Barcelona and Sitges

I was a bit wary after Cuba, but I found it refreshing to be not an object of curiosity in Barcelona. Also the Catalans are polite and did not stare or signal in any way that I was anything out of the ordinary. Of all the peoples living around the Mediterranean, I admire the Catalans the most. While the centre of Spain was mired in backwardness at the start of the 20th century, Catalunya was industrious and progressive. Today it is still a powerhouse within Spain. The Catalans have preserved their regional identity well inspite of the repression of the Franco era.

Of course, on Las Ramblas, one cannot help being noted as a tourist by the touts and pickpockets but as long as you ignore them, and watch your pocket, everything will be fine.

I was curious to see what Els Encants Vells (The Old Charms), the flea market, was like. It is close to the Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes. It looked the same as 11 years ago. Even the xurrreria (churro stall) was in the same spot, so I indulged in one. Of course, the used bric-a-brac on offer had been updated with the times.

My breakfast of cafe con leche and a slice of spinach tortilla had been a bit inadequate, so I made up for that by having a large lunch at FresCo, which is a chain of all you can eat buffet restaurants serving mostly vegetarian food. It was probably healthier for me too.

This is Plaça Toros de Monumental, a bullfight ring, as you can tell from the name, but as at the time of writing, this sport having been banned in Catalunya, has been repurposed for concerts and circuses. The pictures of La Sagrada Familia were actually taken this day, but I posted them yesterday to spread out the photos. It was in construction; in fact, it always is. Since Gaudi's plans were extensive, the work will not be finished until some time between 2017 and 2026, depending on which projection you believe.

Then it was off by train to Sitges, a fashionable beach resort a ½ hour by train to the southwest. I could tell that it received many foreign visitors from the many languages on advertisements. I got there rather late, around 1700, but since the days were long, it didn't matter, and it was also cooler, the perfect temperature for me.

There is a long promenade with clear views in all directions. Azure skies, golden beaches, this is the Mediterranean of many dreams.

Most of the people taking their ease on this Saturday appeared to be locals. The busy season had not started. Apparently it gets very packed in high summer.

I was pleased to see that the hotel at the end of the promenade was called Terramar, a welcome change from the clichéd Miramar.

Children were also catered for.

The Església de Sant Bartomeu i Santa Tecla which anchors the northern end of the beach.

And peeking just around the corner from that.

An atmospheric street in the town. I'm sure that there was a gelato involved at some point. These things happen.


The rest of the evening in Barcelona is in the next post due to the amount of pictures.