Spain 1/7

Contrary to Stig's advice when we set out around 7.30 this morning to avoid ticket buying queues at the station we were not the only people on the streets at that time. It was worth it too, as there was no queue and we had no trouble getting the tickets - if you don't count the fact that you can olnly use the same credit card for three transactions. I naively thought that if we were buying six trips "they" would be able to put in all the information and charge me once. NO - all separate transactions! Got back to the flat and looked up our departure station to find that I had somehow booked Madrid instead of Barcelona. Back to the station tonight - again avoiding queues - to change with no trouble and managed to get another couple of bookings done at the same time. Slowly but surely we are organising ourselves. Kym and Helen, the coffee here is good, and Kate has introduced us to a new version - coffe con hielo, coffee with ice. This is not iced coffee but an espresso served with a glass of ice into which you pour the hot coffee. It is surprisingly refreshing and I think they must have pretty sturdy classes as I haven't seen one crack as the hot meets the cold yet. Rob went to the Picasso Museum this morning after coffee and Kate and I walked around the shops nearby. Good jewellery and clothes shops and more beautiful buildings and plazas. One thing I have found is that it is not unusual to find some monuments in the back streets - not everything is where you expect it. Kate took me to see a monument which is a marvellous steel curved arm with an eternal flame up high - a tribute to those who died during the seige of Barcelona in ....... Collecting Rob and meeting up with Stig we are off to another delicious menu de dia at yet another restaurant. Gazpacho where the tomatoes taste like tomatoes and local bread. Earlier we went to Snt Caterina's market where renovations had been delayed for some time when a Roman burial site was found underneath the market. A section of the excavations is on display as part of the market and the renos went ahead. The markets are wonderful places. This one is quieter than La Bocqueria off La Rambla and includes a stall that sells a big range of frozen food by weight. This was certainly something new - the concept of frozen food outside a plastic bag is very different. The other stall worth a good look was the fruiterer with the tomatoes of all sorts and colours. Norm, you would love it. Strolled down to the Columbus memorial and had a look at the world's first submarine. It is wooden and shaped like a short fish. Peering through the portholes the interior was so dark I couldn't see anything. It must have been dreadful on board, cramped and dark. Most shops are closed as we ramble homewards after lunch, but there is always a plaza or two with a cafe or cerveceria at which refreshment can be found. So we take advantage of that. Home to rest up before promenading and tapas at a local bar. A very nice woman at the table next to us recommended a dish the name of which I now cannot remember, but it was tiny squid in seasoned flour deep fried. Delicious. As were the meatballs served with calamari, the smoked salmon with cheese, the sausages with peppers and even the patatas bravas. I had been avoiding them since our last experience but tonight served with a spicy tomato sauce and alli i ioli they were not deep fried and crisp but soft and with good flavour. The taxi drivers at the station are protesting. The home made banners hanging from the fences read (I think) that 2 exits at the station mean 2 stops for the taxis. There are some flyers around the station, but I cannot read them. I have no idea of course why 2 exits means 2 stops but they are certainly unhappy about it. I marvel at the number of cabs as I cannot imagine anyone bothering with one when the public transport is so good, but there are so very many that there has to be a market for them of course. I know that we are in real trouble at home with public transport and think that we have missed the boat by about fifty years - or more - by allowing the car to be so prevalent. I know our suburbs are spread out and that we don't have the housing density of European cities, and I am inclined to think we should have started along these lines much earlier. Just before I get into bed we have a look out the window to see the lights emanating from the light show at the fountain on Monjuic. Something else to look forward to ....