Friday, June 10, 2005
Suited & Booted
Monday6th.
Well, Everyone else from the Barcelona trip is back to the world of work, as are most of the other people from Dial4aLoan who had to find new jobs. But not me, however I’ve a few interviews lined up – and I’ll spend today trying to find more…
Tuesday7th.
I had an interview scheduled today with a company that I know very little about – the reason being I was due to be sent an information pack through the post - I didn't have an address for the company, just knew in which vicinity. I called the agency (PFA in Leeds – effing useless) they said they'd e-mail it. But no joy, so an hours or two before the interview I had to keep popping out of the flat to see if it had come through the post. I was ready apart from that - I'd brushed my hair, shaved, cleaned my teeth & put a suit on etc.
The thing was that I got locked out of the flat, without money or my mobile. At least I had shoes on. Good thing too. I had to walk to Adam's work in Sale, to get his keys and walk back in the blazing sunshine through parts of town where they don't even wear suits for funerals. I couldn't phone anyone to let them know my predicament - I had to hike it, an hour and a quarter there and a bit longer on the way back. But it wasn't all bad - In relation to a second interview I'd had the day before I was offered a job starting the next monday at a place called the Funding Network, selling secured loans.
Wednesday8th.
I went early into town to watch the lions game. I think it was pretty crap, I didn't invest much support for them from the start so I was finding their failure pretty amusing.
pay short anna lunch - nice place in town anna's father's place - nice - breaded fish
Thursday9th
It can be tricky keeping busy when you've not much to do, you just got to spread it out or be fussy with the details of what you are doing to drag it out. As I was cooking, I spent ages prepping the food, delicately slicing and dicing all the ingredients. I also picked up photos from Barcelona in town - and put them on the Hyperdoopelator.
Waiting for a bus is a real pain, I generally catch the #16 and one of the problems is that depending on traffic it can be from ten minutes early to half an hour late, so to edge your bets you have to be there ten minutes early, if you're real lucky you may catch the one before that's running a mere twenty minutes late. It's just a total waste of time is what bothers me. Additionally where I catch the bus is on a corner, so you can't spot it coming from a distance, so you have to keep watch. You can't read anything or it'll fly past you. You can't relax for the same reason - not that it's easy when you have to stand up exposed to the elemental forces that gush through the streets. What a gip.
Friday10th
The day was filled with trifles. The evening though was formulated as a plan for a drink - I met and her new work mates (some of the same old work mates) for a drink in Salford. It was a bit posh (despite being in Salford - it was by a canal) and the name of the place escapes me. Anna
& I then went for tapas in La Tasca. Yes it's a chain and the last time I was there, on a works do the food was disappointing (the Cardiff one was poor too), but this time the food was great - maybe if I'd expected great food I'd have considered it average, who knows. Adam was out with Nicci who was up from Cardiff, and we called by for a drink on our way home, but were shattered so didn't stay long.
Saturday11th
There's a park (Alexandra Park) right by the flat, and despite it being over a year - I'd never actually been inside it. I suppose it was in part due to the area's reputation and myself having seen at night the 'working girls' working the road by it, and witness the Police chasing kids on mini motorbikes in there... But the weather was really nice Anna & I decided to give it a go and take some basic food with us. It almost happened like that. The French guy, Amo who's on an internship & staying at Anna's house tagged along and we got chicken burgers & Amo a kebab
instead. (Incidentally on the way, on the bus, how it came up I'm not sure, but Amo mentioned that between the ages of 14-18 he was bee. (eh!?) He meant 'Bi' but he insisted that he wasn't anymore and definitely wasn't gay, if that wasn't funny enough - he was 19 at the time (Just a year later!)... Anyway Anna & I have been telling people about it and laughing privately about it ever since - lol) The guy in the kebab shop was strangely friendly guy - an Iraqi who'd been around the EU, and watched the ducks in the park (The ducks did turn out to be rather cheeky). He spoke Turkish and I practiced what I remembered on him - his English though was only marginally better than the smattering of Turkish that I knew and I ground to a halt. But at least he seemed happy. I also popped into a Netto for a few beers - it's cheap and some of the stuff isn't at all bad... but the clientele - dear me! It eventually got too cold and we went back to the flat, Nicci had brought up this DVD full of those old Public Information adverts that used to be on TV, about not sticking forks in toasters and the like - some if them were totally WTF & NFW! But it did drag a bit especially with the ones from the 50's and 60's which didn't wrap up the message with a bit of humour (not always appropriate however) or shock tactics. There was time for a quick power-mong before we went out...
Adam was pretty much in charge of the going out - Tribeca in town to begin with.
There were a fair few that I hadn't met before, as well as regulars, Sahoil (Who wants a special mention (picture below)), Evelyn - The night moved onto Poptastic and then for some to Essential. It got messy for me in Poptastic as I became separated from the others and nailed a
line of double vodkas at the bar. Amo decided in Poptastic (This is in the village too as we were out with Adam) that he could 'turn men on'. Bearing in mind what he'd mentioned earlier in the
day this raised a few eyebrows, but we assumed that he was attempting to impress a lady in our midst, and even more so with his 'spooning' dancing technique. But that wasn't the end of it - I suppose as he didn't want to let these guy's down after getting their hopes up he proceeded to snog them and a number of other blokes who passed by or got too close - to each their own I guess. Major 'cringe-relfex' the next morning I reckon!
