Today is the start of Mongolia’s most famous sports competition- the yearly multi-day Naadam Festival and we will be going to the opening ceremony. The festival, in one form or another, dates back to the days of Genghis Khan. It consists of three major sports: archery, wrestling and horse racing. We will have a opportunity to view all three in the next two days.
The opening ceremony is held at the 20,000 seat sports stadium in Ulaanbaatar where we have reserved seats waiting for us. We arrived at the stadium several hours before the opening ceremony (scheduled for noon) so we could wander around and view some of the competitions that had already begun-men and women’s archery and an unusual men’s competition called “knuckle bone shooting”.
I was amazed at the skill of the archers. Men aimed at small cylindrical targets 75 meters away (women shot from 60-65 meters) and scored highly time after time. It is colorful and the skill level is astounding.
Part of the men’s archery participants.
Men shoot from 75 meters to the target.
What the arrows look like.
Women getting ready to compete. They are in 4 member teams. They shoot from 60-65 meters.
A rare left handed archer.
Knuckle bone shooting may be the most unusual sport I have ever seen. It is a team-based sport where domino shaped tablets are “flicked” at a target of real sheep knuckle bones with the goal of knocking them down-like the old carnival game of throwing balls at a row of dolls. We sat in a large hall watching dozens of teams (men only) compete in this most unusual sport where they loudly urged their teammates as they launched their tablets at the target located a good 10-15 feet away.
The knuckle bone shooting competition arena.
It is a team event. Shooters are encouraged by their teammates.
Lining up your shot.
You must “flick” the tablet from a tray resting on your knee.
The object is to knock the sheep knuckle bones off the tray.
We then were marched into the stadium we were had rock star seats, located initially in the shade. However, before the two hour event was over we found ourselves seated in the hot, noon day sun! Smart people brought umbrellas to seek some degree of shade. The two hour pageant has all the trappings of a musical spectacular-music, dancing, racing horses and elaborate costumes galore. It is the equivalent of the opening of the Olympics soon to be held in Paris. The opening ceremony was as elaborate as any I have seen in the USA. It was quite a spectacle and included the appearance of the famous Mongolian rock band- the Hu! The pictures I was able to take do not do justice to the spectacle we saw. You had to be there to appreciate it.
These are the 9 horsehair banners that represent the nine regions of Mongolia and are normally kept in the parliament building, only leaving the building when Naadam is held.They date back to the time of Genghis Khan.
Plenty of booths selling food and souvenirs.
Our ticket to the opening ceremony.
The stadium holds 20,000 people and it was full by the time the opening ceremony started.
The pageantry begins.
Military presentation of the nine banners.
Dancers and music.
Horses and riders on display.
A huge moving stage with video streaming on its backdrop.
Trying the special Naadam food: Huushuur, a meat-filled deep-fried pancake. It was good!
Local orchestra playing traditional Mongolian instruments.
Interesting display using streamers. Note all the umbrellas suddenly in use as protection against the sun.
Acrobatic demonstrations. Note how high he is in the air.
Riders racing around the stadium.
Colorful costumes.
Even a bit of acrobatics on horses.
Immediately after the two hour show the wrestling competition began and we watched part of that spectacle. It is a big deal. 512 or 1024 men compete in a single elimination contest to hopefully become the ultimate champion. The winner receives a free apartment and fancy car, so it is a big deal to win. And, oh, by the way, age categories are not involved. Matches rarely last more than a few minutes but the overall contest takes up to two days to complete. A wrestler must win 9-10 matches to be the champion and they become national heroes.
The wrestling competition begins right after the opening show.
Note the huge size difference between these two wrestlers. The “little” guy won this match!
During lunch in a nearby restaurant we were able to watch wrestling matches streamed live.
After a late lunch in a nearby restaurant we toured the Bogd Khan Palace museum complex, built between 1893 and 1903, and dedicated to the head of Mongolian religion at the time and who claimed independence from China. It was a short era of a theocracy in Mongolia. The complex includes seven prayer temples and the winter palace of the Bogd Khan.
The winter palace complex of Bogd Khan, who declared independence from China in 1911. The complex houses 7 temples and the palace home of the Bogd Khan.
Unfortunately picture taking was not allowed the temples.
Temple main doors.
The winter palace of Bogd Khan.pitcures were not allowed inside, which had the furnishings on display.
An original ger of the Bogd Khan covered with snow leopard skins.
One of the Buddhist temples in the palace complex.
Decorative outside pillar of a temple building.
A door of one of the temples.
It was a long day and we headed back to the hotel to prepare for leaving in the morning.
Another colorful Ulaanbaatar building
Hot pot dinner at a local restaurant.
We went with the VIP beef dish- thinly sliced beef.
Cashmere products are a big market for Mongolia. And the prices are a bargain- $30-45 for a scarf.
Tomorrow we will view the completion of the famous horse race and start our tour of the rest of Mongolia.
July 10, 2024: The Largest Equestrian Statue in the World
We met some of our travel companions yesterday as we were transported to the hotel and the remaining members this morning as we gathered in the lobby for our local tour today. There are two ladies from France, a lady professor from China who teaches English there and a lady Philippines professor who teaches math (long time friends reconnecting after many years), an English lady in the midst of a year long vacation with no pre-planned destination in mind and a surgeon and his wife from California. There are nine of us in total-a nice size group that turned out to be a lot of fun.
One of many flower gardens along the roadway in Ulaanbaatar.
Memorial in Mongolia.
Another monument
Each bus stop has these small shops selling items of interest to bus riders.
Today we will be visiting several local sights, highlighted by the Genghis Khan statue complex located 54 km outside the city. Lesson of the day: the proper pronunciation of his name is “Ching-ess Han” (k is silent). The statue of Khan on his horse is made of stainless steel, and is the tallest equestrian statue in the world, standing 40 meters high. The statue is placed with him pointing east, toward his birthplace. I have to admit it is impressive, especially when you walk up to the top and stand outside on the head of the horse, as we did.
Landscape in the area of Ulaanbaatar.
The first of many herds of animals we see during our stay.
Fences are popular in Mongolia. People erect them as soon as they buy a piece of land. They often look very expensive.
The famous steel statue of Genghis Khan.
Entrance to the statue park.
It is really big-40 meters tall!
People like to wear their native attire.
Outside deck on top of the horse’s head.
Standing outside on the horse’s head. Tough getting a clear picture because of all the crowds that gather there.
