Camino Inglés starts in Ferrol , in Galicia. Its the shortest Camino, approx. 118 kms. There's an even shorter version, starting in A Coruña (about 75 kms), but that one doesnt qualify to earn the Compostela.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2018

PAMPLONA

Destination: BARCELONA

Breakfast at 7, out by 8 AM. Farewell to the lovely city of San Sebastian.


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We were off to PAMPLONA, the city famous for “the Running of the Bulls.”
We would be traveling through the region of Navarre, whose capital is Pamplona. The drive through the mountains was quite scenic. Pamplona, a medieval city, is the first main city through which pilgrims pass on the Camino de Santiago. It is known for its many parks, two universities, and great food. Many of its cultural attractions are within walking distance of the city center.

The prominent Plaza del Castillo is large and attractive, with plantings, including flowers, all around. Ernest Hemingway, the popular American author, was drawn to this area, especially by his fascination of the sport of bullfighting. After living in the city for a period, he returned several times for the annual “Running of the Bulls”. One of his novels, The Sun Also Rises, was set in this area. Later in our visit, we would enjoy a treat at a Café that he frequented on this plaza. Pamplona has several tributes to Hemingway, even a street: Paseo Hemingway.

Pamplona is much larger than we had expected, given that films generally focus on the narrow La Estafeta Street for “the Running of the Bulls”. When viewing the street on this Sunday morning, it was devoid of people, excepting a few “pilgrims” following the shells as they hiked the Camino de Santiago. We had to use our imaginations to create the scene of the “Running of the Bulls”.

We admired the sculpture at the head of the street, people running from the bulls who were in chase, engraved with the word “Encierro”, However, we do not admire the bullfighting sport.


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The custom of “the Running of the Bulls” dates from 1592. The festival surrounding it honors Saint Fermin, a 3rd century bishop native to the area, who was martyred by being dragged by a bull through the streets of Amiens, France.

In the 1600’s, the residents of Pamplona saw this race as a method for enticing the bulls from outside the city to the bullring which was in the center. A week-long event culminates on July 14, in the excitement of the bull-running. We learned that, before Ernest Hemingway popularized it, the festival, which included music, drinking, eating in restaurants, and frivolity, was more localized. However, soon thousands of people from many parts of the world began traveling to Pamplona, making it an international celebration.

The people who own the balconies along the street earn money renting them out to spectators who hover over the action of the race. Visitors are advised that balcony-viewing is the safest way to experience the event.

We learned that there are many regulations for the run: age limits, no alcohol for those running, clothing customs. Other details include: the race beginning at 8 AM with a rocket set off; lasting about three minutes; nine bulls, six of whom are in the bullfights later.

Though this event draws thousands of spectators, the tradition is very controversial.

The finale of our Pamplona visit was a stop for a special chocolate drink and pastry in Café de Iruña, established in 1888, a favorite hangout of Hemingway. He had his own favorite corner where today there is a bronze bust of him. The stop in Pamplona provided a welcome break before we set out for our 300-mile journey to Barcelona.

Café de Iruña, set at one end of the large open square, with its colorful flower beds, provided a lovely last look at Pamplona.



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Leaving Pamplona en route to Barcelona, the beginning of the drive was scenic, as we traveled through miles of green mountains, foothills of the Pyrenees. However, after a while, the terrain was mostly unremarkable, very dry in parts. Apparently, Navarre is a leading region of Europe in terms of renewable energy, and indeed, we passed many miles of wind turbines. We made a lunch stop at a roadside service restaurant where we shared a salad and Diet Coke. Following lunch, we had another couple of hours to reach Barcelona.

Being Sunday, the traffic was light. We were happy to finally arrive at the NH Hesperia President Hotel on the famous Avinguda Diagonal in BARCELONA. After checking into our rooms, we did a quick refresh and were ready to board the coach for a visit of Parc Güell. Our hotel was located relatively close to Parc Güell, and using the late afternoon time for this visit enabled us to arrive at the harbor for dinner to enjoy sunset.

