Paris, Salou & Barcelona

Old Jul 21st, 2015, 04:24 PM
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Paris, Salou & Barcelona

Well I am off on my annual haj to Europe next week. I'll be visiting a friend in Paris for a week without much planned except for a big restaurant mail on August 1st. I only plan to do some smaller museums and the newly renovated Picasso Museum. Nothing with long queues! August 2nd I will head for Versailles to see the fountains (NOT marching through the chateau again).

Augst 5th I will be meeting with an ex home exchanger. We have a tradition of meeting all over the world. His home base is Melbourne, Australia, and we always sing "We'll meet again" at the end of every time we meet. Our paths keep crossing with all these home exchanges we both do.

My home exchange is in Salou, Spain, south of Barcelona. I will have a car as part of the exchange.

After the home exchange, I will spend a few days in Barcelona itself before schlepping home on August 29th. I haven't been to Barcelona before and am excited about finally seeing that city.

You can always follow my adventures as they unfold on my blog: altecockertravels.weebly.com
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Old Jul 22nd, 2015, 04:39 AM
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I hope you plan to go to Tarragona; we stayed in a hotel in Salou (part of a package deal to see a WorldRallye race event) and found the area rather ...well, we just slept there mostly, so it was ok. We were there in the fall and found it quiet and just rather tourist-tacky, but we weren't in a home, so you will probably have a different view. The area around there is great, with wonderful roads (many main are toll roads so be prepared with cash) winding through mountains. But Tarragona is my favorite place so far in my limited time in Spain. Roman ruins, Medieval lanes, good museums, lovely view of the Mediterranean--and not far from Salou.
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Old Jul 25th, 2015, 05:48 PM
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Salou is almost a part of Tarragona-beautiful city with lots to see and do-Roman Forum for example-but you can so easy visit the Priorat Wine area-centered in Falset and Gratallops-lovely wine tastings and great restaurants and scenery-wine and olive oil!!!!Also near Salou is Cambrills-also on the cost with great sefood restaurants-as well as the marina in the southern part of Tarragona. Have fun-maybe see you there. Sandra
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Old Jul 27th, 2015, 01:27 AM
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Yes, I plan to drive around and see Tarragona. I understand Salou is not much by itself. You have to think of home exchange omes as just a place to sleep sometime. I am also considering driving to Girona and staying overnight. My trips are not overly scripted because I hate to travel like that.

I blog my trips. The blogs are set up but as yet are empty.

Blogs will be in the following locations:

For Paris: http://altecockertravels.weebly.com/...gust-2015.html

For Salou Spain: http://altecockertravels.weebly.com/...gust-2015.html

For Barcelona: http://altecockertravels.weebly.com/...gust-2015.html

The home exchange, my 61st exchange, includes the use of a car.
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Old Aug 25th, 2015, 09:07 AM
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I am now in Barcelona where I got relieved of about 100 euros in the latest pickpocket scam. They got you to sign a petition in favor of escalators to the National Gallery of Catalonia. Then they ask for a small donation. When I looked for a 50 cent piece, I got relieved of about 100 euros. When I told someone what happened, she said there was just a piece on this latest scam on the TV last night. Fortunately I almost never carry more money than I need for the day and never my passport except going & coming from airport of arrival & departure.

I should have known what was going on. Now you know and please don't have this happen to you.

I spent the day on Mountjuic. I saw the National Art Museum of Catalonia (only visited the top floor which is the modern area) and the Fundacion Joan Miro. The first museum has a restaurant that overlooks Barcelona & I had lunch there. Tomorrow Sagrada Familia. Tried to prebook Park Guell without success. I'll deal with that Wed.

Fly home on Icelandair Saturday. Trip over. Next one is SE Asia for a long stay this winter. Next summer? Who knows?

May all your trips be pickpocket free!
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Old Aug 25th, 2015, 09:30 AM
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This is one of the oldest scams in the book that has been going on for years and years, you shouldn't ever engage with people on the street like that who approach you. The whole petition thing doesn't even make sense as to why the Spanish govt would care what some anonymous tourist thinks about anything. People like that depend on tourist suckers who even talk to them, let alone give them money. Next thing, you'll be buying rings from people who pick them up on the street.
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Old Aug 25th, 2015, 10:21 AM
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Lauren, so sorry you had such an unwelcome beginning in Barcelona. Shows it can happen even to well traveled when we let our guard down. Hope the remainder of your stay is enjoyable.
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Old Aug 25th, 2015, 12:28 PM
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I did not let it stop my enjoyment of the day which ended with Casa Batllo--which really blew me away. Sagrada Familia is tomorrow.

Some people, of course, have to look down their long noses at others at the least little excuse.
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Old Aug 31st, 2015, 02:40 AM
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I am now home from my trip. I did a day tour to Girina and the Dali Museum in Figures on august 28th.

Then on the 29th I had a bit of a challenge becauae my flight left at 11:45pm I could not do late check out at the hotel because the room was booked (small family run hotel). What I did not want was to get soaked schelepping around hot Barcelona with no place to shower. I ended up taking another package excursion to the Nuria Valley. It was high in the Pyrenees where people go skiing in the winter and we took a cog RR to reach it. Really a great day to just relax and enjoy a spectacular location.

I had stashed my luggage under the tour bus. When the rour was over, I walked across the street to the airport bus and headed for the airport.
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Old Aug 31st, 2015, 03:14 AM
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Welcome back Lauren......I enjoyed your report very much....Thanks!
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Old Aug 31st, 2015, 06:12 AM
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No one should ever sign a petition somewhere that they do not live. Period. It won't help anyone if you don't have voting power.

Anyone reading this, please take it as a lesson learned. You're signature won't help if you don't live there. And the people conducting this rip off are counting on the ignorance of visitors who don't know this and fall for it. All the while that they are signing the petition they are being pickpocketed . Don't stop and engage these people.
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Old Aug 31st, 2015, 06:55 AM
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Thank you, Traviata. In all my travels, I never ran into the scam. Now I know. I heard some other horror stories about pickpockets involving really large sums.

Next trip will be to SE Asia. Look for that on the Asia board.
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Old Oct 18th, 2015, 04:50 PM
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Here are the links to the photo files on my website from Salou and Barcelona:

From Barcelona:

http://altecockertravels.weebly.com/...gust-2015.html

http://altecockertravels.weebly.com/...gust-2015.html

http://altecockertravels.weebly.com/...gust-2015.html

http://altecockertravels.weebly.com/...gust-2015.html

http://altecockertravels.weebly.com/...gust-2015.html

http://altecockertravels.weebly.com/...li-museum.html

From Salou home exchange:

http://altecockertravels.weebly.com/...gust-2015.html

http://altecockertravels.weebly.com/...onia-2015.html

http://altecockertravels.weebly.com/...pain-2015.html

http://altecockertravels.weebly.com/...tarragona.html

http://altecockertravels.weebly.com/...agi-heads.html

http://altecockertravels.weebly.com/...onia-2015.html

http://altecockertravels.weebly.com/...-day-trip.html

Look at what interests you. There is no requirement to view all the files. They are put up here because people always request photos.
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Old Oct 19th, 2015, 09:10 AM
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Lovely photos, Lauren. Thanks for sharing.
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Old Oct 21st, 2015, 04:33 PM
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I omitted one file. Here it is:

http://altecockertravels.weebly.com/...gust-2015.html
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