View from the top of the statue.
There was a further surprise while we were there as it became obvious that some dignitary was coming and we soon were honored by the presence of the handsome king of Bhutan and his lovely wife and son! And here we thought the fanfare was for us.
A senior wearing his native clothes.
Waiting for a special guest.
Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck is the Druk Gyalpo, the monarch of the Kingdom of Bhutan. He is 44 years old.
The king’s wife and son.
Camels were available at the site for rides.
The cloud formations in Mongolia were awesome!
Selfie of Scott and me, wearing my colors!
By the time we left the statue complex it was time for lunch at a nearby ger camp called Terelj Lodge. Next lesson: ger is pronounced “gear” and is the name of the popular house that the nomadic people use. Another less common name for these dwellings is “yurt” which is actually a Russian name. Ger camps are the hotels for travelers in Mongolia and we will be spending most of the trip using them once we leave Ulaanbaatar. More on them later. The lunch was surprisingly western in nature.
Another expensive fence surrounding simply a plot of land.
One of the few signs we saw in the area.
A tourist ger camp where we had lunch.
The camp was nestled near the mountains.
One of the tourist gers in the camp.
Scott’s favorite Mongolian beer.
A very nice salad, the first of many we had on the trip.
Chicken main course.
From an old cart used to move gers before modern times.
From the ger camp we stopped at a nearby attraction called turtle rock, named obviously by its looks.
A rock called “turtle rock” for obvious reasons.
A visitor holding a vulture for a picture.
Golden eagle (I think).
The next stop was a visit to the Aryabal Buddhist meditation temple, built in 1810 as a meditation retreat. Monks would climb to the caves high in the cliffs and meditate for months at a time. The temple was destroyed when Stalin ruled Mongolia in the 1920s but it was rebuilt and reopened in 2007. The path to the temple is lined with 144 placards with the teachings of Buddha. 52% of the Mongolian people practice Buddhism.
Entrance to the Aryabal temple complex.
Our visit to the Aryabal Temple, shown in the circle. There are a series of Buddhist sayings along the walkway to the temple.
A relevant Buddhist saying that caught my eye.
Yet another wise saying.
Wildflowers at the Aryabal Temple.
Buddhist writings on the rock.
Entrance to the temple area ( picture taken by Scott).
The temple (another Scott photo).
Complements of Scott as I did not walk all the way to the temple..
The last stop of the day was at the ger home of a local nomad where we were able to see what living in a ger entailed. We learned nomads live a simple life with minimal trappings. They can disassemble their ger in 30-45 minutes and be ready to move to a new location, something they commonly do at least four times a year. It was here that we got our first taste of fermented (2% alcohol) mare’s milk called “airag”, a common staple of their diet. Not sure how my body would react I only took a sip of the sour tasting beverage. Research on horse milk has shown that it has relatively high levels of the protein albumin, which can help regulate blood pressure and also has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects. It is an acquired taste in my opinion.
Our visit to a local nomadic family.
Doors of gers were often decorative.
Dried cheese and bread offered to guests in the ger we visited.
Airag is offered to guests when visiting a ger.
The ger owner sat and answered questions we posed.
All their worldly possessions are stored in the ger, their home.
The furniture is hand made and pretty elegant.
Cowhide used to make a container for the fermented airag drink.
Clothing for dressy occasions.
Rope made by nomads using animal skins.
It was then back to the city. Tomorrow we will be attending the opening of the yearly Naadam Festival.
July 9, 2024: Ulaanbaatar, the Capital of Mongolia.
Backing up a bit. The Seattle airport was a zoo (July 4th weekend) when I arrived at 9:45 on Sunday. Luckily flying business class gave me some perks and I avoided the long security lines. Our Delta flight left only four minutes late with an anticipated flight time of almost 11 hours. I arrived in Seoul, South Korea on July 8 at 4:10PM( local time), a bit ahead of schedule.
Our flight path took us past our home on Miller Bay. That is the port of Kingston on the upper right with Mt. Baker in the background. It was a beautiful day for flying.
Aerial view of Poulsbo, WA on Liberty Bay.
Our flight route from Seattle to Seoul. Flight time about 11 hours.
I had a unique experience on the flight. We ran into some turbulence along the way that lasted for quite awhile (several hours). In my experience it was mild turbulence, but the captain went super cautious and told the staff to stay seated. I am sure this is because of the recent turbulence incidents where people were hurt. As a result we were never served the 2nd meal that normally occurs about 2 hours before landing. The purser apologized for the inconvenience and told us we would receive an additional 5000 miles credit on our frequent flier program- a nice touch.
The “cubicle” pods in Delta business class. There was even a sliding door to close up the cubicle.
I chose the Korean menu for lunch.
Pre-dinner drink while watching the Bob Marley movie. There was a good selection of newer movies to watch.
My Korean based lunch. The beef short ribs were outstanding.
Who can pass up an ice cream sundae for dessert?
Seoul international airport terminal 2 on a rainy afternoon. It is a very modern airport.
The Seoul airport is new and modern and it was easy negotiating it and getting through immigration. I was through immigration, got my luggage and was on the hotel shuttle by 5:10PM. I booked us a room at the nearby supposed 5 star Grand Hyatt Incheon hotel for a modest $133 price. Try that in the USA! The hotel turned out to be huge(1024 rooms) and definitely in the 5 star category.
Lobby of west tower of Grand Hyatt. The hotel has 1024 rooms!
One of several fountains in resturant area, which features 8 different places to eat.
Our room at the Grand Hyatt.
View from hotel room -Terminal 1 of airport and golf course to the left!
The ultra high tech toilet. I was almost afraid to use it!
The toilet controls! I think it can do everything but wash your clothes.
Scott arrived in Seoul late last night, albeit long after I went to bed. We have a leisurely morning as our flight from Seoul to Ulaanbaatar does not leave until 1:55PM. There are limited flights to Mongolia and we were supposed to be on a MIAT ( Mongolian Airlines) 787 flight for the 2.5 hour flight. However, we learned that there was a problem with the plane and they had to reschedule us to fly on two smaller 737 planes that would leave within 20 minutes of each other. I found myself on one plane and Scott was on the other. As it turned out both planes arrived safely and we reconnected at the Ulaanbaatar airport where we were met by a representative of Amicus who took us to our hotel (Grand Hill hotel) for our three night stay while in Ulaanbaatar.
