Spain To France
Adios Barcelona
Click here for a map of the journey.
At dawn, 06.30 on 4 May 2008, Rosie replaced the Catalan and Spanish courtesy flags with a French one. Mercifully, the passage over the Golfe du Lion had been smooth and the coast of France was in sight. Our 8-month stay (less a month's visit back to UK) in Barcelona had ended. It was time to reflect on what had made that time pass so swiftly, before we were immersed in another culture.
Our location in Marina Port Vell proved more of a blessing than we had anticipated. We had been told it was close to the city centre but only when we got there did we realise the wealth of museums, markets, restaurants and architectural delights that would be within easy reach, if not by walking, then by the excellent public transport system. We were to appreciate the marina's situation even more when Jim had to be taken twice by ambulance to the nearby Hospital del Mar. With the problem diagnosed, he had an arterial stent fitted and heart medication prescribed: we have nothing but praise for the staff there.
The marina itself proved very congenial, the staff helpful and the other liveaboards a sociable group, with weekly ladies' coffee mornings and a Dock Party each Sunday with shared food, wine and chat. Rosie helped with the Cruisers VHF Radio Net which provided information on weather, boat needs and social events. At Christmas we had fun decorating the boat with lights, in competition with others who over-wintered. During warmer days it was a pleasure just to sit on deck looking at the skyline of various churches and other roofs with the hill of Montjuic in the distance, at sunset very pretty. In the early morning or late evening you might catch herons flying over or even spot one roosting on the dock; during the day the strains of music from various street musicians could be heard, along with the screams of the green parakeets flying overhead - one day we even saw a kingfisher perched on a mooring line. Other wildlife also could be heard, such as the roaring of football fans from the Maremagnum complex over the harbour, when the giant TV screens were in operation as F.C. Barcelona were playing. Fiestas abounded, with the Merce Festival in September affording us nightly firework displays clearly visible without moving from our aft deck.
We joined a Spanish class, run courtesy of the marina, for 2 hours each week at the local community centre in Barcenoleta. We also joined a course run by the local authority in a nearby school, which for a minimal fee to cover photocopying provided another 5 hours split between 2 days each week. We were very grateful for the patience of teachers Marta and Jordi who, with their different styles, helped us to acquire some smattering of castellano.
Another time-consuming activity was our addiction to eating out. The local menus del dia, served at lunchtime, were so good and reasonably priced that we soon compiled a shortlist of favourites which we went to regularly. A 3-course meal, including bread, wine and sometimes coffee for the equivalent of between 5 and 8 UKpounds - we made the most of this opportunity!
Were it not for our guests (19 in total, though not all accommodated onboard) we might not have seen as many of the "sights" as we did, but they provided added impetus to get us out and about. More than once we visited the local hills of Montjuic and Tibidabo - these are easily accessed and, on clear days, give wonderful views over city and coastline. We saw much of the modernist style of architecture, spread throughout the city - Antoni Gaudi's Parc Guell, the new Basilica of the Sagrada Familia (still in progress, completion maybe 2033), and several of the houses he designed, as well as some of the splendid buildings designed by Lluis Domenech i Montaner, in particular the Hospital de Sant Pau and the Palau de la Musica Catalana. The remains from Roman times have been very well preserved beneath the current city level - walking the streets you can suddenly come upon evidence of these earlier occupants amidst modern buildings.
Following Jim's medical traumas, he was advised to take regular exercise so we became members of the local swimming/athletic club and went there 4 mornings a week, which helped to offset our lunchtime excesses! Rosie, urged on by other females from the marina took the New Year's day plunge in the sea! We also purchased some small bicycles secondhand and used these to take advantage of the cycle lanes within the city.
There were few days we did not have some commitment locally so we did not get outside the city many times, but we did enjoy our trips (by train) to Terassa (modernist buildings), Figueres (Dali Theatre/Museum) and Montserrat (the monastery with its Black Virgin, and mountains). In fact there were many places within Barcelona itself that we never got to see: we went in only a few of the many art museums, though we did go to several musical concerts in The Palau de la Musica, the Cathedral, Caixa Forum and our local church the Basilica Santa Maria del Mar.
However, in spite of the gloomy comments from other cruisers about UK's weather and economy, we felt the tug of family, friends and cultural roots and so have made the break from Barcelona: it treated us well and we were reluctant to leave (except for the chewing gum and dog**** on pavements) so maybe its not "adios" but "hasta luego".
Ed: Friends of Jim and Rosemary visited them in Barcelona and have recorded there impressions on their website. So for further photographs have a look at: The 3 Scholtens Barcelona Easter 2008
