From Valencia to Barcelona

Last week on Wednesday, we traded Valencia for Barcelona.  We took a first class train as the tickets, if bought in advance, were very reasonable: just over 50 Euros - and we enjoyed the 3 hour journey along the coast.  Again, I was struck by the topography of dry arid land "bumping" right up to the Mediterranean.  The train was too fast to take decent photos and, even though I tried, they ended up looking like nothing more than a blur.  Here are a couple of them anyway to give you an idea.

The trip was every enjoyable as we were served complimentary drinks and crackers to start and then a lunch of two sandwiches, a cookie and a chocolate bar accompanied by our choice of wines, Cava, juices, beer, etc.  As we got closer to Barcelona, we passed through some very attractive beach cities including Tarragona which looked like a place I would enjoy exploring further.  As this is my first major trip to Spain other than the places I visited briefly on a cruise last year (Cartagena, Malaga, Cadiz, Cordoba, Grenada, Seville and Madrid).  It looks like a country I would like to see more of although I have to admit I am getting tired of those tapas meals!  Also, my having almost no Spanish is a bit of a disadvantage.

Our hotel, the Praktik Ramblas, was very central and not far from either Catalunya square or Las Ramblas.  Once we got settled we wandered mainly along the famous Las Ramblas.  This is the famous tree-lined pedestrian street here which stretches for 1.2 kilometres connecting Plaça de Catalunya in the centre with the Christopher Columbus Monument at Port Vell.  Las Ramblas also forms the boundary between the quarters of Barri Gòtic, to the east, and El Raval, to the west.  It is also where the horrific terror attack occurred a year or so ago.  After our little "foray", we were done and headed to a restaurant for a light meal before calling it a day.  Besides we had a big day ahead of us in the morning with an 8:30 start!  The photos below are a couple I took in the big market hall on Las Ramblas.