Barcelona between art and culture

A week in Barcelona, between art, parks and fun

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Flight to Girona and bus. Arrival in Barcelona.

The coach of Logudoro Tour "starting at noon in Cagliari, arrives to Alghero airport in three and a half hours, crossing SS 131 throughout Sardinia. The service operated by Ryan Air is comfortable and precise, as well as exceptional is the price of its low-cost flights on the Alghero - Girona route: two tickets, tax included, cost a little more than 80 euros!" Stefania and me are delighted to have taken advantage of this new route served since few months from the Irish low-cost company, with whom I traveled happily in Ireland and England.

The flight departs at 18:10 and lands in Girona at 19:15. At the airport, a bus, always managed by Ryanair, passes frequently to bring tourists straight to Barcelona in about an hour's journey. Tickets cost 16 euros each for return. Even a small leaflet is given us, with a map of Plaza Sant Joan (arrival and departure point where the bus stops), and a timetable with all the departing flights and bus line schedules to come back to Girona. This means organization!

My foot touches the soil of Barcelona at 21:00 sharp at the mentioned square. The initial idea of taking a taxi is discarded after ten minutes of waiting in vain since another hundred of tourists like us makes the same request. So we opt for the underground, whose station is a short walk from the square. After having consulted the map and bought two tickets for 1,10 euros each per ride, we understand that our line is the L2 purple color, which will carry us from Tetuan to the Paral-lel.

From here to Campo de Les Flors, where our apartments are located, we have just five minutes walk. Fortunately, despite alleys are narrow and small, we find immediately the right civic number. Now we must call the phone number given us upon the receipt of the reservation, to warn the owner of our arrive. To find housing, we visited several sites in Barcelona, trying to book some cheap hotels in the center without success (lack of availability). In the end we opted for a single apartment, found at: www.apartmentsramblas.com. The photos and conditions convinced us about the professionalism of the management, and the price of total 450 euros for six nights (75 euros per night) is not really bad.

After quarter of an hour, arrived a guy to open the door under the pouring rain. The stairs that lead us to the second floor are very close and old, on the opposite to the apartment that is modern, functional and completely renewed. Even 50 square meters managed very well, where we find everything needed to spend a good vacation: kitchen table, bed, wardrobe cabinets, TV etc. etc. The bathroom is a hole and the washing machine is out of the door, in common with the flat face, which is also rented to tourists, but the smallness is irrelevant because everything is clean, new, and very presentable. The guy explains us the housing conditions and urges a call if we may find any problems. We pay the balance, he gives us a copy of the keys and leave us after few minutes. We are very happy of the choice because the apartment is very nice and lovely. We arrange our suitcases and have a quick with snacks brought during the previous trip. Now it's time to sleep in order to regenerate energy for the next five full days to spend in the Barcelona magnifies, trying to see and visit the more possible things.

Ramblas, Plaza Catalunya, MACBA, Museo Maritimo, Port Vell, Maremagnum, Acquarium, IMAX