Our first surprise of the trip: Ulaanbaatar has huge traffic problems and we found ourselves right in the middle of it; people were leaving town as this was the start of the Naadam Festival week. It took three hours to make the trip from the airport to our hotel, which normally should have taken about one hour!
Flat Mongolia landscape as far as you can see.
An occasional evidence of humans in the vast land.
Airport in Ulaanbaatar. We learned there are only 6 gates.
Country #105 stamp in my passport!
Modern three lane highway leading from the airport to the city.
The bumper to bumper traffic once we got close to the city,
Screenshot showing we still have over an hour to traverse the last six miles to the hotel!
Sunset, three hours later, and we are still not at the hotel.
The hotel Irish pub that had nothing Irish in it- no Irish beer, food or music!
Scott with a celebratory Mongolian beer now that we are here!
10:30 PM bowl of Pho for dinner.
Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, dates back to 1639. Over 1.5 million people live there, about half of the total population of the country. It is a modern looking city and you could easily feel you were on a major city in the US. I noted there was little trash and no graffiti! Surprisingly about 1/3 of the cars on the road were right hand drive, yet they drive like we do in the USA. And ever other car seemed to be a Lexus SUV. I later learned that they get a lot of used cars from Japan which explains the right hand drive.
Modern buildings everywhere. Lots of construction going on.
Our Mongolian expedition is about to begin!
July 7-8, 2024: A Visit to Mongolia and Naadam Festival
In 2020 I was scheduled to go to Mongolia and we all knew what happened. It has been on my bucket list for many years. I especially wanted to experience the Naadam Festival which I liken to our Olympics. The festival dates back to the 13th century when it was first established by Genghis Khan to celebrate his war victories. It has become an annual competition that features horse racing, archery and wrestling. It is held in early July and my tour will include seeing part of the spectacle.
Our youngest son, Scott, is able to join me on yet another “father-son” adventure! He will be flying up from New Zealand and will meet me in Seoul, South Korea, one of the few common entry points to Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia and the start of the 13 day trip throughout the country. I booked the tour with a local Mongolian travel company, Amicus Mongolia Travel Company. Details of the trip can be found on their website: https://www.amicusmongolia.com/mongolia-naadam-festival-tours/naadam-group-tour.
Geography lesson for the day: Where is Mongolia? It is in Asia, mainly surrounded by China and Russia. It is the world’s largest landlocked country and the least populated country as it only has 3.5 million people. 94% of the people are Buddhists and there is a literacy rate of 93%. A bit of trivia: Mongolia is as big as Texas, California and Montana combined! Its landscape is quite varied- mountains to the north and west and the Gobi desert in the south. Much of the country are grasslands called “steppes”. It is a member of the United Nations and thus will be the 105th country I will have visited!
Mongolia is a landlocked country in Asia.
Who has not heard of the famous Mongolian warrior, Genghis Khan, perhaps the greatest conqueror in history? He was also known as Chinggis Khan, although he was called “Temujin” when he was born c. 1162. He is credited with uniting the various tribes of Mongolia and defeating neighboring countries, ultimately creating an empire that extended from China to Eastern Europe! That empire lasted from 1206 to 1368.
This is the book I read before leaving on the trip. A good one if you want to learn more about Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire.
The extent of the Mongol Empire, created by the conquests of Genghis Khan in the 13th century. Modern day Mongolia is shown in green.
I am flying non-stop to Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, July 7, on a Delta flight. Flight time is expected to be almost 12 hours. Luckily I will be in business class so should be able to grab some decent sleep during the flight. Because of limited and weird flights (2AM or 2PM) to Ulaanbaatar we decided it would be best to simply spend the night at the Seoul airport and fly to Ulaanbaatar tomorrow.
To catch our flight from Frankfurt to Seattle we had to leave Barcelona at 6:50AM, necessitating getting to the Barcelona airport by 5AM and thus leaving the hotel by 4:30AM. The good news is that traffic at that time would be minimal but European airports are always busy that time of the day. The transfer went smoothly and because we were in business class the trip through security and immigration went quickly and we were soon in the Lufthansa lounge to await our departure. The transfer in Frankfurt also went smoothly and we were soon ensconced in our cubicles headed non-stop to Seattle.We both managed to recapture some of the sleep we lost last night and passed the time reading or playing games as the movies being shown on the flight were a bit disappointing for some reason.
A new McDonalds sweet treat-McPops. They are mini stuffed donuts. We did not try them
The Barcelona lounge. These plastic surrounding panels were a good idea.
The new Avionic welcome drink.
Description of the new Lufthansa welcome aboard Apertif drink they offered us.
Today’s menu.
White wine on today’s flight. I drank the German Riesling.
And the reds.
Quite an appetizer selection.
Yvonne had the vegetarian pasta.
My chicken curry dish.
Tart dessert. Better than I thought it might be…or was I desperate?
Fresh fruit was tasty.
Our flight path from Frankfurt to Seattle. We cross Greenland and northern Canada.
Duck lunch entree.
Views of Canadian Rockies.
Northern British Columbia.
That is the Columbia River in British Columbia.
In the region of Ross Lake in Washington state.
Near Ruby Mountian in Washington state.
Near Granite Falls in Washington State
Mt. Rainier welcoming us home.
Looking west while over Federal Way, WA. We are landing toward the north.
Once we landed in Seattle and proceeded to customs we could not believe how the global entry process has become even more streamlined. You walk up to a kiosk which takes your picture and within a second or two you either get a green light or told you need to see someone. The kiosks used to print out a form that you had to give to an agent who further queried you. This time there was an agent standing near the kiosk who simply asked “ did you buy anything you need to declare”. When we said “no” he said “ welcome home” and we walked out of the international terminal with our lugggage. The whole process took less than 5 minutes! Amazing advancement to what was an archaic system. Kudos to the US Immigration Department.
The relatively new walkway linking the south terminal with the new arrival hall where customs and immigration reside. It had to be tall enough to allow planes to go under it. As a result they have the longest, steepest escalators we have ever seen!
The international arrival hall in Seattle. You collect your luggage before proceeding to immigration.
We claimed our parked car and only had to wait about 20 minutes for our ferry to leave Seattle and return us to Bainbridge Island, a 20 minute drive to our home. It was good to be home, safe and sound, once again! Time to plan the next trip!
Epilogue
1. I really liked AmaWaterways. The ship and staff were excellent. The way they handle excursions is marvelous, and the local tour guides they use were all outstanding. The food and service in the restaurant was excellent. My only (minor) complaint was I had hoped there would be more French inspired dishes offered at mealtime.
