Last day in Barcelona 21 Jul

Last day in Barcelona,
I have to travel to the UK in the morning then on to Corfu. Met some nice young girls in the morning at breakfast they were music students from Switzerland, actually from South Korea studying over there (free education in Switzerland). We talked about the concerns with regard to Nth Korea, strangely they said, while in Sth Korea they were not as concerned, but only when they left and saw the word news did they become concerned, they didn’t think it was such an upbeat in the western world just keeping it quiet in Sth Korea.

I felt a little off today, perhaps the heat or a belly bug. I’m looking forward to the relaxing time in Corfu les walking and more swimming perhaps. Spent the day taking it easy, wandering a little when I felt up to it, and doing a little washing. I’m starting to like the company of my clothes in the shower with me, there does not seem to be any laundry mats in Barcelona, not to worry perhaps Corfu for a major clean up.

Decided I had to eat dinner although it was early, about 8pm so I wandered down the street, a Spanish meal; Paella (a yellow rice with chicken, seafood or... yummy) or Tapas, Mmmm. The Tapas won out.

So here I sit at Tapas de Moment, sitting before me on the white paper table cloth is grilled squid, grilled vegetables, calamari and a beer (I was going healthy with the first two, then...). I’m sitting in the outside area; let me try to describe it.

I am under a row of large square white umbrellas in Rambela de Catalunya. The ‘Rambela’ is basically a long street with a 15M wide pedestrian boulevard in the middle, with one lane of slow traffic on either side. As I look out there is a kaleidoscope of colour, taxis, cars and endless scooters slowly and quiet quietly moving up the street, in front of that a continuous movement of people rambling down the boulevard some stopping to look at the menu and waiting for a seat, some moving on, but the majority not in a hurry and without any major purpose. A wandering violinist stops and plays a tune asking for a few cents from the diners. Either side of the Rambella is border by six or seven story buildings, mostly old and ornate. I look up at the building opposite (an apartment complex perhaps) and it has a range of balconies, strangely rounded or kidney shaped with intricate but imposing wrought iron frontage, in the style of the Goudi buildings I have seen elsewhere in the city. An old lady is out watering her pot plants.

Its 9pm and the street is getting busier; so good there is a cool breeze suddenly, the temperature has dropped perhaps from 30 down to 27, now that’s nice. Time to pack