Sahoil!
Nicci & Adam
AJ & Amo
Sunday12
Anna & I walked to the supermarket the next morning, I was feeling decidedly
queezy after the vodkas and figured some fresh air and a walk would do me some
good. We also wondered what had happened to Amo - he was due to crash on my sofa
but in a late change of plan was going to crash on Evelyn's. But Anna got a text
from her at half four in the morning to check if Amo got home okay. So, where
was he? His keys were in his bag in my flat and he didn't have a clue where the
flat was. Furthermore he'd given his t-shirt with Eveline's jacket into the
cloak room and was topless - he didn't have his cloakroom ticket. So at an
unearthly hour of the morning he was wandering around Manchester's village
without a shirt on, and no credit on his mobile - he was offered it seems some
where to stay and he declined - luckily for him he hadn't been able to get cash
from the machine earlier in the evening - but was able to after midnight when
some funds had transferred to his account, and caught a taxi back to Sale - then
climbed in through a bathroom window eight feet off the ground. He can really be
an idiot.
13 mon TFN Monday
new work okay -
quiz -£40
14 tue TFN
15 wed TFN
16 thu TFN
17 fri TFN
18 sat
19 sun
20 mon TFN if you die in debt you've made a profit
21 tue TFN
22 wed TFN
23 thu TFN Thursday - amo
jail - bi
24friday - anna to Edin
i popped out - evelyn, daniel Henry
25Saturday - Edinburgh
Rachel- Stuart out
26 sun barbie - out lock in
27/06 mon missed train
28/06 tue TFN
29/06 Wed TFN - walkout rung around agencies feedback
30/06-thurs - more agencies etc.
01/07 Friday - night travel........ job interviews start monday
02/07 rugby cara bristol stag do - fountain etc
03/07 Back from Bristol - retrieve Anna from Sale
04/07 Mon - quiz - booby prize lee roger
05/07 Tue
06/07 Wed 1 year in the flat - at LEVI's story. London Bid
07/07 Thu Bomb - closer to home.
08/07 out cornerhouse? Flick?
dread trip- like a gulit trip?
Well, Everyone else from the Barcelona trip is back to the world of work, as are most of the other people from Dial4aLoan who had to find new jobs. But not me, however I’ve a few interviews lined up – and I’ll spend today trying to find more…
Tuesday7th.
I had an interview scheduled today with a company that I know very little about – the reason being I was due to be sent an information pack through the post - I didn't have an address for the company, just knew in which vicinity. I called the agency (PFA in Leeds – effing useless) they said they'd e-mail it. But no joy, so an hours or two before the interview I had to keep popping out of the flat to see if it had come through the post. I was ready apart from that - I'd brushed my hair, shaved, cleaned my teeth & put a suit on etc.
The thing was that I got locked out of the flat, without money or my mobile. At least I had shoes on. Good thing too. I had to walk to Adam's work in Sale, to get his keys and walk back in the blazing sunshine through parts of town where they don't even wear suits for funerals. I couldn't phone anyone to let them know my predicament - I had to hike it, an hour and a quarter there and a bit longer on the way back. But it wasn't all bad - In relation to a second interview I'd had the day before I was offered a job starting the next monday at a place called the Funding Network, selling secured loans.
Wednesday8th.
I went early into town to watch the lions game. I think it was pretty crap, I didn't invest much support for them from the start so I was finding their failure pretty amusing.
pay short anna lunch - nice place in town anna's father's place - nice - breaded fish
Thursday9th
It can be tricky keeping busy when you've not much to do, you just got to spread it out or be fussy with the details of what you are doing to drag it out. As I was cooking, I spent ages prepping the food, delicately slicing and dicing all the ingredients. I also picked up photos from Barcelona in town - and put them on the Hyperdoopelator.
Waiting for a bus is a real pain, I generally catch the #16 and one of the problems is that depending on traffic it can be from ten minutes early to half an hour late, so to edge your bets you have to be there ten minutes early, if you're real lucky you may catch the one before that's running a mere twenty minutes late. It's just a total waste of time is what bothers me. Additionally where I catch the bus is on a corner, so you can't spot it coming from a distance, so you have to keep watch. You can't read anything or it'll fly past you. You can't relax for the same reason - not that it's easy when you have to stand up exposed to the elemental forces that gush through the streets. What a gip.
Friday10th
The day was filled with trifles. The evening though was formulated as a plan for a drink - I met and her new work mates (some of the same old work mates) for a drink in Salford. It was a bit posh (despite being in Salford - it was by a canal) and the name of the place escapes me. Anna
& I then went for tapas in La Tasca. Yes it's a chain and the last time I was there, on a works do the food was disappointing (the Cardiff one was poor too), but this time the food was great - maybe if I'd expected great food I'd have considered it average, who knows. Adam was out with Nicci who was up from Cardiff, and we called by for a drink on our way home, but were shattered so didn't stay long.