2. The Rhone River landscape is not as dramatic as the German rivers, which seemed to have castles on hillsides wherever you looked. On the other hand, the French towns we visited had awesome Roman ruins to see.
3. The four of us really liked the three day pre and post trip options that AmaWaterways offers as part of their river trips. I would not like to fly that distance simply for a seven day cruise.
4. I was somewhat shocked at how busy both France and Spain were, even though this was not high season, I would hate to be there in the height of summer. For you travelers I would certainly suggest you go early or late in the season to avoid the crowds.
“Travel opens your heart, broadens your mind, and fills your life with stories to tell.” – Paula Bendfelt
In my quest to collect countries since I retired Andorra was an elusive one! I was never near enough or had extra time to visit this very small, landlocked sovereign country that lies between Spain and France. I vowed that this time would be different; I would make time to allow for a visit.
Andorra is about a three hour drive from Barcelona. I did not want to drive and trains do not go directly there so I looked for a tour that might take us on a day trip. I did find several on Viator and selected one that appealed to me. It was labeled as a small group which was desirable. I booked it quite a few months before the river cruise trip. We almost had a major glitch when the tour guide (Antonio Falcon) texted me that he could not take us on the day we had agreed on. Luckily we were able to move it to today by shifting our food tour day.
Andorra is small (181 square miles) with a population of about 79,00o. It is the 6th smallest microstate in Europe. The others (smallest to largest) are Vatican City, Monaco, San Marino, Liechtenstein and Malta. We have visited all the others on previous trips, so this visit will complete the set! It has been a member of the United Nations since 1993. Surprisingly it is not a member of the EU although its currency is the euro. It was created by Charlemagne in the year 795 to act as a buffer state against Moorish invasion. It was jointly ruled by France and Spain until recent times. Andorra, nestled in the Pyrénées Mountains, is known for its ski resorts and as a tax haven. It consists of seven states (called “parishes”). Its capital, Andorra la Vella, is the highest elevation city in Europe, sitting at an elevation of 1,023 meters.
As it turned out we were the only people on his tour. Antonio picked us up at the hotel and we walked to the local underground garage where he had arranged for a rental car (as he commonly does when he leads this tour. For larger groups he simply gets a larger car).
Our small but adequate Kia vehicle. I rode in front seat with the driver.
Cloudy skies as we left Barcelona.
Time flew by as Antonio loves to talk and we learned a lot about the area. We stopped in a small town for a coffee and “technical stop” about 2 hours (traffic in Barcelona had slowed our departure) after leaving Barcelona.
The castle above Cardona, Spain where salt has been mined since Roman days.
Our coffee stop in Solsona, Spain. Its population is about 9000.
The Catalonian flag.
Fountain outside the cathedral.
The coffee shop was new and modern. We had hoped to find an “old world” shop in this small town.
Disappointing pastry. That is all that was available this morning.
No such thing as an americano here.
Cathedral of Santa Maria de Solsona, dating back to the 14th century.
It is obviously a very old church. I was surprised that it was a cathedral, given the small town it is in.
Inside the original early century chapel.
A really old door at the Solsona cathedral.
The original cistern in the church courtyard.
Courtyard of the cathedral.
A vending machine for candles!
10 AM and the town was quiet.
A door in Solsona.
Back on the road we arrived at the capital of Andorra, Andorra la Vella around 12:30.
The Pyrenees start to appear.
Fields of red poppies.
Near Oliana, Spain, an area noted for rock climbing.
Near to village of Coll de Nargo, Spain.
A ancient stone home below a big Stone Mountain!
Scenery near Organya, Spain.
Ribera d’Urgellet, Spain with a population of 923.
Ruins of a fortress above La Seu d’ Urgell. The bishop of this town is one of the co-princes of Andorra.
Crossing the border into Andorra. No one stopped us. We drove right by the security police stationed there.
Antonio proceeded to show us the major sights in the area, including a famous bridge and the oldest known church that dates back to the 8-9th century. Because parking was an issue he briefly dropped us off in the center of town to check out the souvenir shopping (surprisingly it was not good) before picking us up and taking us to a nearby town for a fabulous late lunch!
Sant Julia del Loria, the southern parish of Andorra. Popularion 9200, elevation of 908 meters making it the lowest elevation village in Andorra.
The gateway to the capital, Andorra La Vella.
Andorra is noted for its tax free shopping.
What an Andorra license plate looks like.
Pont de la Margineda, that dates back to the 14th century
We finally made it to Andorra!
Another view of the bridge (and us).
Church of Santa Coloma. The oldest church in Andorra. The chapel dates to the 8th century. The tower is from the 12th century.
Unfortunately the church was not open to view its interior.
Original 12th century timbers in the church wall.
The main street of Andorra La Vella. I expected an older looking town.
The Gran Vilara River flows through Andorra La Vella.
Famous Andorra landmark.
Local take on Salvador Dali concept of a melted clock.
Our guide said perfumes are a bargain in Andorra.
The mountain village (population 853) of Anyos.
Entering the mountain village of La Massana, which reminded us of a mountain ski village.
Snow capped peaks in the Pyrenees mountains.
Our luncheon venue.
I believe it was a former barn or farming building.
A tasteful, relaxing atmosphere.
Menu of the restaurant. Antonio made some suggestions.
A marvelous rioja. Surprisingly you can get it in the USA.
Antonio showing us how to prepare bread smeared with garlic and tomatoes.
Andorran trinxat, a mixture of cabbage, potatoes, onions and sausage.Delicious!
Veal and mushrooms.
Sausage and bean cassoulet.
Meats are finished on this wood fired grill.
Happy, satisfied customers.
After a lovely, leisurely lunch Antonio drove to a couple more spectacular viewpoints overlooking the valley and a local shrine before heading back to Barcelona on an alternative route. We basically had covered all the “parishes” of Andorra during our brief visit.
The area around Canillo.
Scenery becomes even more spectacular. It reminded us of Switzerland.
Scenery near Canillo, a small town in Andorra.
The scenery is spectacular.
A sculpture on the grounds of Our Lady of Meritxell.
Our Laday of Meritxell, the patron saint of Andorra. This is a replica of the 12th century statue. The original was lost in a fire in 1972. The story behind the statue is that it appeared by a blooming rose in January. The locals put it in a chapel. The next day it was found back by the rose. This happened three times and the villagers took it as a sign they should build a church there, which they did in the 12th century.
