Sunday 7 May 2017

Barcelona in February


Early in the year we had a little holiday - Barcelona in February!  
February is, in my view, the most difficult, drab, dull month of the whole year and a chance to visit Spain was irresistible.  There's quite a bit to tell you about over the next few blog posts and this is also a nice way for me to re-live the experience.
I went there with Rachel, my wife.  We were there for a week and returned over the last weekend.  Re-adjusting to the cold, heavy thick clouds has been more of a shock now we have returned: I can certainly understand why many decide to settle in Spain on a semi permanent basis.

Regrets
The main regret which springs to mind is that I didn't get talking to enough people while I was there - as you know I do like chatting!
Another regret is that we only scratched the surface of this fascinating city and generally I don't return to places I've already been to (but this could be an exception).
Regret number three is that I ate far too much food at breakfast time - this was a 'help yourself' buffet and we weren't exactly hungry for the rest of the day.  Most days we'd simply have a snack in the late afternoon following this enormous breakfast.
Getting there
We flew from Luton airport, so not too far for us.  It always amazes me how far you can go in a couple of hours.  By bike you can make roughly 30 miles.  By car I could drive to Bristol, just over 100 miles away.  Through flying we can reach the Mediterranean Sea and I do love flying!  I always love bagging a window seat and pressing my nose against the window to watch the world beneath flash by - it's brilliant for all kinds of mind wandering, day dreaming, chewing things over.

While we were there
  • I had a run each morning along the seafront (and managed to misjudged an obstacle causing me to fall and damage my elbow and shoulder)
  • Got chatting to the staff inside a vegan restaurant - more to follow
  • Saw some homeless men who use bicycles to keep their worldly possessions moving along - more to follow
  • Got talking to a bike rental shop manager
  • Hired some city bikes
  • Got talking to a cyclist who is a fan of vintage bicycles, which lead to some interesting correspondence - more to follow
  • Appreciated the near perfect climate and feeling of well-being that seems to be in places like Barcelona

Related

Previous post - Cycling in Spain



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