We were overjoyed to find out that despite internet reports about the Barcelona airport being closed due to volcanic ash, our flight left Toronto on time and landed in Barcelona without a hitch.
I was convinced that I would be going to Toronto’s airport and then returning home because of the closure, so just before leaving my house, I threw some packed items out of my suitcase and put everything into a smaller sized one. That was a mistake I
regretted for the whole trip; it meant I didn’t have my little POGO printer and I couldn’t buy anything bigger than a postcard because of my already crammed suitcase! (However, in the end, I did manage to squeeze in a few purchases.)
The first thing we did after finding our apartment and dropping off our luggage was to go for a walk to get an overview of our neighbourhood. We were happy to find many cafes and shops close by. The Arc de Triomf was one of the first landmarks we saw.
The photo above and below are in the Pg Lluis Companys. My friends and I were amazed by the size and detail of this monument.
We were struck by the metalwork and iron on the buildings everywhere we looked.
After our walk we found an outdoor cafe and had some
refreshments and tapas. We weren’t disappointed with our first taste of tapas. While enjoying them, I got this shot of the pooch at the next table.
We needed milk and yogurt for our apartment so we stopped
at a small Marche where I had to take this photo of the
wine display. Loved the heart shaped label!
Yes, we did purchase a bottle of wine to toast our safe arrival!
And that capped off our first day in Barcelona.