Home -> Europe -> Spain -> Barcelona -> Travelogue 2004 -> Tuesday 28 September

A quiet last day and returning home

It is the last day of our holiday, but our flight is quite late, so we have enough time to say goodbye to Barcelona. We want to walk (again) through the old town and visit the city museum (Museu d'Historia del la Ciutat). But we start with a breakfast, sitting in the sun, at the end of the Ramblas, the place where we have been now almost every morning.

At the cathedral we go in to walk through the garden of Santa Eulalia, a martyr from the 4th century who is a patron saint of Barcelona. There are always 13 geese, symbolic for the age at which she died.

Even though it is crowded, the place has something peaceful and it is nice to spend here some time. Especially when it is very hot, as we remember from a visit in the summertime, it feels very pleasant.

Inside the cathedral there is plenty to see, the obvious pomp and circumstance and some nice paintings. Here were the first Indians baptised, after they arrived at Barcelona with Christopher Columbus on his first trip.

After that we visit the city museum. Photographing is not allowed but it is an interesting museum since we can walk through the excavations under the square and the cathedral. 4000 square meters have been excavated here, most of it dating back to Roman times.

Of course we end up at the Ramblas again where we drink a last farewell toast to Barcelona. And of course we have to make a last picture of the two of us together. A passer-by looks at the display of our camera, shakes his head, nods a little and walks on. Then he changes his mind and comes back.

He takes paper from his jacket and a pair of scissors and starts to cut the paper. Within a minute he shows us what he has made, a real piece of art: a fine silhouet of our faces. It even looks right (except for the hair in the nose...). He doen's ask anything, just shows it to us and we decide to give him one euro. He seems very satisfied, takes the money and gives us the picture after having it put in a special holder with his data. A very nice remembrance of our time here!

We walk back to the hotel to pick up out luggage and have a last coffee on our own square, Placa Reial where we have had a such good time this week.

But now it is time to walk to Placa Catalunya where the Aerobus leaves for the aitport. And finally we can make a good picture of the dragon along the Ramblas that we have seen a few times. But there was always such a big crowd that it was impossible to find a good place to photograph it from.

And when we see Che Guevara speeching (he stands still for a few minutes then makes a revolutionary speech) we can't resist giving him some money, he is outstanding. But he isn't satisfied with only a picture, he wants Elisabeth next to him and thanks her elaborately. Thanks, Che, when do you come and visit Holland?

The bus is already waiting and now the waiting for us starts: sitting in the bus, waiting on the airport, waiting until the plabe arrives, waiting to get out, waiting for the train... A big part of travelling is made up by waiting, until you get 'somewhere'. We try to enjoy every moment on our holidays, no matter where we are or what we do. But it gets difficult when we get out of the train to drive the last 150 kilometers home: it is pouring down! We have sweaters close at hand, but the shorts I wear look a bit strange now!

It is far after midnight when we arrive home. What a beautiful time we have had in sparkling and partying Barcelona, memories that won't fade away quickly. Next time we go to Barcelona, we must go in this period of year again, during the festival of La Mercé.

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with Elisabeth and Teije