Barcelona is renowned for its original modernisme architecture, Catalan Art Nouveau, which flourished in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Among the many artists of this movement, Antonio Gaudi is the best known for his stunning works which are evident throughout Barcelona. Some of his more whimsical creations are evident in Parc Güell.

We were fortunate to have Santiago as our excellent guide. As we headed straight for Parc Güell, an approximately 30-acre open-air park, located on a hill overlooking the city.

Parc Güell is one of many signature creations of Gaudi. Originally intended to be a planned residential area, akin to a modern gated-community, it proved to be an idea a hundred years ahead of its time. Gaudi and his creative genius developed it into a delightful park, with trees, terraces, and interesting paths, utilizing the natural contours of the terrain. The only home constructed in the park was that of Gaudi. He lived there for 20 years until the death of his father.

As we approached Parc Güell, it seemed extremely crowded, when compared to our previous visit in 2010. The Park was undergoing a massive reconstruction project, so areas were closed or viewed around construction materials. As we climbed the grand staircase past the famous ceramic dragon fountain, we felt confident that we would do justice to the Park, in its reconstruction phase, given the leadership of our Barcelona guide, Santiago.

At the top, we entered the “Hall of 100 Columns”, each made of concrete, reinforced with rebar, and topped with colorful ceramics. Gaudi carved part of the park out of a hillside, fashioning a forest of columns like tree trunks. Parc Güell reflects not only Gaudi’s talent as an artist, but as an engineer. He designed a water-catchment system to utilize the rain from the upper plaza to power the park’s fountains.

A unique feature is the ergonomically-designed colorful tile bench which undulates with the outline of the large top terrace. Before leaving the Parc, we enjoyed taking in the view from the terrace which stretches out to the Mediterranean.


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After beginning our day in San Sebastian, visiting and sightseeing in Pamplona, followed by the long drive to Barcelona, visiting Parc Güell and then having dinner was probably a fitting evening.

We enjoyed the drive through the city to the Mediterranean waterfront, developed to host the Olympics of Barcelona in 1992. We would have our meal overlooking the harbor.

The menu board at the Marina Moncho Restaurant, recommended for its paella, lured us to choose it for what would be a delightful dinner.
We shared a pitcher of sangria, a double size of delicious paella, and a salad. (€80). Beautiful setting! Nice experience!

Following the meal, we walked a bit along the waterfront, an added asset of Barcelona. We had begun our meal in daylight, and as we dined, darkness fell and the lights appeared on the harbor, where a variety of boats were anchored. Of interest was Frank Gehry’s giant fish sculpture. It was a delightful evening, providing a relaxing finale for the day.



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About 8:50, we began a night tour of the lit-up city.
Back to the hotel about 10 PM. We’re worn out, and glad we had chosen not to re-visit Monserrat at 8 AM in the morning. We looked forward to a relaxing start to our day.

Farewell, San Sebastian!

Sculpture at the head of the street

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La Estafeta Street

Café Iruña

View from the terrace of Parc Guell to the Mediterranean Coast

Frank Gehry's fish sculpture along the harbor in Barcelona

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Barcelona: Harbor walk following dinner

Thanks for that info, cruiseluv. We'll look into the Camino Ingles.

Love that sculpture of the people running from the bulls. Great report!

Many people ignore that Iruña is the Basque name for Pamplona, and also that there are "encierros" in many other parts of Spain, being the one in Pamplona the most famous. My dad used to run on it in the 60s, when it was not as popular abroad, and there were just locals and visitors from neighboring regions. Now it´s a way too excessive event in terms of crowds. Great report on this town, which has lots more to offer than just the itinerary of the running of the bulls.

Maitaitom, glad you're still on board! Appreciate your comments.

Mikelg, thanks for your continued interest. Always new info learned from your responses.