The first thing we want to verify is the location of our apartment and the distance from the Ramblas, which on a map of the city appear close. Infact this is true: ten minutes of walk between the narrow medieval streets of the El Raval district and we come at half height of the most famous street in Barcelona. In fact, the Ramblas are five, but they appear as one long road that leads from the port to Plaza Catalunya.
We note, as usual in the early days of our travels in European capitals (it happened in Prague and London too!) that the time is not merciful, accompanying us with a continuous rain. The first stop we make is for the colorful indoor food market held in a side of the Ramblas. We take a brief look being delighted by the huge red strawberries and fresh fruit juice squeezed on time. After this stop we continue to Plaza Catalunya, covered with thousands of pigeons that give a fascinating spectacle. Our initial intention is to take advantage of the famous coaches that on two lines (red and blue) make trips around of the city, stopping on the major attractions, is mitigate by the long queue for access, the cost of the ticket and the rain.
We therefore head in the direction of M.A.C.B.A. (Contemporary Art Museum) back in El Raval, where we arrive at 11:30 after twenty slow minutes. The museum appears already futuristic from the outside, but is even more marked inside. A kind of gigantic bed hung on the wall lies above our heads at the entrance, shortly before the tickets toll, along with some other bizarre works in the corridors. But this is only the prelude, as artworks unique, contemporary, futuristic, abstract or so called, can be seen in industrial quantities on the different floors of the museum. The descriptions are brief and don't help much. To understand these authors you should read a guide before or have studied art. For us profane seems enough to smile in the face of seemingly insignificant sculptures, such as a sink, a cup of breakfast half splitted, placed on a huge black framework along with the corresponding half of a strainer, a bucket of paint with brush, an inflated balloon that doesn't ever deflate, naked figures in chains, white crosses, a wooden cabinet filled with casual clothes, a desk with few straw, etc. (the list could go on to the infinite!).
We finish the visit at 13:30, and take advantage of an attractive snack-bar for lunch, consisting of a sandwich and a fresh seasoned slice of pizza. Immediately later, we go back down to the Ramblas, heading to the port, and seen the unstopping rain we opt for a visit to the very interesting Maritime Museum. At the entrance we take a picture of an old wooden submarine that seems came out from the old projects of the great Leonardo (but has never really gone under the water that kind of ship?). The ticket costs almost 11 euros, but it's worth considering all the peculiarities of the museum itself, which offers a wide and comprehensive exposition of the maritime world from the first boat invented by man to plow the seas up to the most recent colossal naval works. You walk among the many models of ships and caravels, until arrived at the main attraction that is the life-size reconstruction of a real galleon! Much attention is also given to the explanations and history, with many posters and exhibitions in special dedicated rooms. The tour ends into a gallery, that has been set up in these days, to see the exhibition entitled: "Sicilian '900". Coming back to the souvenirs shop I couldn't resist to take away the classic boat inside the bottle.
At 17:00, finally, we arrive in Port Vell and cross the modern swing bridge that leads to Maremagnum, a large shopping mall that the pedestrians consider the proper continuation of their Ramblas walk. This district didn't exist a decade ago, when I visited Barcelona with my fifth-class higher education class for the school trip! We enter inside the giant structure, smiling in front of the odd game of mirrors created at the entrance by the vertical reflection of the persons passing, and make a walk around only to realize that shops and prices are anything different from Italian ones. This is our final verdict.
Immediately next to the Maremagnum there is the Aquarium, one of the most beautiful in Europe. The price of 13 euros seems very expensive but we still buy the ticket in order to inspect it. This time the gifts are placed at the entrance, and an unbelievable variety of really appetizing objects invite even for the most reluctant to shopping to buy something. The visit to the aquarium is after all quite classic: the only interesting peculiarity is the underwater tunnel that passes beneath a gigantic pool plenty of sharks, turtles and shoals of fish of various kinds and forms. A moving walkway with transparent glass walls even makes the round of the pool, allowing you to admire from a close range this wonderful underwater world. The tour ends in a room where you can eat something and play with children. Here we take a funny picture behind the costume of a diver, and eat some popcorn with a nice refreshing coca cola.
At the exit we are attracted from a giant panel to the IMAX cinema, built to the side of the aquarium and the Maremagnum. We take a flier with the shows program and find a two-hours one to which we can't renounce, so we buy tickets (10 euros each) for the 22:00 show. We have only two hours to come back to the apartment, to change clothes, have dinner and return to the IMAX. During the comeback walk through the Ramblas we pass into a supermarket, then take the L3 green line from Plaza Catalunya to Paral-lel, eat nothing less than italian lasagnas made at microwave and leave again, racing on foot to reach the cinema: what an effort, we can't hold this rythm for the entire jouney!
The city at night, lighted and full of people, is unquestionably a worthy capital of European tourism. We arrive to the cinema precisely at 22:00, ande take seats in the gigantic hall of the shape of an amphitheater, with a huge screen in front of our eyes. The final comment is: legendary, superlative, an experience not to be missed!

