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Fleeing to Barcelona

It is cold and wet when we leave home to drive to the airport. The thermometer says it is only 13 degrees Celsius (55 F) and it keeps raining all the trip. For the last part we take the train to Schiphol to flee to warm Barcelona. We took our summer holiday very early in the year and we have had a busy summer, so we really need a week of active rest now.

With only half an hour delay we are soon in the sky. Above the clouds we finally see the sun again and we hope to see more of it the coming week at Barcelona! Despite the delay we are on time at, since we have the wind in our back.

After collecting our luggage we see the palmtrees smiling towards us when we leave the airport. We take the bus to the centre (€ 3,45 per person) and get out at Placa Catalunya, the beginning of the Ramblas. We start sweating the moment we leave the airport, that is a good sign. It is not only warm (28 degrees Celsius, 82 Fahrenheit), but also very humid. Just before Placa Reial we stop at a pub to celebrate our holiday. It feels great to be back.

When it gets dark (around 8) we walk the last 100 meters to our hotel, Roma Reial, to check in. The hotel is nicely situated along this beautiful square, Placa Reial), but the room is very sober: a bed, almost no space and no view. Soon we go out on the streets again, that is what we have come for.

Even at eleven at night it is nice to sit outside and we don't need a sweater. Much better than the weather back home. We have no idea what we are going to do the coming days, but we are also curious what the festival La Mercé, which starts tomorrow, will bring. We are totally ready for it!

Of course, we make our first walk through the old town and we come upon a few bands who are performing already on the street. Even a sulky waiter can't spoil our joy! It feels as if we never have been away.

Back on our room we empty our bags and we discover that we ahve taken the notebook but not the charger... So we will not be able to write the travelogues every day and put pictures on the internet. The battery is already half empty so we have to be economical, just uploading the pictures from our digital cameras. Yes, Elisabeth has also a digital camera now (since last week), so she can test it this week. Fortunately, we brought a writing pad and if it is really becessary we can always buy an extra memory stick.

Travel through Europe and Africa

with Elisabeth and Teije