Barcelona, Spain - Cruise 5

Trip Start Jun 12, 2008
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Trip End Aug 25, 2008


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Thursday, July 31, 2008

I had a good chunk of time off today because of how hard I've been working the past few days.  First I went to our tours office and requested four tours for myself this cruise - we'll see if I am able to get any of them!  Then my roommate and I got off the ship in Barcelona, Spain and went in search of interesting sites.  We don't have to work until 5PM!!! So we were excited about what the day would hold for us as we boarded the shuttle.  Having been to Barcelona previously I remembered how to navigate the city and so we set off on side streets and back ways, keeping in mind what direction we'd headed from so as to return easily, and found our way to the old walled city.  A comment my roommate made was that it seems like all old cities in Europe have a walled "old town" section to them and after awhile they tend to look alike.  This is true on some levels, they are predominantly brick or stone with the same weathered concrete type color.  Barcelona's had many narrow streets/alleys and lots of churches inside.  Seeing an aerial view postcard was interesting because all of the neighborhoods in this part are circular and grouped together in clusters with main streets connecting them.  It is a spectacular view of geometry from above.  We walked to the Gaudi cathedral, but the ouside is under renovation so I missed out on the experience of seeing the unique architectural style.  Next we asked a shop for directions on how to reach a cheap clothing store, many stores in the cities we've travelled this week are having huge summer sales and I was interested in some european clothes.  Unfortunately I couldn't find anything that I couldn't live without and if I can live without it I am too practical to spend money on it.  It's just how I am hard wired.  

After a few hours of wandering around the quaint streets and alley shops lunch and a cold beverage became the next item on the to-do list.  Spanish paella came recommended so we searched for a reasonable restaurant that looked clean, had other customers dining, and offered good looking food for a decent price.  The first place didn't list their prices and had maybe one other table with diners and after about 5 minutes looking at the menu and not getting service we decided to walk away and find a different location.  I am so glad we did because we ended up at a more contemporary bistro style restaurant crowded with people and received a whole meal for less than the cost of just the main dish at the other location.  The paella (spanish rice with vegatables, seafood/pork/chicken or all three) tasted delicious and the portion was very large for two people.  The food came family style when more than a single portion was ordered and their was a homey quality to it that I found very charming.

After lunch we continued browsing shops for a while and eventually we decided to head back for a nap.  It is that time of the summer (or contract) where the hours have caught up to us and the almost daily nap has become not a luxury but a necessity to keep up the pace with which we go on a daily basis as crew members.  I did well this summer, I made it half-way through the contract before it hit, normally I last a cruise or two on a seven day rotation.  For anyone thinking this sounds unwarranted let me remind you that my day starts around 6:45 AM and I usually fall asleep around or after 1 AM - 7 days a week.  I do not work all the hours in between, but often have shifts all throughout the day with an hour to four hours in between to eat, shower, do laundry, see ports, and NAP before resuming work and going to bed.  Granted I do have the occasional day where I work less hours, but generally on those days I am hosting a tour group (still working unofficially in an official capacity) or worked morning to night almost non-stop the day before.  I'm not complaining, just giving perspective on the difference between land jobs and jobs at sea.

Hope you had a great Thursday and if you're taking time to holiday and siesta congratulations!
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