Plaza Catalunya, Casa Battlò, Sagrada Famiglia, La Pedrera, Barrio Gotico

We go to Passaige Garcia, the boulevard that goes to the north of the city, where after a few hundred meters is placed Casa battlò, one of the absolute masterpieces of the brilliant Gaudì, became a symbol of his devotion to this city. It's incredible to think that this jewel lies among common buildings; it already offers the first emotions only observing its facade. Every single detail is taken care of and not random: the shape of the balconies, the gratings, the gates, the materials and the colors used. It's still uncertain what has been the inspiration source of this genius, but at most seems to be credited as the representation of the sea or that of a dragon. Effectively a big difference, but watching its elements, both this examples are suitable. At the entrance, the ticket always costs 10 euros, but at least they give us a guide: a sort of speaker phone that, crushing the numbers that can be met walking inside the house, provides informations about the construction details. Hallucinatory details that never would be noticed by the eye of a common visitor. Starting from the stairs to culminate in the hall, the whole house is a masterpiece of art and engineering that has no equals. Every single detail has been sought by obsessive manner from this genius who invented its own rooms heating and ventilation system (using a single fireplace), and natural lighting system that uses reflections of colored glass windows and courtyards created specifically for that purpose. A special particular that will always remain imprinted in my mind is that of the surfaces of these yards, with two different colors but, as looked at the whole complex, merge in a single color that precisely recalls the sea. What is more, because the light comes from above, the tiles appear more clear from the bottom of the window and darker up the roof, while continuing to be coloured the same: because this light, falling down the yard, weakens and then illuminates differently the surfaces on the bottom that, if of the same colour, would obviously appear darker. Genius or madness? Both. And I emphasize that all is constructed in order to eliminate the straight lines in favor of undulating and sinuous forms: the chandelier in the shape of a vortex, the different doors, the handrails, the stairs, the windows, the masonry, the fireplace and the columns. The boundary between fantasy and reality altogether vanishes in this house, fabulous and unique in its kind! We finish the visit with the theme store, in which we limit ourselves to buy only a dozen of beautiful postcards.
Continuing through Passaige Garcia, just few minutes after, we meet another artwork of Gaudì: Casa Pedrera. Here we are caught unprepared by an endless line of tourists that extends for tens of meters beyond the entrance on the street. We opt to come back later, taking the underground and heading to the Sagrada Familia. I remember that this was the first colossal monument I saw in my life, when I visited Barcelona ten years ago, in a trip that totally shocked me. That time I was walking without goal with my companions during the night, when suddenly the vision of this illuminated mighty Gothic cathedral appeared in front of our incredulous eyes! It's passed a long time, and I saw many monumental works since then, but the view of the Sagrada Familia makes always a certain effect to me. The difference is that, compared to ten years ago, there is a huge piece more! Now the towers are 4 and the facades are two, both exactly twice when I saw them for the first time. The whole area is still a giant construction site and the facades, perhaps in 2016 when, as programmed, it will be finished, there will be 4 facades and the towers will be 8! It has to be pointed out that, by now, the new building has nothing in common with the charm and the precision of the Gaudì's original, who suddenly and unfortunately died in an accident leaving this work largely incomplete. Nowadays remains only the project to which today's architects are inspiring in order to complete the opera.
Before the visit, being 13:30, we have lunch in a sort of fast food placed in its main square, buying fresh sandwiches and coca colas. Tickets cost 9 euro, without great reasons, as there's virtually nothing to be seen inside the Sagrada Familia, apart from the cranes and the works in progress. The only interesting things to visit are the towers (in a little dizzy and claustrophobic way, with an infinite number of steps on a spiral staircase) from which is possible to enjoy the view of the city from a window to another. The museum, instead, is very interesting as it visually explains the of Gaudì project, with miniature models used as live demonstrations of its ingenious architecture. Particularly striking is the use of tree branch shaped slanting columns, a technique widely used in various works of him. Even the final draft of the Cathedral seems extraordinary, with countless details of the individual facades and towers. And what is difficult to imagine today, given the fact that there is nothing again, is the form of the central tower that will be much more higher than and the other eight! I believe that if the work will be completed as what we can see in the project, the Sagrada Familia will become one of the most incredible monuments of the world and probably also one of the most expensive since they would have worked tirelessly for thirty years!
After the visit, we stop at Starbucks to recover sugar and vitality with some caffeine and a slice of cheescake, then we take the Underground to come back to Pedrera. At this point we take advantage of it, as the tour bus has to be drawn, in favor of the travel card that we'll purchase for the next four days, at the cheap price of 15 euros, and valid indiscriminately in all of the subways and buses.
At 17:00 we are in front of the Pedrera. The queue has decreased but is however long too! Waiting patiently for tickets (other 7 euros each) in order to visit this Gaudì's masterpiece that doesn't disappoint expectations. This time the artist's inspiration is clear and, as understandable from the name itself, is related to the stone. Overall the interior of the house semmed less showy than Casa Battlò, but what is certainly exciting is the visit of its roof, a sort of sculptures and mask-shaped statues park, which offers a magnificent sight at sunset with various shades of red! The landscape is nothing less, with the views to the Sagrada Familia, the center of the capital, and the more extravagant photographic cues on the bizarre stone works. Some Gaudì's special features are repeated, such as the use of small courtyards to bring a pleasant natural light into every room. A few handful of postcards to buy and this visit is finished.
Since it is soon to get back to the apartment, we try to make walk into the Barrio Gotico (Gothic Quarter), the most famous neighborhoods of Barcelona's downtown, reaching the entrance of the Picasso Museum. As expected, at 18:30 it is closed: we'll be back another day. So we make shopping in a little market and come back to our accommodation for dinner.

