Barcelona - Day 1

I could not believe when I landed there that this is the same place I had once dreamt of being at..when I first read about Madrid and the Masque in some novel I think.

It wasn’t quite like the Spain I had read about but had glimpses of it in bits and pieces.

I realize I cannot write here all about Barcelona without getting RSI so I decide to put the highlights.

• When we reached the airport and were waiting for the boarding to begin, I was a little doubtful if we were indeed taking the right flight. 90% of the crowd comprised really OLD people and I could not help but remember what CDG once told us about Barcelona. He said “Once when I was on a plane to Barcelona, I thought ‘am in on the right plane ‘coz from the number of old people on the train made it seem like it was going to heaven or someplace’.
  
• First time ever I got lucky to get something good in exchahnge of OK. We got upgraded from a three star hotel to a four star!! And what a lovely room it was…Don’t know why or how…but that’s what we were told when we reached the hotel we were supposed to stay. So, we made a lil obligatory fuss like ‘oh! But this is last minute…blah..blah and then with very little regret left. Also, this ex hotel was paying the taxi fare. Good start! Is what I thought.

• Alright, by fluke we were in a four star luxurious place, but still were still on a budget trip and had to go in search of a nice-but-cheap meal. Also, CK’s aim of the trip was to go to the beach. That was her idea whole idea of Barcelona – The BEACH. I just wanted food and some sleep, my throat was completely fucked up. It was since a week but I guess it didn’t quite agree with Barcelona. So, we found maps and such and with whatever little we could have read in the week at office etc, decided to FIND the beach and reach there.




• Luckily, we were putting up in a hotel close to the metro station. It was hardly 5 minutes walking distance. I asked the lady at the reception about the route and was ready to explore. I have grown up in towns where there are just rickshaws in the name of public transport. When I grew up and landed in Delhi, I was driven around in sarkari gaddis and was spoilt rotten. So, I get a bit nervous to find my way around through buses or trains in any city. But I must say, Barcelona is excellent with metro service and it took us hardly anytime to figure out the metro routes and the stations. Simple and clever. Even though, we had to change trains, we were perfectly on target every time. I love the fact that I can find my way around a new city in a new country where most population is non-English speaking. Waah waah! I pat myself.




• Although we reach Barceloneta (where the beach is) we have no clue where to find the beach as it looks like just another junction. Then we make a wild guess and start to walk in that direction. It turned out to be the right direction. But more than the beach, it was the food that seemed more attractive. On the barceloneta road, there are loads of Spanish eating joints …one after another …similar looking…even the menus look the same with same kind of pictures on each menu card.

The waiters/usher boys/men stand outside their restaurants and pester each tourist.
‘Bonjour ..Ola…italian? English? French?...senorita….then something in rapid French or Spanish….’ This whole charade was so overwhelming that we passed polite smiles and moved on. And inevitably met an Indian looking guy with the peculiar Indian accent
‘Madam, Italian? English?
I quickly say ‘English’.
'England tohn?'
'India..Hindustan '
Oh, achcha, madam…aapke liye drink free, naat expensive..its best Spanish food
‘do u have vegetarian food’ I ask for CK’s sake.
'yes yes’

And without further ado, we sit down...not so much because of the Indian guy but more so for the hunger that had by now crossed the bearable limits.

And here, my frnds, I discovered my favorite alcoholic drink ever on the face of this earth..**drum roll**La Sangria. When I ordered this, it was more for my throat’s sake, thinking this will be wine and a better option than beer. But it turned out a heavenly potion – a wine punch – basically wine and orange juice with slices of orange soaked in it. Poured on a chunk of ice. All my throat related apprehensions went out of the window...divine..heavenly..is all i was thinking...sipping eagerly on it

Read this expression on my face as ‘Ah ..bliss!’

(Oh crap…this was supposed to be in bulleted points and only highlights!!...I guess I will have to do it the RSI way..anyway..I shall continue….)

The bliss didn’t last long and the food took an eternity to come. But when it finally did, I regretted my order as it was just some sort of chicken steak sorta fraud thingy, while CK ordered Paella, which is in fact nothing more than a more watery version of our very own Pulaao. But it seemed so perfect in the cold weather to have that steamy plate of rice than a few nasty pieces of chicken.

(picture only for ignorant people, was too hungry to first click an actual pic..this is therefore from the world of google images)

We finally, decided to leave for the beach and it was very dark when we reached. However, its always lovely to watch the sea..night or day. So, we both sat and watched the sea for sometime. I so love walking barefeet on the sand and so we decided to come to the beach and dedicate some more time to idle-gazing at the sea.

This picture has no specific relevance, except that it is a proof that we were at the beach at night.

On the way back I bought some cough syrup as my voice now sounded like a battery operated robot voice gone bad.

To learn more about the day 2 activities at Barcelona - wait for Barcelona - Day 2 post

Till next time!