Barcelona

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Grouser
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Barcelona

Postby Grouser » Sat Oct 27, 2007 1:04 pm

i recently returned from a week in Barcelona, one of my favourite European Cities. I'm in the process of blogging the experience here if anyone is interested. It includes a trip to Montserrat Monastery and the extraordinary mountains there.
http://grousers-snapshots.blogspot.com/
Grouser

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Barcelona

Postby gavilan » Sat Oct 27, 2007 1:26 pm

fascinating city and environs ... must drag myself away from el campo de la Axarquia to visit there soon ... to a feast of art and architecture plus rocks

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RichardCoeurdeLion
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Postby RichardCoeurdeLion » Sat Oct 27, 2007 4:08 pm

Thanks for posting that Grouse. Excellent

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Postby JAWG » Sat Oct 27, 2007 4:47 pm

We are going to Barcelona in February, so that is really helpful.
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Postby costapacket » Sat Oct 27, 2007 9:50 pm

Great pictures there Grouser. Re: Sagrada Familia we took a tour there a couple of years ago and were told that the church would not be finished in our lifetime (expecting to live a few decades folks :lol: ) I would recommend a tour JAWG - it is fascinating. My husband thought the amount of money (donations) spent on the church would have been better spent helping the poor though. Got a bit scared/dizzy climbing up the towers - how high are they :shock:

Also we liked Parc Guell (probably spelt that wrong) but I would highly recommend that be put on your list of places to visit.

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Postby JAWG » Sun Oct 28, 2007 12:17 am

Thanks, Costa. We always take tours when we visit new places. Then at least you know where you want to spend more time.
John G
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dido72
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Postby dido72 » Sun Oct 28, 2007 9:57 am

Lovely :D

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Postby peteroldracer » Sun Oct 28, 2007 10:51 am

Nice blog, grouser: I raced in the "24-Horas de Montjuich" - a motorcycle endurance race with 2 riders - round the wonderful roads round the palace of Montjuich and the fountain, in 1970. It was my first ever foreign trip, and Barcelona felt....so foreign! I still remember the impression of heat as I came out of the Iberia jet, even though it was late at night. At one point during the race, a stray dog ran onto the circuit - just what you don't need at 100mph at night! - and a Guardia Civil guy, complete with funny hat, unslung his rifle and shot the creature! One evening several groups drove down the twisty and dangerous coast road in Thames vans and the like, to Sitges, then a tiny fishing village with not a gay in sight, and ate a fish banquet for what I remember as less than a £1 each......happy days!
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Grouser
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Postby Grouser » Sun Oct 28, 2007 1:54 pm

Thanks for your kind comments all.
Serendipitously Peter I have just updated the blog with a posting on Montjuic. Somewhat different experience to your one though.
Grouser

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Postby ValL » Sun Oct 28, 2007 2:55 pm

Loved looking at your pictures Grouser will read it all another day, been busy painting old flower pots for use next to new wall :D

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Wicksey
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Postby Wicksey » Sun Oct 28, 2007 3:13 pm

Lovely pics of Monserrat, Grouser. Unfortunately never made it there on the two trips we made to the area the other year. I loved all the Gaudi stuff in the city. We stayed in Sitges, an easy train journey from Barça, and we had lovely fish menu del dias with wine for 10.95€ - a bit more than a pound but still really good value.

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Postby Jade138 » Thu Nov 01, 2007 1:34 pm

Hola Grouser, thanks for the heads up.
We are re-visiting this month.
We missed Montserrat and Sagrada Familia last time.
We will be joining a tour up to the monastry and hopefully the
weather is good enough for us to take in the sceneries.
Cheers :lol:
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Postby laclotte » Fri Nov 02, 2007 9:04 am

Wicksey wrote:ovely fish menu del dias with wine for 10.95€ - a bit more than a pound but still really good value.
Wish I could get exchange rates like that :wink: :wink: :roll:
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Postby Grouser » Fri Nov 02, 2007 11:39 am

Jade do check out Sagrada Familia this time. It's worth going up the towers if it's not too busy and you have a reasonable head for heights.
Grouser

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Postby Jade138 » Sun Nov 04, 2007 12:25 am

Grouser, thanks.
Missed it previously as the quene was too long for comfort.
We are so excited and looking forward to it.

I am afraid of height, keeping my fingers and toes crossed :oops:
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Grouser
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Postby Grouser » Sun Nov 04, 2007 12:13 pm

Jade, the towers are quite safe. Not too much exposure and its interesting as you traverse from one tower to another as you climb up. The museum is good too. It shows how Gaudi developed his structural ideas with the leaning columns. It was all done upside down with string attached to a board, with a layout of the floor plan on it. the string was then kotted together and weighted down with bags of sand at the ends, so he could see the shape it would generate.
Grouser

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Postby BENIDORM » Sun Nov 04, 2007 12:48 pm

Grouser ,
After reading about your exploits in Barcelona, and enjoying looking at your great pictures, we have decided that we must make the effort to visit this great city....I have visited or 'passed through ' the city many times over the years, but never really had the time to see all of the sights....Because I am usually driving, I've found it difficult to find somewhere safe to leave my vehicle , it's always 'loaded to the gunnels', so I think we will fly in and do it properly..like a tourist.
So can you or anyone else recommend a good reasonably priced hotel near the centre , where we can be based for a week ?..Any info. would be gratefully received...

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Postby Grouser » Mon Nov 05, 2007 12:44 pm

Can't help with a hotel I'm afraid. We rented a room in an apartment for a week. Right in the centre. Nice but noisy and being a country boy it took a while to adjust.
Grouser

Jade138
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Postby Jade138 » Mon Nov 05, 2007 1:38 pm

Grouser, thanks, Sagrada Familia is a must see on our itinerary. :lol:
Friends multiply joy and divide sorrow

Jade138
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Postby Jade138 » Mon Nov 05, 2007 1:45 pm

Hola Benidorm, we will be in Barca for a week and renting two separate apartments as there are six of us.
It is right in town, five minutes walking distance to Plaza Catalunya.
Our mode of transporation will be walking or via the tourismo bus.

We prefer apartments as it is more spacious with all amenities.
We stock up upon arrival, stuff for brekkie and wines for the evening
or when resting our weary feet in the night
:lol:
Friends multiply joy and divide sorrow


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