Familia Surroundings
Ross put us all to shame this morning when, rising with the sun, he donned his active wear and took a run around the city, while we slumbered quietly until he returned. Arriving home bathed in sweat, he was still wide-eyed as he recounted his encounter with all the middle aged folk he’d spotted down at the beach, stripping down to their birthday suits for a post-swim shower on the public promenade, in full view of the throng of passers by. Now that’s something you’re not going to see every day (unless you live in Spain of course!) We’ve also noticed that the awkward, under-towel change from cossie to undies, carefully keeping all your bits and pieces strategically covered, is made a whole lot simpler here by just reefing off your swimwear out in the open and pulling on your Reg Grundies in full view of all those lucky beach goers around you. Simple. And no-one bats an eyelid.
Since it was such a warm day, we took a stroll through the relaxing gardens of Parc de la Ciutadella, a big green space right near the city centre with statues and fountains; its gateway through the impressive Arc de Triumf. The park runs along the houses of Parliament and also houses the Barcelona Zoo. There were lots of vacation care groups with kids everywhere, out enjoying their surroundings. We crossed the train tracks and joined the boardwalk that follows along the beach, keen for a dip in the salty Mediterranean once more. Outside the swimming club, along the concrete concourse, we noticed groups of older gentlemen sitting around card tables playing dominoes. The games were getting quite competitive and there were raucous outbursts every time someone put down a winning tile. Some guys were playing with cards, big piles of coins in the middle of the table. They looked a bit more serious than the domino dudes.
The beach was as busy as ever with a stand-up paddle board school launching a class right near us, jet skis whizzing around on the horizon, kite surfers and paragliders floating above and sailing boats zig-zagging the shoreline. Tops are definitely optional in Spain, for the blokes and the girls. The water was refreshing but full of little fragments of seaweed so that when you submerged, stuck to your cossie and got left in your hair. There were green flags to swim between and a vigilant lifeguard on patrol but just a ripple of surf to speak of.
After showering the prudish way, with costumes ON, (how boring are we!) we wandered along the beach in search of some sustenance.
In the summer months, little pop up restaurants- ‘chiringuitos’- line the edge of the sand. People can sit sipping sangria or indulging in a cocktail, munching on some tapas, while watching all the beach action unfold before them. It’s a fantastic atmosphere. We lunched in a cute little outdoor cafe at the tourist time of midday, where only the breakfast menu was on offer. The cool looking waiter, who introduced himself as ‘Coke’, thought it quite amusing we’d be contemplating lunch at the ungodly hour of 12 o’clock. It was a super healthy breakfast menu that Pete Evans would’ve been proud of. Super foods, protein packed, vitamin-filled mega vegetable smoothies and other paleo, vegan, fruity whole-food offerings were on the menu. Molly, who never met a super food she didn’t like and who is a bit over the whole ‘share plate thing’, loved this place so much she asked if we could eat every meal there until we leave Barcelona.
After lunch it was time to visit the famous Sagrada Familia, designed by Gaudi and synonymous with Barcelona. Ross and Toby had both been inside the iconic church before, on a previous trip, and had taken heaps of photos for us so we decided we wouldn’t join the gargantuan queue and would forego a tour of the inside today. We did spend some time walking around its perimeter, taking in the sheer enormity of the place and being amazed by the detail and the quirky design. With only a quarter of the building completed by 1926 when Antoni Gaudi died, it has been an ongoing labour of love for the people of Barcelona to painstakingly and lovingly complete the work and fulfil Gaudi’s vision. It’s estimated that this incredible piece of Gothic architecture won’t be fully complete until 2032!
Ross, Sam and Toby (especially Toby) were very excited about visiting the hallowed turf, Barcelona Football Club’s home ground: Camp Nou. Though I would have enjoyed seeing it, the girls were keen to look around the shops, unimpeded by the non-browsers, and who am I to stand in the way of some good retail therapy? Consequently, the 3 of us hit the shops while the boys toured Camp Nou for the afternoon.
Molly was on fire today, getting us through the Metro unscathed, finding all our lines and platforms and navigating like a pro. We were treated to some fantastic music on the train. Not since Year 6 had I heard a melodian played with such gusto! The melodian maestro and his mate on the big plastic, around-the-neck bongo played amazing music together and the sound travelled right up and down the carriages. It was very cool.
It’s sale time in Barcelona and there were many bargains to be found. Oh so many brilliant shoes! Molly bagged herself some great buys and Maisy found something cute too. I’m a sucker for frills, embroidery and ruffles – everything Spanish and gorgeous but despite being tempted, I showed great restraint and didn’t buy a thing. It must have been that straightjacket Ross had fitted for me.
Our apartment here in Barcelona has a bidet. Though not something we’ve ever contemplated before, its presence right here next to the toilet seems to have generated quite a bit of interest and aroused our curiosity levels somewhat. One thing I’ve always wondered is, where do you dry off? Sam was the first to let his heightened curiosity get the better of him and give it a whirl, so to speak. To solve the drying off conundrum, he brilliantly suggested a squirt immediately prior to showering and challenged us all to give it a go (some less willing than others, I might add!) Consequently, around shower time, we periodically hear a yelp of shock mingled with delight as someone else takes the plunge. Who doesn’t love a clean bum, eh? Maisy’s taken a shine to the old bidet, campaigning for us to instal one at home!
Sam discovered they have Deliveroo here in Barcelona (who would have thought?) so tonight we bought a nice bottle of Spanish red and ate in, with a movie. There was a beautiful sunset at 9:30pm!
