendants asleep. We wait for the plane and the air bridge to connect. It takes nearly half an hour and although people are standing the plane is reversed and brought forward again. We are reminded that Occ Health and Safety is of a different standard here. This airline not recommended.
Thurs 12 Nov. Barcelona, Spain. We enter Spain with no security check although our prayerful man has his case opened. The 50 min drive from the airport is refreshing as all buildings in good shape and the whole is clean and tidy. Our apartment is excellent - 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms- and close to the Sagrada Familia. It is late afternoon and we can call family and use the internet. A few purchases at the supermarket and we cook "in house" and sleep for 12 hours.
Fri 13 Nov. Barcelona, Spain. We purchase a 2 day ticket for the hop-on hop-off bus and start our first ride near the Sagrada Familia. An amazing view of soring spires and sculptures. We spend about 3 hours sitting on the top of the bus viewing wonderful buildings, massive boulevards, the harbor, the fabulous architecture of many centuries and learning the history of Barcelona. We take a lunch break near the port and have paella and beer - delicious !! As the sun is dipping we return to Gaudi's basilica and it is awe inspiring both within and without. He wanted people of all faiths to come together in harmony, respecting each other and the animals and plants. The exterior is quirky with birds nesting on branches growing from stone walls, ducks mingling with figures from the bible, coloured balls arising from the spires and extraordinary stone sculptures telling the stories of the gospels. The inside is pure magic with the soaring pillars of tree trunks, massive petals on the roof and everywhere a beautiful sense of peace and calm. The coloured windows in the east and west wings are pouring amazing light into the whole basilica but it filters down to white light as you look higher. There is a lift and many staircases to allow visitors, who are not challenged by heights, to explore the roof. A New Zealand forensic architect has worked for over 21 years helping to complete the build. He is a professor at RMIT and they have also had a big role in interpreting the design and achieving a cohesive result. We leave this monument to peace and hear via Emma of the disaster unfolding in Paris. How frustrating that man has evolved to produce such an icon to peace and co-existence in one era and be so backward and evil in another. Vive La France.
Sat 14 Nov. Barcelona, Spain. Like most people we wake with heavy hearts after watching the turmoil for hours during the night. We hear that France has closed its borders to speak to Carol and Phil whoa are already in their apartment at Juan les Pins and they let us know that flights to Nice have not stopped so our plans are not changed. We take the next Hop-on Hop-off bus tour (two routes available) and enjoy more of this city. They have valued added to their 1992 Olympic Games by keeping all the venues and we are able to see the stunning views from the stadium (façade from the 1929) and many of the other sites and we see many of these on Montjuic - one of two mountains forming part of the city. The Football Club of Barcelona is almost a city within the city, with thousands visiting the complex of shops and restaurants on this beautiful sunny day. As we continue around the city we admire wonderful monuments and buildings - the Arc de Triomf built in 1888 at the entrance to the Universal Exhibition, the old chimneys from the Industrial Revolution, the two Venetian towers built in 1929 to mark the entrance to the World Fair. We walk the Ramblas - a massive boulevard connecting the port to the main square 3 kms away and we have plenty of company. A visit to the food market results in some take home prawns for our dinner but the fish smell comes with us on the bus home. Great flavor and worth the effort. There are armed police at every major site and square today but the city is peaceful and beautiful. Just on dark we revisit the Basilica to check if the lights illuminate the exterior but it is no better than what we enjoyed with the setting sun.
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