Hotel Iris Barcelona

... which is a local tradition, described by Rick Steves' as a "stirring display of local pride and patrotism." In circles of up to 20 people, the mostly elderly Catalans do a spirited circle dance. They leave their possessions -- purses, shopping bags etc. -- in the middle of the circle,which has both symbolic and practical reasons. The pick-pockets in Barcelona are notorious and this way they can dance ...

... beach that was manmade for the 1992 Olympics. There was a very interesting fish sculpture designed by Frank Gehry along the beach at the same time. Our guide informed us that Barcelona was a very rundown city prior to the Olympics. We parked our bikes at a beach bar where we enjoyed the best Sangria that I have ever tasted as well as some filling nachos. We declined massages by many roaming Asian women after watching one being given to a very large British ...

DAY 6 - BEAUJOLAIS WINE REGION TO BARCELONA Today we got up quite early for a 'driving day' of 12 hours on the bus. On the drive I tried so much to sleep, but only managed to get about 1 hour:( We stopped in a place famous for its nougat and I brought some. Mum would have loved it! Every flavour and type you could think of. We stayed in a hostel, but got lost trying to find it, and hilariously drove past the same Maccas 4 times. The place was nice ...

... back to the center of the old town. Plenty of restaurants offering a wide mixture of cuisine, but look at the backstreets rather then the tourist drag which can get very busy with daytrippers on the "Dali Tours" and from the numerous Cruise ships that dock in Barcelona. I will add more as I remember some of the cafes and bars, but some more images can be found at www.distantdestinations.co.uk

... The next day, we got our wish...sunshine. After grabbing breakfast, Joe decided to go for a run while I hit the beach. We agreed we would meet to the right side of the hotel, so I proceeded to find a spot on the beach, spread all my beach gear out and was just ready to lay down when I noticed the couple next to me take all of their clothes off. Yes, I had managed to plop down right in the ...

Oh what a day! This is going to be a long entry. First of all, I think this is the worst trip I have ever been on! Last night before going to bed I asked the lady at the counter how to get to the airport and how long it would take so I would make sure to have plenty of time and not get lost or something. She told me I would have to take the metro to the center (about 20 minutes) and then take the blue aero bus to the airport (another 20 minutes ...

... great learning experience for me and I now feel like a far more seasoned traveler. We took the nearest metro to the "Sagrada Familia" stop. As we made our way up the metro steps, we were greeted by the awe-inspiring image of Gaudi's famous unfinished masterpiece of a cathedral, silhouetted against the early morning sky. As the day went on, I grew to appreciate and enjoy Gaudi's work immensely. He was most assuredly at least a little insane, but he designed some amazing ...

... cuevas". Achei que as "cuevas" fossem cavernas naturais, porém estas são cavernas feitas na encosta do morro e é onde muitos hippies e alguns pobres vivem. Foi uma experiencia social interessantíssima, ainda mais por ver, conversar e estar com hippies que pregam uma vida simples. Alongamento em grupo nas cuevas, por do sol e algumas "tapas" pra encher a pança. Tapas: aperitivo, sanduiche, tira-gosto que vem com cada cerveja pedida. Costume andaluz. Dia ...

... blue sky - so we set out at a leisurely pace and gradually made our way to Port Vell , where we caught the tour bus yesterday. This time, we made a quick stop at the Maremàgnum, one of Barcelona's premier shopping centers, to look for sunglasses for Katie. We weren't able to find anything suitable in the mall, but we struck gold with a street vendor outside. Graham was very proud that he haggled the price down by 20 ...

... up with Audrey in Paris), which was quite an experience. We ended up having to pay 60 euros to reserve spots on this, and I definitely think that was a rip-off. The cabins were so tiny, there was no room to move around with our luggage. Audrey and I were in the same cabin, with 2 other women, one of whom was a very sweet American student from Ipswich, MA. The other woman I found very inconsiderate, however. The door to our cabin wouldn´t ...