Fall Break in Barcelona Part V - Our last day and trip home.

Thursday was our last day in Barcelona.  Our flight didn’t leave until just after midnight, though, so it gave us a full day in the city.  We first checked out of our apartment at 11:00.  We were able to store our bags in a different apartment for the day so we could get out and explore for the morning.

Our first stop was at a city park that had a maze in it (Parque del Laberinto de Horta).  It was a park that has been around since the 19th century and was near some of the venues for the 1992 Olympic games.  We had to walk a fair distance from the metro station to the park and then spent about an hour in the maze.  Lexa was running and fell down in the mud.  It rained early in the morning, but while we were at the park, it was nice.

Parque del Laberinto de Horta

the Maze

We divided into three groups: Nika and Lexa were together, then Sophie and Lina, and finally us, the old folks. The goal was to beat the other groups to the center of the maze. Wisdom won against the speed (in other words,  we, the parents, rock!) 

After we (the old folks) enjoyed our quiet time in the center of the maze for what felt like 15 minutes, our kids finally showed up.

By the entrance/exit to/out of the maze. As soon as we were done, a couple of big groups of school kids showed up and it became very crowded.  So, we left.

Muddy Lexa

After we had seen the park, we took the metro downtown.  Sophie was looking quite pale and we thought she was dehydrated.  We went to Burger King and got lunch.  Sophie felt better, but Lexa immediately began complaining that she wanted to throw up.  We walked in the city (we had avoided a large downpour while we ate) and saw a place that used to be a convent and where babies were dropped off on a little turnstyle.  Then we happened upon the big market in the town and saw the fresh seafood.  The market was loud and crowded, but was very impressive - especially the sheer selection of seafood that was available.

By the turnstyle. We asked the kids to look very sad as we were dropping them off at the convent. Lina couldn't play the part.  Lexa on the other hand didn't have to pretend.  Poor kid didn't feel well at the moment.

At this huge market we discovered on accident

They had rows and rows of every kind of fruit, fresh and dry.

Candy made to look like items from fast food menu.

More fruit

Still more fruit

And then they had this ginormous seafood section 

And it didn't even have this specific fish smells we've encountered at other similar markets of the world. The fish was laying on a thick layer of ice.

We stopped for gelato and then wanted to ride the funicular and the cable car at Montjuïc.  The funicular was part of the metro ride and was just a slow climbing car up and down the mountain.  The cable car up to the top of the mountain was much more impressive - and we had to pay for it.  We were riding the cable car in the middle of a downpour, so it was a very exciting ride.  Lexa threw up before we got on the funicular and once when we were down.

Inside the cable car. As soon as we got in, it was a downpour!

Switching the cable cars midway up the mountain

Pretty cool

It is Barcelona down there, but in this storm you can hardly see anything.

The cable car up close.

By the time we had gone up and down the mountain, it was about 4:30 and we went back to the apartment early.  We had told the apartment people we would be back at 6:30 to pick up our bags.  We got to the apartment building a bit after 5:00, but couldn’t get in touch with the maintenance man to get our bags.  We hung out outside and in the lobby of the building.  Lexa was quite ill and threw up a couple of times - poor girl!  We finally got in, used the bathroom, and got our bags.  We decided to take the subway to the airport and caught things just right to get there by about 8:00 p.m.  We had to wait for a couple of hours to check in, and then for about an hour and a half to board our plane which flew out at just after midnight.

At the airport. Again.

We loved Barcelona airport. This new terminal is really spacious (of course we flew out late at night, so there weren't that many flights going out).

Goodbye, Barcelona! Goodbye, Spain

We had a pretty quick layover in Moscow - a couple of hours, and were home in Astana by mid afternoon on Friday.  We had a wonderful time in Barcelona!  It is always nice to be back home, though.

And hello, Astana!

Barcelona Trip Part V: Our Day in Cervera

Wednesday was a national holiday: Hispanic Day.  We rode the subway to the bus station and  got on the bus for our trip to Cervera, where Yulia's friend, Olya has lived for the past 9 years or so with her husband Francesc and two children: Adriel and Élia.  We enjoyed the drive from Barcelona through the suburbs, exurbs, and finally into the countryside.  The mountain drive reminded me a lot of the San Bernadino mountains in California, and it was a nice ride.

Riding on the bus to Cervera

On the way to Cervera

View out of the bus window

Wheat fields

Their family met us at the bus station in Cervera and we spent about 90 minutes touring the town.  Cervera is a town of about 10000 in the middle of Catalonia.  It is an old city and we really enjoyed walking through the narrow streets, looking at the ancient walls, and going down the street that was named after a witch who was burned during the inquisition (Callero de les Bruixes). We also went downtown where there was a festival at the school, which was the original university that was established after the war of Spanish Succession.  The day was a little rainy, but we were assured that the rain never really stays in Cervera because the wind is blowing all the time.  And we didn't get any real downpours.

At the main plaza

Girls are getting acquainted with the Ortegas

The former University of Cervera which is now high school

The university's (high school) courtyard. It would be cool to go to school there!

With Olya's family, university's courtyard.

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Main plaza. All of those buckets are filled with different kinds of olives.

The streets of Cervera.

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Witches' Street

Entrance to the Witches' Street

Carrero de les Bruixes (Witches' Street)

They put you right in the mood for Halloween!

Mayor offices building

The flags of EU and Catalonia, no Spanish flag in sight :)

I think these doors are the tallest doors in Cervera. They belong to the church.

Our two families.

The fort wall around Cervera

When we travel we rarely get a picture of all of us together, so we jumped at the opportunity.

After walking through the town we went to their house and spent the afternoon eating, visiting, and catching up.  It had been 12 years since we had seen each other (Summer 2004 when Yulia and I went to Krasnoyarsk after I got back from Iraq), so we had plenty to talk about. Olya made Paella and Fideua that were very delicious.  She colored the Paella black with squid ink and it had a nice color and flavor.

Cooking yummy lunch!

Feast of paella and fideua

Last time we saw Olya was 12 years ago. Lina fell in love with Olya's baby, Elya and with their huge cat who was hiding at the moment the picture was taken.

About 5:30 we went back out and walked a bit more and the kids ran around the square playing until it was time to get to the bus station.  The trip home was dark, but much quicker because our apartment was on the outside part of town, so we got off at the first stop in Barcelona and had to only go one metro stop to our apartment.

Our girls playing with Adriel on the letters. By the end of the day the became best friends.

We had a really great time seeing our friend Olya, meeting her husband, Francesc and their beautiful children.  We were blessed to see a part of Spain that is outside the beaten tourist path. Cervera is so Catalonian, that the Spanish flag wasn't even flying over the city government - just the Catalonian and European flags.

It was a great last full day of our trip to Spain.