Park Guell, Montjuc, Joan Mirò, Museo Arte Nazionale, Magic Fountain, Poble Espanol, Plaza Espana

We reach Park Guell. Once at the entrance, we notice that the towers at the side of the walls seem fake and leave no doubt about the genius style: seems to be like in wonderland or into the Whitesnow fable. The visit to the park begins taking a path rightwards, that takes you inside green vegetation where sometimes you can see the bizarre forms of Gaudì works. After a long walk we arrive at the sightseeing terrace, with walls adorned by bright mosaics made with coloured tiles that cover the entire perimeter. Then we go back, inside the Gaudi Museum park, which we had glimpsed before, passing by. Tickets cost 8 euros and allow you to visit the house where the famous artist lived during the park works. Nothing exceptional at all, except for some curious and the beautiful landscape that can be seen from its windows.
At 13:30, we leave the park and go into the first place that we find to eat something on the way back.
Taken the funicular to Montjuc, that starts from Paral-lel, the underground station that is two minutes of walk far from our lodging. So, once upon the hill that dominates west of Barcelona, we find many attractions including the castle, the playground, the Olympic zone, before going down to the National Museum in front of the Plaza Espana.
We arrive than at the Joan Miró Foundation. Other 7 Euros ticket to visit it, probably even the worse spent.
Infact I left the museum in the full conviction that, after Barcelona, I will not go anywhere to admire modern art. To console me Stefania suggests to go to the M.N.A.C. National Museum, in order to visit something with more archaeological significance, more concrete and tangible. Arrived on the terrace overlooking the staircase that leads to Plaza Espana, we are delighted by the wonderful landscape of the city which is colored by strong shades of yellow, because near the sun at sunset.
So we enter the M.N.A.C. discovering soon that only romanic section is open: still better than nothing! We walk among the artefacts left by our powerful empire at his best times, and then continue walking around, behind the museum, passing from the Olympic zone and coming back in front of the square.
It's 19:00, and magically, to our total surprise in front of our eyes begins the Fountain of Magic waterworks show! This is being in the right place at the right time! All lights up and the water begins to flow everywhere, from a waterfall in front of the M.N.A.C. to fall throughout the various tiers of fountains ending finally on the Magic Fountain. Even the music and the show itself start: an absolute wonder, between the magic of colors and shapes created by the gushes, that come up and down, creating an effect similar to suffused fog, following the rhythm of popular soundtracks. Hundreds of tourists arrive as we go downstairs in order to see the show much closer. The epic music of "Star Wars" concludes triumphally, making me think that until now this is the most beautiful and exciting thing I've seen in Barcelona.
At 20:00, both euphorical about thousands of lights and colors just seen, we are focusing on our final visit to conclude this day in the better way possible: the Poble Espanol, which is the reconstruction of a Spanish village in sort of separate district. We arrive there after a short walk of about quarter an hour, starting to admire the towers and the medieval walls. A map is given to us when at the same time we are told that shops are now closed. It doesn't matter, indeed, as during the visit we discover that this is an advantage because we are practically alone and we can run faster. We stop in a bar after few steps in a street that seems came out from an historical film. The bar itself does no exception. We drink a good hot tea and restart the tour through this impressive quarter. Everything is carefully studied in every detail: the walls, the doors, the windows, the balconies, the shop signs, the road paving, the lighting and the church bell tower, practically the main square. Everything is really incredible but perfectly realistic, and finding themselves in some corners of these streets, seems really to having gone few centuries back, experiencing the ancient life.