I have followed your excellent report from the start

We love Spain and visit every year., usually Madrid + another destination.
I must say I admire your stamina ...getting on the road early in the morning
is beyond lazy traveler like me .

You always have fun trips, a great read.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2018

AM: WALKING CITY TOUR
PM: SAGRADA FAMILIA VISIT
DINNER

We were able to sleep in and eat breakfast two hours later than normal. Eight hours of sleep made a huge difference in energy! The breakfast buffets are so plentiful with a variety of tasty foods that it’s easy to overeat.

We had time to spare since we had chosen not to go with the 8 AM group to Montserrat, the monastery in the mountains outside of Barcelona. We had visited it on our weeklong stay in 2010 and didn’t think that the short amount of time allotted would allow us to explore things we had previously missed. We’d be content with our memories, including hearing the Montserrat “Escolania de Montserrat” Boys’ Choir.

At 11:30, we were ready to join Santiago on a walking tour of the Old Town (Barri Gotic) and a visit to the Sagrada Familia Basilica. We looked forward to touring these with a local guide, and learning more about the history of Barcelona, as there seems to be so much new learning that we often miss when we do “self-guiding”.

Today, Barcelona is experienced as an enchanting seaside city, renowned for its art and culture, and stunning architecture, with ample dining and shopping opportunities. In addition, there are other attractions, such as water sports and nightlife, which did not fit in with our interests this trip, especially given our limited time.

However, Barcelona is a tale of amazing history since the date of its inception over 2000 years ago! Its location on the sea made it an attractive site for many nations. Originally, founded by the Phoenicians and Carthaginians, they controlled the area they christened “Barcino”, until the Roman conquest during the first century BC, around which time it became “Barcelona”.

Over a span of some 2,000 years, Barcelona has been taken over by several different countries and has endured many wars.

The Catalan nation was established as early as 988. With Barcelona as its capitol, Catalonia has its own language, customs, and history, and an independent spirit. Through the years, Barcelona has consistently improved itself. It was honored with the opportunity to host the World’s Fair in 1888. It continued to thrive and following the death of the dictator Franco in the mid-70’s, was free to become one of the most important and elaborate cities in all of Spain.

Barcelona hosted the Olympic Games in1992 and the Universal Forum of Cultures in 2004. Amid this ultra-modern city, vestiges of its Roman influence are still preserved in its ancient city walls, buildings, stone corridors, and even some preserved Roman artifacts.

Our walking tour focused on the Barri Gotic neighborhood. We viewed the old Roman wall, initially comprising just 25 acres, with several sections enlarged in the 3rd and 4th centuries.

Another stop was at the Catedral de la Seu, the Cathedral of Barcelona, constructed in the 14th century, with a new façade later added in a more ornate Neo-Gothic style.

Outside the Cathedral, booths in the surrounding courtyard contained books in the Catalan language, set up for the celebration of Catalan Day, September 11th.

The palace, Placa del Rei, was of special interest since it was the palace where Isabel and Ferdinand had lived, and where Columbus was welcomed following his successful exploration of the “new world”.

In and around these streets in the Barri Gotic area, there are many restaurants and shops. We would return later to enjoy some of these on our own.

It was time to travel to the area of the Sagrada Familia Basilica, the creation to which Antonio Gaudi dedicated his life. Before our entrance, we had time to have lunch.

We found Coffee Cosa Café, across the street where the final main entrance will be. A shared baguette of ham and cheese, some fruit, a very large cappuccino and cookies for dessert! Great choice! (€19)

From our week in Barcelona in 2010, we had gained a great appreciation of the artist Antonio Gaudi. His work is evident throughout the city. We were eager to see the advancement in Gaudi’s crowning masterful achievement, toward which he devoted 43 years of his life, the basilica of Sagrada Familia (Holy Family). It is distinctly different from any other cathedral we’ve visited.