Courtyard of the Church of Our Lady of Meritxell.
I have never seen a circular main altar.
One of several bookcases that house bibles in languages from around the world.
List of languages where bibles have been translated.
Even one in the American Indian language.
The 12th century chapel of Meritxell.
The original statue was lost in a 1972 fire.
The view leaving the shrine.
We arrived back around 7 PM just in time to face the only rain we saw the entire trip. In fact it became a downpour as we walked the short distance to our hotel. Although we had our raincoats Yvonne requested that we buy an umbrella to avoid getting entirely soaked!
The village of Torrefeta i Florejacs, Spain. Population of 590.
Lush yellow fields. I am not sure what was growing; nevertheless it provided for a dramatic landscape.
The rain dissuaded us from venturing out for a quick dinner; we opted to simply grab something in the hotel dining room which turned out to be a pleasant experience as they brought complementary champagne at the beginning of the meal-another nice touch!
Overlooking La Rambla where the rain is finally ending. The city needed it!
Complimentary champagne to start the meal.
Toasted Iberian ham & Brie sandwich.
Roasted vegetable and ham soup. All European soups seem to be puréed.
Thus ends our lovely trip. We must catch a 4:30 AM cab to the airport as our flight leaves at 6:50 AM and we do not to risk missing it.
April 21, 2024: A Barcelona Food Tour and Flamenco!
I wanted to stay a couple of days with an objective of visiting the country of Andorra, which is located about three hours from Barcelona. I had signed up for a tour that was supposed to be today but at the last minute the tour operator had to switch days until tomorrow so we had a “free “ day here. I had purposely switched hotels to a more quaint one (Hotel 1898) located on the famous “La Rambla” street, undoubtedly the most famous street in Barcelona. It is mostly a pedestrian only street that extends one mile to the Barcelona harbor. It is lined with shops, restaurants and bars and is considered the “happening” place in Barcelona. I recalled an earlier visit here with friends where we had marvelous huge goblets of sangria and tapas.
A lady from Australia who several people said could be Yvonne’s sister!
The lobby of Hotel 1898. It was originally the headquarters of the General Philippines Tobacco Company.
The building was originally built in 1891. It was made into a hotel in 2005. It got its name as 1898 was the year Cuba and the Philippines got their independence.
Not sure how comfortable these chairs would be.
Hallway leading to our room.
We commonly take walking food tours when we visit a new city/country and I found an interesting one here in Barcelona, so at 10:30 AM we walked to a nearby plaza where we met Brendan, our tour guide, who happened to be an Irishman and a “foodie” living in Barcelona. There were 8 other people from around the world who also joined this leisurely four hour food tour. Not surprisingly we were introduced to new Spanish food and drinks with great stories. Brendan is also a history buff so we learned new things about this area. It was a very interesting four hours! That is the main reason we enjoy these food tours.
The famous La Rambla pedestrian walkway.
A side street off LaRambla.
Even the steel shutters protecting businesses are fair game for graffiti.
A Wedding? Or simply a well dressed lady posing for a TikTok posting.
The 14th century Palau Reial Major, palace of the Kings of Aragon.
Plaça de Ramon Berenguer el Gran, where we met our food tour guide.
Meeting Brendan, an Irish man who is a foodie and lives in Barcelona.
Our first stop on the food tour-freshly made Spanish churros, a popular Spanish breakfast fare.
Because they use yeast in the mixture these churros are more like a doughnut. We liked it better than churros we find in the USA. You traditionally dip them in hot chocolate.
The hot chocolate dipping sauce has the consistency of a pudding. It was marvelous!
A famous bakery that was over 100 years old! Sadly we did not stop.
Businesses that have existed over 100 years get one of these plaques located by its door.
A quiet street that once housed merchants.
Because people could not read, symbols would identify the type of merchants who occupied a street. This was likely a street of brothels.
Entrance to an intriguing art gallery.
Entering a small residential square for our next tasting.
A very unassuming bar and snack shop.
A very small bodega where we tasted homemade vermouth and ham.
Flassaders, a traditional homemade vermouth , which was really tasty.
Tasty olives. I was surprised at some of the colors.
Fabulous Iberian ham, made from pigs who eat acorns!
Our group on the Barcelona Secret Food Tour, led by Brendan.
Our next stop in a different part of town.
Nice decor.
Local beer and mild fried peppers(Pimientos de Padrón).
Papas rellanas- potato stuffed with meat.
Inside of a papas rellanas. It was really tasty.
Fried seafood of various types.
The famous tortilla de sobrasada, the potato and onion omelet. Marvelous!
Pickled Spanish anchovies. I did not think I would like them, but they were good!
Callos, a stew made with tripe, sausage and other items. Not my favorite.
The “after” picture!
Sign identifying the men’s bathroom.
The correct way to pour sangria.
These are “calcots”, a mild onion only available in late winter. They are roasted on a fire and dipped in an almond sauce.
You need a bib to eat calcots.
Roasted calcots ready to eat.
You need to pull off the outer burnt layer (messy).
Dip and eat, as shown!
Butifarra sausage and beans. Made of pork, it is very mild and a favorite in Catalonia.
Drinking wine from a parron. Dangerous!
Somewhat like a crème brûlée.
A homemade lemoncello digestif to finish our tour.
Lunch was out of the question after this tour so we lounged around a bit and I convinced Yvonne to take in the other major attraction of Barcelona and Spain- a flamenco show! There are quite a few small venue shows in the area and the hotel steered us to one located about an 8 minute walk from the hotel. Traditionally the shows feature a singer, guitarist and a male and female flamenco dancer. Shows typically are 45-60 minutes long and the theaters hold maybe 50 people as intimacy is an important feature of the show.
We returned to our room to find this welcome gift, mislabeled as we have never stayed there before. However, the thought was appreciated.
Streetlight on La Rambla.
One of several flower shops on La Rambla. Note the wavy sidewalk tile. There were also shops selling flower and vegetable seeds.
Lots of sidewalk cafes serving sangria and tapas.
A door on La Rambla.
Plaça Reial, where the flamenco venue was located.
Opening in 1963, Tarantos advertise they are the oldest showplace in Barcelona.
The show started with the guitar player and singer.
The lady dancing alone. The male also had his time in the spotlight.
They sometimes danced together. It was strenuous dancing.
The participants in tonight’s show.
Another Barcelona door.