Picasso Museum, Tramvia Blau, Tibidabo, Torre Collserola, Snow

The first visit of today is focused on the Picasso Museum. A different world than the Mirò Foundation visited yesterday. At least here, the evolution of the artist is gradually exposed room after room: from his paintings, in classic style, as a young man to its transformation following the abstract current. Even the most complicated and least understood works give satisfaction, even to a layman like me, admiring the meticulousness of colors, shapes and technology. You can really understand how much work hinds behind a work of this kind. Picasso is Picasso. Therefore the visit is, against my expectations, very interesting and instructive at the usual cost of 7 Euros paid for the entry ticket.
To move in Plaza Catalunya we take the 7 line and then the Tramvia Blau which rises to Tibidabo, according to the instructions of our guide. The tramway is truly special: a small wagon with really uncomfortable tiny wooden benches, which completely fills of tourists and costs 3,10 Euros for only ten minutes of travel on the rails! However it's not enough to reach the top of the Tibidabo, as we've got to take a cable car and then match another short trip. Once arrived in the main square, we take a brief look at the map exposed. At our right there's a playground, with attractions both for children and adults. A visit is worth only for the wheel that rises over the sky of Barcelona offering a breathtaking view! We climb the stairs leading to the Cathedral, unfortunately in this period aesthetically ruined for the restoration works. We visit it briefly and shoot a huge amount of pictures to the landscape that sweeps across the city heading to the sea. All the main monuments are visible, although the cloudy and quite foggy day. Among other things, it's terribly cold, and we think that the temperature is close to zero degrees. We have not even brought gloves or scarf on our suitcases: we didn't think possible to find this cold in Barcelona!
We stop for lunch at the "Tibidabo Masia Restaurant, just in front of the main square, eating some toast and French fries. Then we ask how to reach Collserola Tower, overlooking the hill and clearly visible because near us. Even if buses are available, we recommend you to go directly there walking. By walking a quarter hour we get to the base of this very high tower, really impressive. Prague's one, in comparison, is much lower. The ticket costs only 4,60 Euros even if is imposssible to get on top, but still a good altitude is possible to reach, going to the overviewing hall. Collected a dozen tourists, we wait a girl that will take us all behind the building, where a transparent glass elevator (that rises slowly), will allow us to admire a great landscape with our mouths wide opened. The hall is opened, with drilled grates that, under the feet, give a feeling of emptiness: not suitable for those who suffer vertigo! We are at over one hundred meters of height on the tower, at about six hundred metres above the sea level! From the hall is possible to enjoy a 360° panorama, and you can immediately see the main attractions thanks to the numerous maps provided with good explanations and points of reference. I stayed there for a while admiring the Sagrada Familia, the beautiful Plaza Espana and the M.N.A.C., Montjuc, the Tibidabo hill and the cathedral that seems rising to heaven. In the same moment that the sky becomes cloudy I start to hear loudly the thunder in the background. The descent with the lift is equally exciting as the climb, and once at the ground we stop to visit a room where photographs and datas of other similar towers around the world are exposed: like Prague, among the smallest, with its bare 90 meters. There are some really huge in Canada and Russia, perhaps one day we'll visit them.
At Torre Collserola, the most unexpected surprise caught us unprepared: infact begins to snow! We could expect everything but the snow in Barcelona, so much that even the guard of the tower seemed euphoric and started to phone his friends very happy! Excited by snow that for us living in Cagliari is really an event (because repeating perhaps every ten years), we take the road of return. Within ten minutes, the snowfall changes in a small storm, making even the umbrella useless if not upon the camera, with which I'm filming everything. The traffic is blocked and the Spaniards, both thrilled and excited, start to play with balls of snow, chasing each other, and screaming! Only the time to return to the cathedral and the landscape becomes unreal: everything is covered in a resounding white while it's still snowing! Meanwhile the closing time is approaching and there's a long queue at the funicular station. I take this opportunity to look at the crazy people and take some wonderful photo. Finally arrives our time to get on the funicular. The descent is fantastic and gives us a breathtaking landscape with the woods entirely covered by snow right before sunset. The waiting for the tramway (its last race!) passes quickly, looking around to the show, even if we are freezing. Once arrived in the city, we note that the snow has not fallen at the sea level, so tomorrow we won't see the city whitened: a sin!
We come back to the apartment to go out again at dinner time. After a walk through the city, looking for an attractive restaurant, we chose one on the Ramblas at No.117, named "La Poma." The decor is very nice and we take a table right on the glass, viewing the street. Even the service and food are quite good. For dinner we choose a succulent paella, grilled salmon, a carafe of sangria and digestive with a total bill of 43 euros: given that we are on Las Ramblas, not so much.

