Brisamar Hotel Coma Ruga

Another night parked by the beach which means opening the curtain to a beautiful sunrise in the morning. Val happily sat on a seat on the promenade with her cuppa tea and watched the people walk / run / cycle / skate by. Val is definitely a people watcher, which is great because ...

... lungomare. Ho addosso solo il mio costumino bluebiancorosso dei giorni di Amburgo. Mi spalmo la crema prima un po' sulla faccia e poi sulle spalle, la schiena, le braccia, dietro i ginocchi. Non sono ancora abbastanza abbronzato per poter prendere il sole a quest'ora. Mi metto di nuovo in cammino verso sud, oltre la mezzaluna di sabbia e sassolini che divide il mare dal fiume. Cammino ancora, passo dietro una discoteca costruita sul mare, tutta bianca e bassa ...

... it was a decent, plain European hotel room. But holy sheisse did it smell like smoke. I mean it was overpowering. It was leaving me with a headache and just bothering my throat and what not. I decided we were definitely going to have to find some sort of Febreeze or fabric deodorizer 'cause that smoke smell was terrible. We had asked the suited, fast-talking, Spaniard from reception where there was some place descent to eat in the area. He directed us up a few blocks to a place ...

... waltzing around a masterpiece of columned architecture, benches made of different color tiles and beautiful fuchsia and orange flowers in the backdrop. As i waltzed around Gaudi´s masterpiece i came to a large open area where i watched a opera in Spanish. I also met a great girl from Toronto and proceeded to shake up Barcelona all night--arriba!!!! 3. The music and food are great here (even though nothing starts until 1 am) thats it!!! 4 ...

... guitarist"---who I had never heard of) would make me like Barcelona a bit more than I did. Before I came, I expected so much from the cities of Spain, but my experience was slightly clouded from seeing all of those ridiculous tourists who loved to take photos but not really look at what they were shooting (they made me so angry). I got all prettied up in a frock and set out for the cathedral, quietly sitting in a pew halfway from the ...

... site with very little completed. One stained glass window to give an example it will look like. Got in line for lift up the spire, waited for an hour. View from the top was not as good due to the haze, later found out this was normal for Barcelona. Great close up look at the chapel, walking down took many photos and even a few of inside from above. Down and out to the Nativity side to get a closer look. It ...

... by the sounds of street performers. These musicians set themselves just enough apart so that as the sound of one performer´s guitar fades from earshot, another can be heard just ahead. My favorite of the street performers was an italian man playing a hammer dulcimer. His hands flew quickly back and forth, up and back down the instrument, adding subtle staccato notes by trembling his hands expertly. We saw the ...

... given its location. I also loved the fact that we were dining well past midnight and the restaurant was still packed with people. Overall, I am definitely enjoying Barcelona. Although, I'm surprised to say that I actually am missing Madrid a bit. There is a lot more traffic here and people seem to be in much more of a hurry. Also, it's become increasingly difficult to practice my Spanish, as people here seem to default to Catelan ...

... without visiting Las Ramblas, with its street performers (bad Michael Jackson), strange statue people (including flower man and a midget), and street markets with booths selling everything from flowers to chickens! My favorite statue was a guy in a red box that made odd high pitched cow noises when you walked by... otherwise you would not have even known he was in there! Oh yes, La Sagrada Familia, translated ...

... that works for this hostel is so nice. She was hanging with us all having a few beers and always in with a laugh. I didn't have any beers that night as i was so buggered and i hit the sack shortly after getting to know a few of them... First night in Spain - looking forward to what it brings... The next morning we slept in nicely and went sight seeing. The day was hot, the sky only had a few white clouds in it, and a great day for walking! First up ...