One last gelato for the road!
Still not hungry after the show I simply sampled yet another Barcelona gelato store as we called it a day, as tomorrow we must be ready to leave for Andorra at 8 AM.
April 20, 2024: A visit to the Monastery at Montserrat.
This morning we will be visiting another Barcelona highlight that we have not seen on any of our previous visits. It is the Benedictine monastery at Montserrat, located in the mountains about 30 miles (1 hour) from Barcelona. Montserrat is the highest point in this part of Spain, rising to 4,055 ft.above the valley floor.
The Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey (Order of St. Benedict) dates back to 1025 and has about 70-80 monks in residence. The basilica, Mare de Déu de Montserrat, is the major church there and it dates back to the 16th century. Its major relic is the “Black Madonna”, a statue of the Virgin Mary with child, but the faces are almost black in color, thus the name. Note: there are other Black Madonnas in the world, it is not truly unique. Also it is not truly black; it simply has darkened over time. Believed by some to have been carved in Jerusalem in the early days of the church, it is more likely a wooden Romanesque sculpture from the late 12th century. Its origin is one of speculation. By one account, the image of the Madonna was moved to Montserrat in 718, to avoid the danger posed by invading Saracans.
A bit of trivia: The opening chapter of Dan Brown’s 2017 novel Origin is set in Santa Maria de Montserrat. In the book, a crucial, secret meeting is held between an outspoken atheist and major Catholic, Jewish and Muslim clergymen.
We left earlier than normal (8AM) to beat the expected crowds as it was a Saturday. It turned out to be a wise idea. There are three ways to get to the actual monastery: drive, Rack Train, or Funicular. Because of our size we rode to the top on the modern rack railway, a trip that took about 10 minutes. Even though we arrived very early there were large crowds already at the sight. We immediately went into the basilica to view the Black Madonna, a process where time reservations are needed and because of the crowds it is a slow process (15-20 minutes) to actually get close to the statue, located behind the main altar of the church.
Yvonne’s Apple watch was impressed!
Barcelona has interesting street lamps.
That mountain is where we are headed this morning.
An abandoned “company” town from the 19th century. They are looking at repurposing it was a future lower cost living area for people.
Landscape on the way to Montserrat.
At the train station located below the monastery.
Views from the train as we climb the mountain.
The train is very modern.
Exiting the train at the monastery.
Looking out from the train station.
The small cable car is another way to reach the monastery.
There is a funicular to get to a higher location. It is a popular spot for climbers.
The statue of Abbott Oliba who founded the monastery of Santa María de Montserrat in 1025.
There are several very large buildings surrounding the monastery.
Another statue of St. George. Our tour guide says his eyes seem to follow you as you walk by.
The plaza outside the church.
Geraniums must love this climate and location.
Dormitories and hotels are available for pilgrims.
Entrance to the basilica courtyard.
Heavy steel doors protecting the gateway. At one time there would have been long spikes protruding from each circle.
The inner courtyard outside the church.
Entering the walkway to see the Black Madonna.
Carvings that have been rubbed smooth by people’s hands rubbing them as they pass by.
You pass several private chapels as you follow the line to see the statues.
Door to a sacristy.
Mosaics line the final few steps to the statue viewing area.
You are allowed to walk past the statue and say a quick prayer- no loitering.
The black Madonna of Montserrat. The wooden statue is only about 95 cm (37 inches) tall.
Looking toward the back of the church.
Dozens of ancient lamps are part of the church decor.
Looking at the main altar, behind which is the statue of the Black Madonna.
The church organ.
Our tour guide reminding us that the seraphim angels have six wings whereas the cherabim angels only have four.
Self service location to purchase candles.
There was ample locations to place your lighted candle.
The basilica of Montserrat, originally built in 16th century and rebuilt in 1811.
Girls working on their TikTok or Instagram postings next to the fabulous geranium garden.
Nuns, most likely from African countries. They were the only religious we saw while there.
From there we visited the museum where we could see exhibits about the monastery and the church, along with several informative videos about them. There is a famous children’s choir in residence at the church but there was no performance today. We were able, however, to view a video of them singing. They are quite good.
We were shown a video about Montserrat and the monastery.
The monastery is known for its marvelous book collection.
A day in the life of a monk at this monastery.
A not so good picture of the famous children’s choir located here. We did get to hear a video of one of their songs.
We were then given about one hour of free time to further explore the church, the museum, several souvenir shops, hike some short trails in the area or visit the cafeteria for food and drink. Our bus had driven to the top of the mountain and we convened at the proper time to return to Barcelona where we had the rest of the day to explore on our own.
A small farmers market in Montserrat, mostly selling cheeses and sweets.
Cheese soufflés.
We bought a cone of small nibbles of different cheeses.
Cafeteria In Montserrat overlooking the valley.
View from the cafeteria patio.
Cliffs behind the cafeteria and bus parking lot.
These cars are backed up waiting for a spot in the parking area to open. That is the reason we left early – to beat the expected crowds.
Monestir de Sant Benet de Montserrat.
Pretty spectacular mountains near Montserrat.
Winding road near Montserrat.
There are graffiti on every usable space on the highway.
A concrete factory outside of town. It is a big industry here.
Besides a superb underground transportation system Barcelona also has a surface tram.
We were hungry and although we had eaten at an Italian restaurant earlier we had not had pizza so that became the luncheon choice. Again the hotel staff was great and steered us to the best pizza establishment in the area.
We waited with some locals for the restaurant to open at 2PM for lunch. They said it was the best!
The Italian family owners picture.
The wood fired pizza oven.
Margarita pizza with burrata cheese on it.
A complimentary lemoncello after lunch.
Jane and John wanted to look for some souvenirs so we suggested to them that they walk to the popular and famous La Rambla area as our tour had not been there. Yvonne and I have been to La Rambla on past trips and we would be staying there the next two nights so we simply spent the afternoon relaxing (i.e. taking a nap).
It would be our last night together and John and Jane had not yet experienced the other major culinary treat of Barcelona- tapas! The hotel steered us to a famous local spot: Vinitus. They do not take reservations but being early eaters we arrived by 6:45 to find that we could get a table in about 10 minutes. The menus are huge but luckily our waitress provide friendly advice and we ended up with a lovely selection of excellent tapas. It was a fun experience! When we left at 8:15 the place was packed and 25-30 people were lingering around at the entrance waiting to get a table.
Barcelona is a walking city!
The specials of the day.