Barceloneta, Villa Olimpica, Parco de la Ciutadel, Barrio Gotico, La Catedral

We dedicate our last day in Barcelona strolling through those characteristic neighborhoods that we still have failed to see and to some shopping. We walk down the Ramblas towards Port Vell, where is possible to buy some aquarium souvenirs. Then we continue to Barceloneta, noting another wooden boat similar to that saw into maritime museum. The weather today is beautiful, sunny and warm: it is incredible to think that yesterday it was snowing! So we cross Barceloneta reaching Vila Olimpica, where we are amazed by the bizarre and strange architectural sculptures that is possible meet on its streets. The culmination of this art form is certainly the colossal monument of fish, located in a place that itself seems futuristic. We observe everything and walk a little around this spectacular quarter, totally different from those seen even now, that reminds me La Defense in Paris. The square ends in a balcony overlooking the beautiful beach of Barceloneta, where I was able to see a gentleman in swimsuit that was having a shower: bbbrrrr! Okay, yesterday was freezing cold and today is even more tepid, but I am still wearing a pile shirt and heavy jacket!
We stop for lunch at a fast-food near the fish monument, called "Planet Rous". This time we tried hamburgers and fries, fried squid and potato croquettes, paying 22 euros in total.
Once left the modern district we come back to the old town, passing through the Parco de la Ciutadela, considered one of the green areas of the city. We need to walk a lot around the wall in order to find the entrance but, once inside, we can finally enjoy some green and peace leaving the metropolitan traffic outside. Following the main path we reach the central pond, where some beautiful statues act as background for a fountain and there is even a big elephant replica to amuse the children.
We come out on the other side of the park inside Gothic Quarter, and after half an hour we reach the Cathedral. Vague memories of ten years ago come to mind as I'm watching it. Unfortunately, as the Tibidabo, this is also undergoing restoration works: This is a risk to take coming here on low season! However it's possible to visit it (it's worth) and with 4 euros you can climb on the roof through barriers and paths arranged with iron bars. This is something perhaps little questionable, at the end the landscape is not very different (indeed, certainly less wide) than that is possible to see from the other parts of the city.
Later, we stop in the square in front of the cathedral to see a guitar player and some artists simulating statues. There is even a real recordman, with a pedestal and a gear bag, which, included in his clothing on the chest, has a clock that measures the time it can stand still. Eternal minutes after minutes during which I remain undaunted in front of him, who doesn't move a millimeter or beat his eyelids, until my self-convincement that this figure really is a statue. After several minutes, finally I see the clock stopping, letting him rest a little. Until he hangs up his stopwatch staff and start over again! At this point I can not resist to take a picture with this myth and the left him the deserved tip.
We continue to walk through the many shops of the Gothic Quarter to reach Plaza Espana, where we enter in the "El Corte Ingles" mall to buy the Barcelona soccer team suit for Stefania's brother. Among other things I discover that at the ground floor there's a giant display of DVDs and music CDs really very attractive!
Tired from the long walk, we rest at the "Beer & Coffee", in a corner of the square, enjoying hot chocolate with churros, a combination often ordered there. By the way, churros are kind of sweetened puff pastries, really good!
It's dark and the streets are filled with people and tourists, which make Barcelona, just as I noticeed even ten years ago, a vital and very welcoming city. It's really pleasant to walk and observe all this movement, though we must recognize that in some sections of the Ramblas, it becomes almost neurotic: you zig zag from a place to another pushing people to move! Last opportunity for some shopping and we move back home, tired from the five days of fast tour.
We barely go out for dinner in a restaurant - pizzeria nearby, curiously named "Italianos". We are curious to know if is possible to eat decently there but, as we expected, we ordered a pizza very different from an Italian pizza, rather a sort of seasoned italian bruschetta. Of all the European capitals we visited, bynow only in Prague, happened to me to find a real Italian pizza and to eat really well! On the other hand, we spend a ridiculous amount of total 16 euros: obviously, the distance from the Ramblas starts to show its effects ...

Back home

Our visit in Barcelona ends today, with the long journey that awaits us to come back home. After breakfast, we close bags and, at 11:30 we take the underground in Plaza Catalunya and then change line to reach Plaza Sant Joan. The coach of Ryan Air awaits to lead us at Girona, where we arrive at 13:30. Then the usual check-in procedures, lunch with ham sandwiches (really good, certainly as the Italian one) and the flight that takes us back to Alghero. And from Alghero, the last bus to our home in Cagliari.