And so to Barce

The last day in Spain paralleled the others in exhaustion and exhilaration! It started with a two hour drive back to Zaragoza, yet another three hours walking the city, and a quick trip to Barcelona by train. Some train! The 320 km via Tarragona took about 1 hour 40 minutes and you can probably work out the average speed including stops was up around 200 kmh. The top speed reached was a round 300 kph, but all one heard at that speed was a gentle swish. The train did not rock and just glided through space while the passengers lounged in comfortable seats. It sure beat flying.



Late afternoon I was out and about Barce's streets and underground. The latter was extensive, cheap and convenient. I really only had time for two destinations before buying food for a meal in my hotel overlooking the spectacular Catalonian museum and the former Olympic site. First, I joined thousands of others cramming the Sagrada Familia, the world's most famous incomplete church and possibly the world's best known piece of architecture. I concur with these assertions and I would also have to say that it's an architectural masterpiece of astounding proportions. Whatever your religious views, visit it while you're still alive and you will not be disappointed. I lingered in awe much longer than I anticipated.



After God came Mammon. It took the form of La Rambla, a 2 km sequence of streets leading from Spain's equivalent of Nelson's Column to the Catalonian Square inland. The figure atop the column - much higher than Nelson's - is the city's favourite son, Christopher Columbus, and he gazes out over the harbour towards the Mediterranean and across the modern World trade Centre. La Rambla was a mad-house last Saturday evening. Although not good at estimating crowd numbers, I'll have a go. Perhpas 200,000 partying people were strewn across the 2km of street, visitng bars and restaurants, theatres and an opera house, all kinds of shops including those with a sexual orientation, and soaking up street theatre. It was difficult to make progress through the tide of often scantily clad humanity. At least I had a sort of shirt on and my shorts were roughly around my waist, but many of the men didn't and the girls left little to the imagination!



And so my hectic visit to Spain drew to a close. What a time! And I'd definitely like to go back. Any takers?

AS