The interior was completed, except for some details, for its consecration as a basilica by Pope Benedict on November 7, 2010, just two months after our week-long visit. La Sagrada Familia has become a symbol of Barcelona and is its most visited attraction.

Antonio Gaudi is the genius behind the Sagrada Familia design. Since his tragic death in 1926, being hit by a tram, the work has been carried on by local artists. We learned that Gaudi’s architectural plans were partially destroyed by a bombing of the building in 1936, during the Civil War, and that many of the artists have used their artistic freedom to carry on in Gaudi’s spirit.

The plan for the exterior was to chronicle the life of Christ from His birth to His resurrection. The Nativity façade and the Passion façade are completed. Both very impressive in their detail! The Glory façade is planned for the final main entrance, which will include an adjoining park. Plans also include adding six more towers, the tallest of which will be 564 ft., with Christ at the pinnacle. It will become Europe’s tallest religious structure. A final completion is date set for 2026.

The work on Sagrada Familia has been, and continues to be, completely funded by private donations, supplemented by visitor fees.

We purchased a memento of the Sagrada Familia in the gift shop: a small brass replica of the tower with the apostle Bartholomew on top.

Large crowds were milling around the outside of the Basilica. To enter the ticketed line, there was metal detector screening. We were glad to have pre-purchased tickets for entrance.

Santiago, our tour guide, was excellent. Wow! Inside the Cathedral, the impressive height of a unique ceiling, “tree-trunk” columns, stained glass windows galore! Overwhelming to take it all in. Indescribable beauty! The brilliant sunlight really enhanced all the features.

In order to attend Mass at Sagrada Familia, it’s necessary to start lining up a half-hour before the one Mass at 9:30 on Sundays. And, depending on the crowds, there’s no assurance of entry. The chances seem very limited!

After returning to our Hesperia Presidente Hotel, we used our time to book a van daytrip to the Costa Brava and dress for our final meal of the tour. We had to clarify via phone and e-mail the details of our pickup from our next hotel. Although our initial plans included renting a car to explore the coast on our own, even securing an IDP before leaving home, we weighed the pros and cons and decided that this van excursion would be more sensible.

The area of the Avenguda Diagnonal is a popular one, just outside the cultural center of the city, with many fine restaurants close by. Even though the hotel and surroundings were attractive, we wanted to move closer to the heart of Barcelona for our final days. We had reservations for a three-night stay in the L’eixample District, at the Gran Via Hotel.

At 6:30 PM, we joined the group at a lovely restaurant for the final dinner of the tour, for which people dressed up. We sat with Su and Tuhuy, as well as four of the Syrians. We learned that all of them were either medical doctors or related to the medical field. Wonderful people!

Following that elegant meal, there were many farewells. Many were returning home. Some of us would be remaining in Barcelona for a few days. There seemed to be general agreement that the places we had visited, made more meaningful with all the local guides, provided rich experiences and would, no doubt, provide us a storehouse of many pleasant memories.


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danon, we agree with you. Spain is wonderful. So many areas to explore. Regarding early mornings, we are not normally morning people. But, when traveling, we like to make the most of our days, figuring that we can "sleep in" at home. Thanks for your continued interest in our TR.


Adelaidean, so glad to have you along on our report. And, yes, we do have fun in our travels. We share your love of Switzerland. Your report of your most recent trip with your Dad, including so many wonderful photos, gives us new ideas for future travels.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018

BARCELONA: CATALAN DAY

About 7 hours of sleep. How nice!

We were looking forward to our move closer to the action of downtown. It was a good feeling to be able to take our time before checking out.

About 11 AM, we moved our luggage to the lobby and a taxi was waiting outside for our move to the Gran Via Hotel on Calle’ Gran Via, another of the major streets which crosses Barcelona. The ride was only about 10 to15 minutes (€10). Arriving before 11:30 AM, we were happy that our room #220 was ready. A nice hotel with a nice room and a nice location! What else can we say? Another bonus was that breakfast was included in our stay.

