Best way to see the Ramblas

Barcelona has become the stag and hen destination as revellers were partying until we woke up at 6:30! My last breakfast on the terrace and then a long walk up the 1km Ramblas. However, it's the best way to walk up the ramblas when it's just us and homeless people, no crowds and tourists. On the downside we were sprayed with water as they clean the streets each morning.

At the airport, I was very grateful for online check in as we walked by all of the queues, right to the front. Then it was on the plane for a short hop back to blighty. A short city break, but Barcelona didn't let us down.

No more scissors!

Alas, after a very bad nights sleep trying to stay awake as Ali is reintroduced to the meatball tapas :( Breakfast with the clan, presents and the thickest hot chocolate i've ever seen and then it was time to say goodbye as they boarded their ship on their cruise.

On the way to the bus tour we happened across a protest with signs of scissors and a red crossed circle in it. I was obviously more tired that ali as I thought it was a scissor ban but then Ali enlightened me that it was a protest on the budget cuts. I thought they didn't like scissors!

We eventually got the bus, and was help in the worse traffice jam. Before getting on the bus however, i had to walk on vents passed a lot of bus queuers. Unfortauntely, my lightweight skirt decided to do a marilyn monroe on me, as I shouted at Ali to just get on the bus!

On MontJunic we waved to the ship, and walked around the viewpoint for stunning views of Barcelona. En route back to the appartment, we had dinner at the best gelateria just before the heavens opened.

Last day in her 30's

Oh my gosh, I can sleep through anything but the noise of the Barri Gothic takes some beating. All night long, people shouting along the very small streets. The downside of buildings very close together. However, after breakfast on the patio, all was forgiven. We started our bus tour with one loop around to get our bearings, lunch back on the terrace and then back on the bus to the beach. The sea was freezing but there is nothing like walking around the shorline with your feed in the med passing the body builders on the beach.

Back on the bus and to the tourist mecca of Sagrada Familia, where i visited 10 years ago. Alas, the queues will take about the same amount of time to get in, so it was just a walk around the outside for us.

On to Parc Guell, something I've never seen in Barcelona. All I wanted to do was see the geko but alas, Ali and I went off piste again, passed a school on route and in 29 degrees, we were walking around the parc (although lovely) but still. Sods law, it was at the entrance and covered in tourists, that's why we missed it. That's my excuse.

In the evening, the clan joined us for tapas to celebrate Aunty's last night in her 30's. At midnight, we sang happy birthday while drinking our 2 glasses of sprite on the ramblas that cost £11.

Half way holiday to Barcelona

Never one to give up a holiday, i've been rather restrained this time and for Aunty's 40th birthday, we decided to visit Barcelona only while the rest went on the cruise. Oddly, there was no queue at EasyJet, that has never ever happened to me. There wasn't a queue at security either, at this stage I was seriously wondering what had happened in the world.

Bristol airport has completely changed into a shopping mall with more shops than seating to encourage you to shop until you drop. Luckily they had an accessories shop which came in very handy for dressing up Aunty for her birthday night out :) Bunny ears, a sash and a wand.

As always, it was the EasyJet rush to sit together, even though the plane wasn't full. We had our obligatory stag and hen groups, and then we were sat down for 2 hours. It's ridiculous to say but 2 hours seems like nothing, it took us more time to get off the bus, walk down the Ramblas and figure out how to get into our appartment after walking around and around and around, in an undesirable part of time, in the heat...funnily enough, we didn't have much conversation going on. Add in the smell of sewers, as you get with a lot of hot med countries... Renting appartments is definitly the way to travel, you are self cetering, and don't need to be pleasant to anyone :)

RSPB Sandy

I'm not sure how happy I would be walking around work at a weekend but Ali's new office is slightly different, it's on a nature reserve! In comparison to walking around reserves in Devon, we may have well been on the moon, we didn't see another person, complete tranquility.