Today is Thursday, September 14, 2023. It is disembarkation day, which means that passengers get up very early to get off the ship so that the new passengers can come aboard around noon to begin their cruise. we had a nice breakfast on board first, said our thanks and good-bye to the crew, and hopped a black and yellow cab to the Hotel May of Barcelona.
Our hotel is in the heart of Barcelona and in the middle of Las Rambla. Great location! We walked Las Rambla, Las Rambla is a major tourist attraction lined with cafes, shops, and some living statues. We saw the nasty-looking Star Wars-like Creature and El Angel de Las Rambla, the most popular statue on Las Rambla. There are other cafes, restaurants, shops, and other buildings on either side of Las Rambla. Nearby, there are some major Churches and the Cathedral of Barcelona. We visited some churches and even watched the tail end of a wedding.
We walked through the huge Boqueria right next to Las Rambla. There, one can find every local food item imaginable, ready for purchase: candies, Torreón’s (nougats), meats, fish, vegetables, fresh fruits, pastries, and so on. We tasted some Torron, which was.delicious.
We ate some Catalonian specialties. We shared a bocadillo (light lunch) of a thin baguette filled with tortilla de patata. Very similar to the potato omelette (frittata) we make at home. For dinner, we had paella (rice dish mixed with fish or vegetables) and cream Catalonia (a sort of crème brûlée. Delicious!
Tomorrow, we go on a privately- scheduled tour to Sagrada Familia and Parc Guell, both by Gaudi.
Our Travels 