We decided to use the day to just “chill” and “decompress” from our past two-weeks of busy travel days. Leaving the hotel, we leisurely explored the area around our hotel, and enjoyed our walk down the tree-lined Passeig de Gracia.

Many Catalans were walking down to the Rambla, dressed in orange shirts. We noticed different flags: the normal Spanish flag: three stripes, red at top and bottom with a larger yellow one in the center which, we later learned, symbolized that the person is for the status quo in Spain; a flag with a blue triangle and the Catalonian flag background, meaning support for separation of the 7 million Catalonians from the 45 million population of Spain; and the flag of Catalunya, a yellow background with red stripes. Although there were thousands of people of all ages, all was very orderly and polite.

Our walk on the Passeig de Gracia led to the Placa Catalunya, the center point of Barcelona. From there, we headed for La Rambla, the famous walking street in Barcelona. In support of Catalan Day, and the desire for independence from Spain, there were hundreds orange-shirted people carrying flags. In fact, we bought a small one as a memory of Catalunya and our observation of 9/11 day here.

On this warm muggy day, Margie spotted an indoor restaurant with a table at the front window. The La Poma was perfect! Tom enjoyed a cold beer and Margie had rose’ wine. We shared a “Espaguetti fruti mare” and a salad. (€40.75).

Following that delightful, leisurely lunch, we continued meandering on La Rambla until we reached the mid-point at the metro station. Due to the holiday, many of the kiosks on La Rambla were closed, so we decided to walk toward the Old Gothic town, the “heart of Barcelona.”

Turning down a few little alleys, lined with shops, we headed toward the Cathedral. This Gothic Cathedral was originally constructed between 1298 and 1450, with a spire and a neo-Gothic façade added in 1892. Its exceptionally high altar was intended to be visible to the entire congregation.

A pleasant discovery was the elevator to the roof, from which there were excellent views all over Barcelona. Metal walkways, with railings, had been constructed on the roof making it accessible in all directions. Since the skies were so clear, we spent some time on the roof trying to identify things we recognized all over the city, and out to the sea.

We decided to enjoy the long walk up Av. Portal de l’ Angel in order to wend our way in the direction of our Gran Via Hotel. The Avenue is lined with many stores and cafes, and periodic benches. We paused a couple of times as we were able to people watch. We were in no hurry. No doubt, many of the Catalunyans were walking from the demonstrations held near-by, heading for home.

Reaching the Placa Catalunya, we decided to eat outdoors at the Hard Rock Spain restaurant, as it was close by and had some seats at their outdoor patio. Wings and a cobb salad with beer and wine were a welcome treat about 7:30 PM (€ $39).

We slowly ambled past the beautifully lit-up fountains in the Placa Catalunya and returned to our hotel by 9 PM. It felt good to be staying at the Gran Via Hotel for three nights as we prepared for our travel to the Costa Brava the following day. No packing needed! We would be picked up at 9 AM for our trip to Girona and the Costa Brava. We were excited about this excursion!


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Enjoying your report very much! Brings back such wonderful memories!

You may have noticed that the demonstrators are demanding independence for both Catalunya (Catalonia) and Euskal Herria (Basque Country in Basque), we have a mutual liking for each other!! And at the bottom it says "two peoples, only one way".

We stayed across from that cathedral. Also very much liked going to the roof. Loving the report.

Mikelg, it's interesting to learn that Iruña is Basque for Pamplona. Thanks for your continued reading of our TR!

joannyc, just writing this report brings back memories of our fall trip. Thanks for following along.

maitaitom, thanks for your continued interest. Staying in the Barrio Gotic sounds like a great choice. Who knows? Maybe next time for us?

mikelg, we didn't recognize the Basque words. But we did comment that the Catalonians and the Basque peoples have mutual hopes. Glad you're still following along.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2018

Day trip to GIRONA & COSTA BRAVA

The breakfast at the Gran Via was served in a beautiful restaurant room on floor 1. It included a generous display of a variety of tempting goodies. We could leisurely eat a tasty meal and enjoyed two cups of coffee. We were early, so there were few people around.

