Y Wegof Di-Reswm

Tuesday 31st
Tuesday was an utter-mission. I totally skipped the interview I had lined up for mid morning as it was a load of crap anyway. Anna & I had a mission to town on the train to pick up some last minute bits and bobs. Then back to Anna's place do double check stuff.
Jon & Tracey turned up and we then went again to the tram station back to town (Passing work - where we should have been but our boss, Steve Beard, let us have off because, 'what's the point') follwed by a few hundred meters walk to the train station. We got there and had to leg it onto a train as I insisted on holing up the train for Tracey to get on, but at least then we could sit down for a while untill our stop.
Unfortunatley Liverpool (John Lennon) Airport doesn't have a train station just one a few miles away so we had to get a taxi to the airport but we didn't have to wait long for one.
We had plenty of time in our margin of error so had a sit down and drink while we waited, just as well as it was delayed, but we eventually got going.
We introduced 'Buffalo Rules' for this trip, as follows(with the ususal forfeit):
Replacement Names to be used at all times:
Owain(me)=Cordero (lamb)
Anna = Paloma (pigeon/dove)
Jon = Pollo (chicken)
Tracey = Gallina (Hen)
Left hand Drnking with Pinkies
no pointing (indication with elbow allowed)
Thumbmaster.
No swearing.
I tried to sleep on the plane but hardly even dozed really, neither did the others despite professing tiredness. We landed at night and the taxi driver pulled 'surcharges' at the end of the trip to the apartment to take us to a 30Euro bill where the book reckoned it should have been 20-25, I suppose they're the same everywhere. We were met by an Argentine who been over here two weeks, we struggled through the chat, then had a look around the flat. It was small but nice. There was no stereo as mentioned but a DVD/TV combo which we could play CD's on. we partially unpacked had a shower and popped out to the busy square right outside our apartment (The Rambla Del Raval) for a beer (which is really chep out there). There were plenty of bars and we went to one or two before heading to the main street (The Ramblas) there we got flyers for a club called Felini's. We got in free to there had a sit down then threw some funky shapes on the dancefloor - the place didn't get busy untill two in the morning which just before we headed off as we were all shattered and the pace was telling.
In Bar Felini on Las Ramblas
The way back became a bone of contention, we went a 180 degrees in the wrong direction, for a good mile plus, but asked and found our way back eventually. I was blamed for theis error but The streets do look quite alike and the whole area was a maze of narrow alleyways which in the dark looked even more alike...
Wednesday 1st
Me and Anna got up early and brought some breakfast. We got bread, eggs, bacon, chorizo, cheese, nasty tea bags and accidentaly artificially sweetened milk. The breakfast was excellent, but the tea was really bad. Firtly there was no kettle, we had to use a pan. The tea bags were crap. The local water although apparently drinkable tasked so bad, nearly saline. We sorted the milk out coped with the pan and found on the second day some decent (PG) tea bags. (Phew!)
We headed out to do a bit of sightseeing. We got the Cathedral confused with the Sagrada Familia on the map and so saw the Catherdral first. The Sagrada is quite far out so we had to use the metro which was well easy to use. I unfortunatley misread the map and made us get off at the Sargrea not the Sagrada station... Things obviously weren't right as we were surrounded by high rises, I asked a man in a booth where it was hoping he could point the way as I wouldn't keep up with that many directions. Unfortuately he had no arms but made himself understood eventually. So we found it, and itlooked amazing from the outside... but we didn't go in and it's not everyones cup of tea I suppose. We did need a sit down at that point and on sight of McDonalds immediately on the building left (not normally visible in postcards) Jon fancied some McNuggets... I didn't want anything put on being pressed had their Gazpacho soup. It was cold.
Statue on the Placa Armada
We went to the beach from there via the cable car on the Montjuic. We didn't go all the way to the top of the mount but it ofered extensive views over the city which was quite hazy on that day. The beach when we got there was really nice - a great addition to such a large city. It wasn't too busy but it wasn't blazing that day, we resolved that when it was really hot we'd spend the day there. As it was we spent an hour or two there thenwandering up the surf.
We got back to the flat and had a siesta, it's surprising how walking a lot generally takes it out of you.
We went back out inthe evening and went to a resturant called La Fragua. Great food, huge portions are pretty cheap. It was just accross the square from us and we found it in an 'Eating out Barcelona' guide that I brought with us.
We headed back to the Ramblas and got given some flyers again, this time for 'Travel Bar' a backpackers place. We found it and it was a nice little place.
In the Travel Bar
We got there then someone announced that they needed four girl volunteers to take part in a competition and that they would recieve a free drink. Anna jumped in they had to sit on the bar and were given a beer in a glass with a straw, the guy then announced that the two last to finish would have to kiss. I had confidence in Anna to finish first but apparently the straw threw her. It was close but she was third, and had to stand on the bar for the forfeit. We pretty much were there for the rest of the night and went back to the apartment. However Anna I didn't go to bed but stayed up on the balcony chatting, before we knew it it was morning.
Thursday 2nd
We popped out and ended going straight to the beach sprinting/jogging there at eight am. We went for a swim, the beach was really quiet and it sems some people choose to sleep there overnight. It was shaping up for a scorcher so after a while he headed back to the flat picked up breakfast on the way and were back on the beach with Jon & Tracey by the end of the morning.
It was really hot and pretty busy, we stayed at our first spot for a while but kep getting hassled by some local pikies bumming fags and trying to join in on our frizbee game with a mental dog. It was so bad we had to move further down the beach, which was additinally habd as they new spot was much nicer and didn't have a jellyfish problem (they evacuated parts of the sea for that at one point because of that). We caught some more sun went front-flipping into the sea and stayed untill it was getting chilly.
We got back to the flat but as we'd discovered the previous night the hot water was on a tank and would stretch to four persons, so we sort of made do with a splash. unfortunatley Anna & I sort of flooded the flat, we were running the tap in the bathroom and it seems the soap slipped off the top and fell into the basin... and blocked the plughole.. the water continued to run and it seems seeped under the door where Jon & Tracey ignored it but, the flow then crept out under the front door and on to the landing. Where a resident noticed it and knocked on the door, Tracey answered and alerted us and all was soon rectified...!
We headed back out first for some food at the San Marino bar again, (it was here that the accordian band entertained us, they weer good and played the godfather theme too) they wanted cash of course but it wasn't much. We also had a guy wandering round with a polaroid camera, which we partook in (have you noticed how the smae thing happens here but its digital and they put in on the net hoping you'll buy a glossy print?-not going to happen) then back to the travel bar as conversational spanish was really beyond us and they were organising a pub crawl. Some sleep woudl have been really handy before going out but it didn't happen and explains to some extent why the evening went decidedly recneps. But up untill then it was a great night as we mixed with the Yanks from the night before plus a host of others from all over.
Don't remember any names now mind.
it was that night that i sustained major brusing on my knees. I still have extensive palm sized bruised on either knee, an inch square lack of skin on my right knee cap where my jeans had a hole, and bad skin splints when I walk. The scab on my knee whenever i ascend or decend stairs the scab on my knee cracks and weeps plasma from the fissure. Sorry not nice I know
Probably the two worst things about the area we were staying in were the pikies who at night would try to trap people in conversation before tryin to lift a wallet, they tried hassling us two nights running, and the prostitutes who were blatently working on the street corners from five in the afternoon onward.
Friday 3rd
We trekked on this day to the Picasso museum (funny it's start of conventional but then the paintings really go pear shaped) the most memorable was a picture of what seemed to be a midget in drag.
From there we went to the Camp Nou home of FC Barcelona. I'm not sure what the others thought of it, I wasn't interested in the football really just the stadium itself which is he-uge!

