Monday, May 31, 2010

Day One Barcelona

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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.)

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  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. 

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    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.   IMG_1225  IMG_1247

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.  

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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!

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Yes, we did purchase a bottle of wine to toast our safe arrival!

And that capped off our first day in Barcelona.

Friday, May 28, 2010

I’m Back!

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I took almost 1,300 photos in two weeks!

These baskets/bags are from a little shop in Banyuls sur Mer,

France, a pretty little town on the Mediterranean.

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When I returned, I had almost 1,900 unread

blog posts on my blogroll!

 

I’m still sorting through my photos trying to decide which ones

to print up.  I made written notes each day so I would

remember the details. In a day or two,

I’ll post more photos from beautiful Barcelona and

lovely Collioure, France.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

I'm off !!

Today is the day I leave for Spain! One week in Barcelona
then by train to the Perpignan
area of France for another week. (I didn't take the photo here, I got
it via a friend of Bruce's - thank you).

Hard to imagine that I will be taking this same route
tomorrow. Our plan is to hop on the red tourist
bus first thing to get an overview of the city.

I have packed my journals and journaling tools so I can make up
pages on the spot.That's the plan, we'll see if I get side-tracked from it.
I will definitely make daily notes, otherwise each day blends into
the next and the week becomes a blur.

My four friends and I plan to promote the local economy
of each area we're visiting by drinking our share of vino tinto.
And those two words are the extent of my Spanish vocabulary!

I promise to share photos when I return!


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