Barcelona Visit

Palacio Moja in La Rambla

Barcelona, Spain's second city, is one of those places you hear a lot about though have never visited.

A friend of mine suggested that we pay it a visit for three or four days before he started a new job.

Catalonia, an autonomous province of Spain, is hot at this time of the year, so we both travelled lightly (I wore the usual navy blazer, light blue shirt, a pair of linen shorts etc).

I think I made a mistake in wearing the suede Chukka boots, because miles of constant walking chafed part of a small toe.

These shoes are normally comfortable (I wear them all the time), with their Dainite soles.

Despite wearing ankle socks I fitted a plaster to the toe and this did the trick; though I tended to wear my very comfortable espadrilles from then on.

Can any readers recommend traditional, light walking shoes (excepting trainers, flip-flops, sandals etc)?

Barcelona is served well by pubic transport: we tended to use the Metro underground service which is not dissimilar to the Tube in London.

A highlight of the trip was intended to be a visit to the Sagrada Familia Cathedral, though we were to be disappointed because it was fully booked up for days (if not weeks) in advance.

Instead we hopped on to one of those open-top double-decker sightseeing buses, which proved to be an enjoyable experience.

This bus passed the Barça football stadium, an ancient convent in the hills, Gaudí's house, and many more "must-see" places.

Roof of Gaudí's House

The Regent Street or Bond Street of Barcelona is Passeig de Gràcia, where I stopped twice for refreshments at a pavement café.

Gaudí's House

Antoni Gaudí's house is quite fabulous, notably the scaly colourful roof.

The famous La Rambla street is in the city centre, off Catalunya Square.

It has a wonderful market which sells fresh seafood, cheeses, fruit etc.

On Wednesday I lunched at the Marquess of Comillas's palace in La Rambla, in a manner of speaking (!).

Main Staircase

The Palacio Moja now contains government departments, a tourist information centre and a cafeteria on the ground floor.

I had a nutritious dressed salad comprising abundant lettuce leaves, sliced apple, walnut, and crumbled stilton cheese, accompanied by a large glass of freshly-squeezed, sweet orange juice.

Barcelona, by the way, has a large marina filled with super-yachts, some with four or five decks.

I wondered if some belonged to members of the Barça football club.

I should think that two or three days would suffice for a visit to this cosmopolitan city.