This was our day to explore Girona and the Costa Brava in a small van with a total of eight passengers, plus the driver. We were making up for our missed trip to the Costa Brava in 2010, due to a strike, so we were really looking forward to enjoying it this trip.

The time was 9 AM for the pick-up at our hotel; we were the 3rd of 4 couples to be picked up. We chose to sit together in the front seat with Vernanci, the driver of the Mercedes Benz van. It was an affable group, and Vernanci seemed very eager to please all of us.

Costa Brava, meaning "rough or wild coast”, extends from 37 miles north of Barcelona to the French border, with the most northern section having the steepest cliffs and small bays. After the Spanish Civil War, it began to be visited as a vacation spot for the local population, and over the years has seen further development of seaside resorts.

As we left Barcelona proper, Vernanci took the road closest to the sea, but the view was frequently obstructed by houses and other buildings between the highway and the water. At a certain point, it was necessary to turn inland in order to reach Girona.

Since we were in the front seat, we were able to talk freely with Vernanci. It was interesting to learn so much about everyday life in Barcelona. He knew a lot about the difficult days under Franco from his parents and grandparents.

Girona is a 2000-year-old city, split by the river Onyar which divides the old city and the new city. Picturesque apartments overlook the river. The city has four bridges, the most famous being one built by Gustave Eiffel, ten years before he designed the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Girona features medieval walls, narrow winding cobbled city streets, and one of the best-preserved Jewish Quarters in Europe. Jews lived in Girona from 982 to 1492.

The Catédral de Santa Maria de Girona towers over the city, and is very impressive with its ninety steps leading to the main entrance.. Construction was begun in the 11th century in a Romamesque style, and later continued in the 13th century in Gothic architecture. The interior was impressive with its wide nave, second only, it is said, to that of St. Peter’s in Rome. Some scenes from “Game of Thrones” were filmed by the cathedral, as well as other places in Girona. Tom was interested in a musician’s playing of handpan instruments from Switzerland and bought the CD in hopes of enjoying the music at home.

After exploring Girona for a while, it seemed that the group was more interested in having lunch by the sea. Towns along the water seemed more appealing to the group than spending more time walking up and down the steps and taking in the medieval walls of Girona. Perhaps this was because we had spent a long stretch of days exploring cities.

Venanci made a call ahead to a seaside village, Playa Aiguablava, near Begur on the Costa Brava and reserved a table for the nine of us at 1 PM. We all agreed about pre-ordering a large paella to share, as it takes a while to prepare. This was a busy season, and Vernanci had to travel quickly to arrive at the restaurant in time for our reservation. We were seated outdoors at a long table at the Toc Almar Restaurant.

After we were settled and enjoying drinks while waiting for our paella, a perfect weather day quickly deteriorated as the skies darkened. A pounding rain began, accompanied with thunder and lightning. Also, wind. The patio was under cover, but it caused our table to be moved in from the edge.

Fortunately, it was short-lived. And everyone seemed to enjoy the white wine and the shared seafood paella. The paella wasn’t the best we had had, but it was a fun experience. The group paid for Venanci’s meal by putting in credit cards to split the cost. It was a delightful lunch despite the storm which blew through.

Following lunch, we stopped at three more attractive tourist resorts that have beaches and great settings, traveling past expensive houses and other great viewing spots for picture-taking along the way. The Costa Brava is dotted with small coves having crystal-clear waters. Having a driver who knew just which roads led to these attractive resorts was a bonus!
We made a stop at one of these little resorts to enjoy a refreshing ice cream.
After this stop, it was time to say farewell to the Costa Brava and begin the couple hours’+ trip back to Barcelona, hoping to get ahead of the work traffic.

