We do Barcelona Part 2

By this time we knew what to do, so once again we hopped into the rental car with all its high-tech features and headed to the parking building we'd used the previous day. This time we were catching buses on the so-called red route which was going on an entirely different circuit of Barcelona.

Again, it was great to view the beautiful architectural styles, admire the parks and squares as well as view some quite spectacular boulevards.

The bus route then took us outside the built up areas and into the hills overlooking the city. The public gardens there are really impressive as too are the views over the city. It was hot and we stopped for a cold drink at an outdoor bar which seemed to offer the best views of all. It had been part of the Olympics swimming centre, and what is now a public pool is still there.

A few hundred metres further on and we came across a museum dedicated to the works of the innovative artist Joan Miro. We were all set to buy entry tickets only to be told that they were free because the day was a public holiday. Not sure of the logic there but we were happy to accept their generosity.

The building itself is in a beautiful modern style and we thoroughly enjoyed the hour or so that we spent there. We then jumped back on one of the buses and completed the circuit back to the Arc de Triomf where we'd first got on.

Fortunately, due to the public holiday there was no rush hour traffic to contend with on the way home.

What about Barcelona? We have mixed feelings. Firstly we realise that it was a tactical error to stay in a hotel so far out of town. It would have been far cheaper, more efficient and less stressful to have stayed at a hotel in the city. We hadn't realised what a long hard drive it was between our magnificent hotel and the main attraction, which was Barcelona itself. Barcelona is a fascinating place and we barely got to scratch the surface. We'd love to have visited Park Guell and Sagrida Familia, not to mention some of the city's famous art galleries and museums.

There are some negatives. The level of petty crime is out of control, and we were among the many victims of it. It certainly put a dampener on our holiday. The other major negative is that the city is totally overrun with tourists, many of whom are young people who are out to party and have a good time. In some respects the place has turned itself into some kind of a giant theme park. That said, we are keen to return to both Madrid and Barcelona for more leisurely visits when we can get to know both places a lot better.Read more