Time to rest & digest

It was about a 40 minute walk to La Sagrada Familia, Gaudi's bizarre and ingeninous Basilica, which is also a World Heritage Site. Barcelona wakes up slowly and the streets were relatively quiet, which made for a lovely walk and gawk. Google was in a good mood today and flawless in her directions - we rounded a corner, and there was the monstrous church, in all its bizarre, quirky, beautiful glory.

The line ups to get in were staggering, and so was the price (35 euros each), so we did our usual reconoitre while sitting on a bench and eventually decided just to walk the periphery. Somewhat annoyingly, they have done a good job masking the full view behind various barricades and as always, there was much work going on behind the drapes and under the cranes. They say it will take at least 100 years to finish this, and I believe them. Uber got us back to home territory around noon and from there, it was simply time to wander and explore, the waterfront being our ultimate destination. But only two blocks from the hotel we came upon the most amazing Street Food Fare. Lunchtime was the right time to be there and the aromas coming from the various booths and tents made it an easy decision. A few tokens bought a cold beer and mouth watering tapas from the vendors. There was everything from white tuna to handmade cheese, bluefish and squid, pastas, even rabbit with Kalamata olives. We took turns picking up the plates and sharing the goodies. Dave bought smelts. SMELTS. Sometimes brothers are just plain mean.

OK, so the smelts weren't as bad as they sounded. SMELTS. A name that only a mother could love. Stuffed to the gills (SMELT gills), we decided to wander the harbour, only about a 10 minute stroll further. It did not disappoint. Billion dollar yachts cuddled up to the party zone area, and everywhere people wandered happily, most with ice creams in hand. You just can't go wrong by exploring a major city by its harbourfront. A few pictures.

It's just 3 pm now, and I am back in my room with the AC on in an attempt to cool down. It is so hot here, and this is the peak of the day for the heat. Feet need a rest too. The original plan was for paella tonight and to walk La Rambla, but that plan might be under revision as I'm pretty bushed. And tomorrow is another travel day, this time to Tarragona, about 2 hours by train. This is where we'll be for the next five days or so, in a port city in northeastern Spain's Catalonia region. It has some remarkable ruins from the 2nd century that I am itching to explore. Plus, I am looking forward to the change of pace - from a city of 5+ million here in Barcelona to around 100,000, which should make for a peaceful few days to mark our final days in Spain.

Barcelona

This was a huge travel day involving ubers, buses, trains, planes and more trains. Arrived late afternoonish and managed to find our way here remarkably easily. There was time for tapas, some good Spanish wine, and a quick tour around the block. Much to explore in this huge city, and only a day or so to do that. Today will be a big one!

Picture taken somewhere over the French alps.... and the first store we hit was of course.... olives!

Auf Wiedersehen Salzburg

It was another picture perfect day, with fantastic weather and intensely blue skies. This magical place has captured my heart completely. Today we managed to find the right cathedral at the right time, and enjoyed the noon hour organ concert after the tolling of the bells in the Salzburg Cathedral. All of this for 5 euros. You can't imagine the acoustics in this undescribably beautiful church. It has six majestic organs, two of which were played by Mozart himself.

Do you see that baptismal font? It's from the 14th century, and that is where Mozart was baptised. Also another guy, that fellow who wrote the beautiful Christmas carol, "Silent Night." So much history here, much more than one could ever absorb in just a few hours. Intensely humbling. We had a few hours to fill in before our next stop at the Augensteiner Brewery, so we walked, gawked, and stopped again at the gardens overlooking the Mirabelle palace. Despite the population of this city, the traffic and tourists, it has a palpable feeling of peace. The hours were well spent just sitting reflectively in the rose garden and glancing up at the fortress far above us, where we stood just yesterday. Gratitude doesn't begin to describe my feelings. The brewery was a perfect ending to this part of our adventure, as it too has a centuries-old tradition. When you arrive, you purchase a beer token and are given a stone mug, weighing at least 2 pounds. From there, to a filling station. The stone crock keeps the beer icy cold, despite sitting out in the warm sunshine at picnic tables that can easily seat a thousand people. Inside the brewery is a fragrant warren of food vendors, all featuring the very best of Austrian cuisine. Mackeral with gherkin and dill and sour cream. Barbecued ribs. Sauerkraut. Dumplings of every sort. The portions were generous and delicious, and everything was washed down with a crock of beer in the company of hundreds of other happy souls. Quintessential Austria. And the perfect way to toast this part of our journey. Tomorrow morning, we train to Vienna, and from there, a flight to Barcelona. Next stop, Spain!