The regular menu.
Yet more items to choose from. It was somewhat daunting to pick what and how many dishes to order.
Desserts, of course.
People sitting at the “bar” and watching the chefs prepare the dishes.
The famous Spanish potato tapas.
A delightful shrmp and avocado tapas.
Their version of chicken tenders. They were much better than those you get in the USA.
Super tender cali calamari.
Cod with honey aioli.
A marvelous piece of tenderloin.
Shrimp skewer.
Got to have churros and a chocolate dipping sauce.
Crème brûlée.
The dessert the concierge at the hotel said we had to try-“Torrija cremada de Sta. Teresa”. It was awesome! Should have ordered two.
We were downstairs and had our own kitchen and chefs.
The upstairs kitchen area.
When we left the restaurant at 8:15 PM there were at least 25 -30 people waiting for a table! It is that popular.
That’s all, folks! John and Jane leave in the morning and we will be staying a couple more days here.
The formal AmaWaterways tour was officially over. John and Jane were leaving for home the first thing in the morning. We would be moving to another hotel in the La Rambla area and spending two extra days in the area, the prime reason is to venture to the nearby (3 hour drive) to the country of Andorra, a tiny, independent principality situated between France and Spain in the Pyrenees mountains. It is an official UN country that we have never visited. It will be country #104 for me! Being this close to it I simply had to take the time to visit it.
April 19, 2024: Touring Barcelona and Sagrada Familia!
This is our 4th visit to Barcelona and there are still things to see and do as it is one of those great European cities! We are still on the AmaWaterays tour which included a morning tour of Barcelona highlights. I pretty much knew what would be covered because of our previous visits, but you always learn something new. I knew that what was NOT on the tour was a visit to the inside of the famous Gaudi designed Sagrada Familia church. Tours only show you the outside of the church still under construction since 1882. We had toured the inside long ago when it was nowhere near ready to use. This time I vowed to finally see the finished inside product. To do so you need to purchase tickets way ahead of time, as there are a limited number sold it and it commonly is sold out. I purchased tour tickets for the four of us two months ahead of time. By the way, the construction of the church has been totally with donated funds and ticket sales. They had hoped to have the church completely finished by 2026, the 100th anniversary of Gaudi’s birth. Unfortunately COVID resulted in a significant loss of income and now the church is not expected to be totally complete until the early 2030s. They are hoping to finish the Jesus spire by the 2026 date.
An excellent breakfast buffet. Their bacon was phenomenal and crispy!
Bountiful fruit bar. The oranges and pineapple were especially good.
Another tree lined boulevard.
These ceramic seats/ light poles were scattered along the boulevard.
The 1905 Gaudí apartment called La Pedrera or Casa Mila always attracts a crowd. It has 20 rental apartments.
The elaborate metalwork on the balconies.
Quite a bay window on this building.
All the buildings were ornate and well taken care of.
Not all building are old.
The National Art Museum of Catalonia, noted for its Romanesque murals.
Outdoor art work in the park where the NMAC museum is located.
The viewpoint from in front of the MNAC museum.
It was a cool but sunny morning when we visited.
Looking out at Plaza d’Espanya that was built for the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition. Note the huge fountain with no water. They have been turned off because of a water shortage in Barcelona.
The bull ring, opened in 1900, had its last bull fight in 1977. It is now a shopping mall!
Sagrada Familia will dominate the skyline when completed.
The steel structure was the 1992 Olympic caldron.
If you recall the caldron was lite by a flaming arrow.
I could not believe how many bike rentals were available downtown on the waterfront.
There were SEVEN cruise ships in town today!
A lobster sculpture, by Javier Errando Mariscal, is located on the waterfront.
A few of the thousands of cruise ship tourists descending on Barcelona for the day.
American pop artist, Roy Lichtenstein, created this ceramic sculpture for the 1992 Olympics. It is called the “Face of Barcelona”.
Now that is a fashion statement!
The remains of the 17th century city is housed in the El Born district museum of culture.
I could not believe how many people in Barcelona have dogs; many have two!
A street in El Born, the old section of Barcelona, now a hip and trendy area.
A door in El Born.
An old light fixture, still in use today.
One of the many local stores in El Born.
Meat store selling beef. Our guides said Barcelona people do not eat much beef because it is too expensive.
A store selling handmade candles using ancient manufacturing techniques techniques.
The gothic Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia, built in the 13-15th century.
Yvonne helping out by holding the “lollipop” for our tour guide.
Local sausage shop.
Santa Maria Del Mar (Saint Mary of the Sea), built between 1329-1383. It is located near the cathedral. A lot of churches were built those days; every neighborhood had one.
Lots of souvenir shops in this area of Barcelona.
There was a big wedding expo in town and here is a bride to be.
Looking for some 18th century antiques? This is the place to look.
There were several of these unique outdoor tables located outside a coffee shop.
The Font del Geni Catala is a fountain that was erected in memory of the Marquis of Campo Sagrado for his contribution to bringing water from the Sierra de Moncada to Barcelona.
Castle of the Three Dragons, built in 1888 as a restaurant for the exposition.
A street near the church. We had to park several blocks away and walk to it.
Tempted to stop for a snack, but resisted the urge!
The magnificent Sagrada Familia church.
Another view. Our tour only walked us around the outside of the church.
There is still more too be built.
Gaudi had his image portrayed in this carving.
Had to laugh when I saw all three of these US “icons” located next to each other near the church.
We had several hours to kill before our scheduled 4PM tour of Sagrada and we decided to do the “Spanish Spain” thing-having paella for lunch. The hotel guided us to their favorite paella place in the neighborhood and we orded the popular seafood and chicken version for four! They are made from scratch so it took about 45 minutes before we saw a huge hot platter being delivered to our table. Did we overdo it? The pictures below will answer the question.
One of several flower beds outside our hotel.
La Paella de Su Pau Claris, a local small restaurant that specializes in paella.
The open, working kitchen where the magic is made.
Common way the restaurants display their Iberian ham. It is delicious.
Toast with garlic spread and tomato is a commonly served appetizer while you wait for the paella which takes 45-60 minutes to make.
Did we overbuy?
I guess not! It was delicious!