Saturday11th
There's a park (Alexandra Park) right by the flat, and despite it being over a year - I'd never actually been inside it. I suppose it was in part due to the area's reputation and myself having seen at night the 'working girls' working the road by it, and witness the Police chasing kids on mini motorbikes in there... But the weather was really nice Anna & I decided to give it a go and take some basic food with us. It almost happened like that. The French guy, Amo who's on an internship & staying at Anna's house tagged along and we got chicken burgers & Amo a kebab
instead. (Incidentally on the way, on the bus, how it came up I'm not sure, but Amo mentioned that between the ages of 14-18 he was bee. (eh!?) He meant 'Bi' but he insisted that he wasn't anymore and definitely wasn't gay, if that wasn't funny enough - he was 19 at the time (Just a year later!)... Anyway Anna & I have been telling people about it and laughing privately about it ever since - lol) The guy in the kebab shop was strangely friendly guy - an Iraqi who'd been around the EU, and watched the ducks in the park (The ducks did turn out to be rather cheeky). He spoke Turkish and I practiced what I remembered on him - his English though was only marginally better than the smattering of Turkish that I knew and I ground to a halt. But at least he seemed happy. I also popped into a Netto for a few beers - it's cheap and some of the stuff isn't at all bad... but the clientele - dear me! It eventually got too cold and we went back to the flat, Nicci had brought up this DVD full of those old Public Information adverts that used to be on TV, about not sticking forks in toasters and the like - some if them were totally WTF & NFW! But it did drag a bit especially with the ones from the 50's and 60's which didn't wrap up the message with a bit of humour (not always appropriate however) or shock tactics. There was time for a quick power-mong before we went out...
Adam was pretty much in charge of the going out - Tribeca in town to begin with.
There were a fair few that I hadn't met before, as well as regulars, Sahoil (Who wants a special mention (picture below)), Evelyn - The night moved onto Poptastic and then for some to Essential. It got messy for me in Poptastic as I became separated from the others and nailed a
line of double vodkas at the bar. Amo decided in Poptastic (This is in the village too as we were out with Adam) that he could 'turn men on'. Bearing in mind what he'd mentioned earlier in the
day this raised a few eyebrows, but we assumed that he was attempting to impress a lady in our midst, and even more so with his 'spooning' dancing technique. But that wasn't the end of it - I suppose as he didn't want to let these guy's down after getting their hopes up he proceeded to snog them and a number of other blokes who passed by or got too close - to each their own I guess. Major 'cringe-relfex' the next morning I reckon!
Sahoil!
Nicci & Adam
AJ & Amo
Sunday12
Anna & I walked to the supermarket the next morning, I was feeling decidedly
queezy after the vodkas and figured some fresh air and a walk would do me some
good. We also wondered what had happened to Amo - he was due to crash on my sofa
but in a late change of plan was going to crash on Evelyn's. But Anna got a text
from her at half four in the morning to check if Amo got home okay. So, where
was he? His keys were in his bag in my flat and he didn't have a clue where the
flat was. Furthermore he'd given his t-shirt with Eveline's jacket into the
cloak room and was topless - he didn't have his cloakroom ticket. So at an
unearthly hour of the morning he was wandering around Manchester's village
without a shirt on, and no credit on his mobile - he was offered it seems some
where to stay and he declined - luckily for him he hadn't been able to get cash
from the machine earlier in the evening - but was able to after midnight when
some funds had transferred to his account, and caught a taxi back to Sale - then
climbed in through a bathroom window eight feet off the ground. He can really be
an idiot.
13 mon TFN Monday
new work okay -
quiz -£40
14 tue TFN
15 wed TFN
16 thu TFN
17 fri TFN
18 sat
19 sun
20 mon TFN if you die in debt you've made a profit
21 tue TFN
22 wed TFN
23 thu TFN Thursday - amo
jail - bi
24friday - anna to Edin
i popped out - evelyn, daniel Henry
25Saturday - Edinburgh
Rachel- Stuart out
26 sun barbie - out lock in
27/06 mon missed train
28/06 tue TFN
29/06 Wed TFN - walkout rung around agencies feedback
30/06-thurs - more agencies etc.
01/07 Friday - night travel........ job interviews start monday
02/07 rugby cara bristol stag do - fountain etc
03/07 Back from Bristol - retrieve Anna from Sale
04/07 Mon - quiz - booby prize lee roger
05/07 Tue
06/07 Wed 1 year in the flat - at LEVI's story. London Bid
07/07 Thu Bomb - closer to home.
08/07 out cornerhouse? Flick?
dread trip- like a gulit trip?
Monday, June 06, 2005
Planes Trains & Automobiles
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.
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 RamblasThe 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 ArmadaWe 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 BarWe 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 BurstI 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.