As we left the last resort on our trip home, we were glad that we had not attempted to drive the Costa Brava on our own. Not only is the road along the coast quite twisty and hilly, which would not have been a problem, but reaching the resorts requires dropping down some steep grades; more important, awareness of which steep roads leads to towns we would like. Vernanci really knew his way around the areas.

We had had an agreeable group to explore Girona and, most of all, the gorgeous Costa Brava. One was a Greek couple from Montreal, Canada. The guy is a sharp lawyer who works for a bank. They return to the Greek Islands every year where each of their families own places. After hearing them speak glowingly about the beauty of the Greek Isles, we put that area higher on our wish list. A delightful couple was from Chicago, both nurses. She is an ER nurse with a hospital; he oversees a unit of Alzheimer’s patients. The fourth “twosome” was two interesting young women who wore beautiful long dresses and big hats, turning heads on many stops. One of them was a NYC lawyer for sports’ players. The other was from LA. Most important to making the day enjoyable was our driver, Vernanci.

This Costa Brava was another stretch of gorgeous coastline, of which Spain has many.! We were happy to have been able to explore it since it had been high on our list.

After being on the road for a while, Vernanci seemed to be getting sleepy. Earlier, he had shared with us that his mother was in the hospital with a serious heart condition. Together with his sister, he had been spending long hours with her. We tried to keep a conversation going to keep him alert and encouraged a stop for coffee. That stop at a Burger King on the interstate seemed to perk everyone up.

As we traveled on for a while longer, we encountered hard rain and thunderstorms which quickly intensified. Traffic was greatly slowed; at a standstill in some spots. Approaching the city, the pouring rain made vision difficult, especially with the traffic which had built up. In some areas, the streets were flooded. Once reaching the city, It was amazing how Vernanci negotiated the streets of central Barcelona, many of them being tiny old cobblestoned alleys, to deliver everyone back to their hotels. By day’s end, we would have been on the road or in and out of the van for more than ten hours. We were the last couple to be dropped off and arrived exhausted, but happy, at our Gran Via Hotel about 8:30 PM.

We needed to eat and wanted to find a casual place close to our hotel. Fortunately, the hard rain had subsided to a drizzle. We walked two blocks and found many restaurants, but all were busy. Not wanting to wait, we were relieved to find the Obama Pub where we each had a beer and split a quesadea (€18). Just what we needed for the evening. (Although we doubt that President Obama has anything to do with this little café’).

We had had a great day and enjoyed Vernanci and the group. We thought the timing of doing this trip, in between two full days in Barcelona, was a good one. The Costa Brava is outstanding! We were happy to have one more day to enjoy the beautiful city of Barcelona.



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Tomarkot, we also stayed at the Gran Via in Barcelona in 2010!! It's in an excellent location. When we were in Barcelona in October 2010, we did not have to purchase tickets in advance for anything!!! I think our longest wait was perhaps 30 minutes at Sagrada Familia! At Casa Battlo and Casa Mila, we waited in line no more than 20 minutes, and we walked right into Parc Guell. It's amazing how things have changed in 8 years, isn't it?

We also did our own little driving tour of Girona and Costa Brava. We rented a car and spent one night in Cadaques and 2 nights in Girona. It was one of the highlights of our trip.

KarenWoo, yes, what a change in the crowds in Barcelona since 2010! We asked some of the residents if there was a month when the city was less crowded, and they all said that it's like that most of the time. More and more cruise ships.

If we had had more time, we would have preferred spending more days along the Costa Brava, having a rental car. As it was, we appreciated the little taste that we enjoyed.

Thanks for following along with our report!

Hey tomarkot. Continuing to enjoy your excellent trip report which bring backs memories of several trips to Northern Spain - over three trips, I basically drove the Camino, from St. Jean Pied de la Port in France, to Santiago and onwards.

I will be in Barcelona in March :)

Best regards Ger