We were part of an English speaking group for the guided one hour tour of the inside of the famous Sagrada Famlila church. It was an OMG experience for me. Wow! I have never seen anything like it. And with the setting afternoon sun shining through the massive stained glass windows it provided a spellbinding experience! If you find yourself in Barcelona you absolutely MUST visit this church. It is unlike anything you have ever seen or experienced. It is not to be missed! One fascinating piece of information I learned was that Gaudi was not the original architect for the church. The original architect was Francisco de Paula del Villar, and the church design was of a conventional design church of the time. He was replaced by Gaudi because of “technical differences over material costs” one year after the project began. Gaudi completely changed the design to what we see today- a new wonder of the world! We also got to visit one of the completed towers as part of our tour. Luckily we were able to ride an elevator to the top but had to walk down the 340 steps to exit the tower.
Warning: My pictures do not do it justice. You must see it to fully apppreciate its splendor!
Explanation of the towers of the church.
Entrance to the church.
It is more impressive when you are up close.
Details of the carvings are stunning.
The western side windows are shades of yellow and orange to represent the setting sun. We were there late in the afternoon and the reflections were stunning!
The eastern side has windows in blue and green to reflect morning.
There are 52 massive columns, representing the weeks of the year.
Four major columns represent the four gospels.
Statue of St. George, the patron saint of Catalonia.
All the languages of the world are depicted on this bronze structure.
And this is what they say.
The afternoon sun creates a magical atmosphere.
The main altar with modest organ behind it. I do not know what the lighted canopy is supposed to represent.
View upward toward the ceiling.
Note the carving with numbers. Add them up in any direction and what do you get? The age of Jesus when he died.
Embossed door to the chapel entrance to the nativity tower.
Entrance to a chapel?
Schematic of the nativity tower that we got to visit.
The 6 person elevator you take to the top of the tower.
Walkway in the tower.
The stone objects are much larger when you are up close and personal.
People look pretty small from this height.
View of the city from the top of the tower. You can imagine what they call this landmark. It is Torre Glòries, and houses a commercial company.
One way traffic coming down.
Looking down the 340 spiral steps we had to traverse to exit the tower.
There is always a large crowd outside the church. We were warned it is a fruitful area for pickpockets.
Amazon drop box next to the church.
After our massive lunch we simply opted for a gelato dinner in a nearby ice cream shop. It was quite a first day in Barcelona.
We were still full from our paella lunch so this was dinner!
Coconut and stracciatella gelato!
A small, cute restaurant at 7 PM which is almost empty. By 9PM it will be packed!
Tomorrow we will be visiting another new site for us- the mountain monastery at Montserrat, located about one hour outside Barcelona.
April 18, 2024: Leaving the Rhone River and Going to the Big City!
Today is our transfer day to Barcelona. Approximately 1/2 of the passengers will be going there while the rest head for home or on their own to other places. AmaWaterways did a nice job of arranging for cabs for those who needed them and handling the logistics of getting those of us bound for Barcelona. Because of our size (~ 60) we need to stay in two different hotels so we will be using two separate buses as we make our way to Barcelona. The first phase of the transfer requires us to go to Nimes where we will catch the train to Barcelona. Arles does not have a big enough train station for longer distance travel.
The agenda for the next three days as we head to Barcelona.
We were asked to have luggage out of our room by 7 AM and to vacate our rooms by 9 AM so the staff can prepare the rooms for the new guests who will be arriving by mid afternoon. I have always been impressed by the cruise industry and their ability to turn a ship around in such a short time frame. We were able to have a normal full service breakfast on the ship before our planned 9 AM departure. Travel to Nimes took about an hour where we were taken on a short walking tour of its major sight- their 24,000 seat Roman amphitheater, followed by a visit to their indoor food market, before going to the train station.
They had a good system to make sure our lugggage ended on the bus we were riding on.
A former mansion in Nimes.
A plaza in Nimes.
The modern art museum in Nîmes, across from the amphitheater.
View of the amphitheater from the roof of the modern art museum.
Looking in a different direction.
Another view of the amphitheater. We did not go inside this one.
One of the events held in the amphitheater.
Group picture in front of the Nimes 24,000 capacity amphitheater which is still used today.
One of the bulls that did not make the cut!
Of course there are loads of outdoor cafes in the city.
A clock tower near the amphitheater.
The ruins of the Roman maison carrée temple that dates to 4-7CE. It is considered to be one of the best preserved temples in existence.
You cannot beat the hot chocolate served in France.
The alligator is the symbol of Nimes. Supposedly if you rub its nose it brings good luck!
I was surprised at how many different varieties of potatoes were being sold.
Olives of all colors!
Cheese, cheese and more cheese. Supposedly France makes 1200 different kinds.
It’s spring so it is time for asparagus!
A door in Nimes.
Our train was about 15 minutes late in arrival but it posed no problem. We were all in one coach which was quiet, with comfortable seating. The time passed quickly as we passed through the countryside, eventually leaving France and entering Spain. By the time we reached Barcelona we were about 45 minutes late, but the transfer to the hotel went smoothly. The good news was our luggage had been trucked to Barcelona rather than being on the train with us and it was already in our rooms when we arrived-a nice touch!
Inside the Nimes rail station.
Here comes our train, which was 15 minutes late at this point.
Very comfortable, reserved seats in a very quiet coach.
Updated information presented on this screen.
Farm fields ready for spring planting.
Lunch was eating baguette sandwiches purchased on the street.
Yvonne bought some nougat in Les Baux.
Those are flamingos at the edge of the mediterranean Sea.
Arriving late but it posed no problems for us.
Yes, they have the same traffic problems we have. They do have dedicated lanes for only buses and taxis.
Riding to our hotel on the beautiful tree lined boulevards of Barcelona.
Some 19th century buildings we passed on the way to the hotel.
When you see a crowd looking at a building you can. Be certain it is a Gaudi designed apartment building!
Our rarher spacious room at the Renaissance.
The view from the room lacked any charm!
Our hotel room was big and spacious.
We were on our own for dinner and after some consultation with the hotel concierge our foursome voted for an Italian restaurant (Luigi’s) located a 5 minute walk from the hotel. It turned out to be a good choice. If case you did not know Spaniards tend to eat LATE- 10 PM is a common time for them to have dinner! Most restaurants do not even open until 7:30 PM so we never had a problem getting into a restaurant when we wanted to eat.
A bruschetta appetizer..
My seafood pasta. I forgot to take a picture of the two pizzas shared by everyone else!
A very good panna cotta completed our meal.
A very crowded Luigi’s Italian restaurant near our hotel.
Tomorrow we will have an escorted morning tour of Barcelona with the afternoon free.
