10 July 2023
We were at Barcelona airport with a 5 hour wait when I started this final log. Unfortunately the WiFi network was too slow so I find myself finishing this article from home and after our long flight home.
Some final reflections on this trip.
Our last tour was of Parc Guell, our last Gaudi site. A long day involving about 20kms of walking. We celebrated our last day with probably the best paella we have had on this trip, not to mention the steamed mussels and a cocktail at a Peruvian bar.
Final thoughts:
Travel without a smart phone is as likely as travel without a passport. It can’t be done. We have used our phone to book tours and to receive the electronic ticket. Audio tours for many attractions are delivered via an app. Boarding passes can be electronic and you are invited to check in via your phone 24 hours before boarding. Even the menu during your flight is provided via WiFi. A local SIM with at least data is the bare minimum.
Google maps are invaluable for negotiating your way around. I also used the location tag in a photo to find our way back to a restaurant. We had walked forever until I realised I had a photo of the place that would give us location details.
Use a smart phone to take photos in the most discrete way possible. They will also upload to the Cloud so no photos are lost even if you lose your phone / camera.
The Mediterranean diet is amazing. We have not been disappointed with any meal and the quality of the seafood is outstanding. I don’t know where they get such large fish particular the sole and sea bass. The mussels, prawns, langoustines, lobster, clams, octopus and squid were amazing.
There are too many high points to try to list them all however jumping off the back of a boat and swimming to shore where a sumptuous seafood meal was served under the trees has got to be up there.
I watched as a fisherman carried one of the largest lobsters I have seen out of his boat and up the quayside. Our friend approached the nearest restaurant and asked that we have that lobster for dinner. It fed five of us.
The Sagrada Familia is overwhelming and maybe one day I will see the finished building. It’s been under construction for about 140 years and they no longer provide an expected completion date. That’s a smart decision by the project manager.
A constant disappointment is about public bathrooms and this is regardless of the country you are visiting. If you are looking for a WC or loo, follow the signs and then look for a group of men sitting on park benches waiting. Nearby will be a long line of women and there you will find the public facilities. Yet again a failure in systems engineering.
It’s amazing that Mallorca and Barcelona are at about the same degree of latitude north as Tasmania is south. But do not think for a moment the climate of the Med comes close to that of Tasmania. The waters of the Med are crystal clear and warm, the climate mild to hot; just perfect.
Final comment, if you are thinking about travel and are wondering about whether people are wearing masks, well, they aren’t. We have hardly seen a mask on the planes or in the street. The world is back and open for travel!
A Traveller's Tale 