We didn't go out in the night as the next morning was going to be a early one. We stayed in and Anna & I tried to make Paella. It wasnt bad at all really we were a little hamstrung by being unable to find certain ingredients but we addlibed well enough, but really could have done with salt.

Saturday 4th
I was up on time and got seriously busy tidying. Karina the Argentinan was going to turn up at eight. The problem was that we had forgotten to pick up detergent and the night before and that morning nowhere that sold it was open. We had to use shampoo on the dishes and pans. It did help better than water alone would have and at lwast it smelt nice. We were concerned that we wouldn't get to the airport on time (nine) but despite there being no taxi's for the first fifteen minutes one did turn up and we made it easily. As it turned out the damn flight was delayed again!
So we eventually got back, and after a siesta we went out. Initially with Adam were we breifly met Daniel, but then went on to the Athaeneum to meet back up with Jon, who had everyone there playng buffalo rules. It was a mess. Keith was out too and loving the red wrist bands - I'll have to get him some. From there we went to Bar central one, which was not out of the ordinary really, it was a bit tough for me as I couldn't walk well let alone strut my funky stuff (i did try after a few beers). Still a good night!

Sunday 5th
lie in... knackered. Went shopping to Tesco's but could have done without it.
Charvis on the Burst
I missed all the rugby on Saturday, Wales did really well thrashing the USA 77-3. The lions won apparently, I'm only really watching out of interest - inside I'd laugh if the lions lost.
Monday 6th
A second interview at a place in town, again it seemed okay but i'll find out more tomorrow...
Ah yes check the rest of the pictures here and here from the HYPERDOOPELATOR.

# posted by Owzyo (Cordero) : 6/06/2005 02:24:00 PM