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Snowbirds Tackle Europe

December 2017 - April 2024
An open-ended adventure by Betty Read more
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  • TravelerSnowbirds Tackle Europe
    Day 1

    Travel Day - YWG to BCN

    December 31, 2017 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Armed with travel vouchers earned from a previous European holiday and a desire for a unique cultural adventure, we abandoned our usual southern USA winter destinations and planned a 3 month journey throughout Spain and Portugal. Despite winter weather delays in Winnipeg and Toronto we arrived on schedule in Barcelona at 11 am after a 14 hour travel day.

    We managed to figure out how to get the train to our hotel in central Barcelona without too much difficulty but once we arrived at the main train station our troubles began. I had expected to pick up a city map at either the airport or train station but the tourist information offices were closed because it was New Years Day. We tried to get directions but with the language barrier and foggy brains we ended up walking for over an hour to our hotel when it should have taken just 20 minutes. The saying, “slower than molasses” or “a snail’s pace”, would aptly describe John’s mobility. He didn’t sleep on the plane and he was lugging a 46 pound suitcase, ignoring my advice to “pack light”. For the record, my small bag weighed in at 28 pounds. Feeling somewhat sympathetic, I traded bags with John about half-way.

    Once we checked into our room, jet lag and the long walk overpowered us and we had a 5 hour “nap”. We ended our day with a delicious wood fired pizza at Gusto’s and a nice Sicilian red wine, feeling as though we were in Italy and not Spain! After our satisfying meal, much more sleep was needed.    Read more

  • TravelerSnowbirds Tackle Europe
    Day 2

    Two Days Exploring Barca

    January 1, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    We are very pleased with our boutique hotel, u232 in the upscale Eixample (pronounced eh-sham-plah) area. Breakfast is included in our special Black Friday rate of $100 CAN and is a traditional European breakfast, which means the usual bacon, sausage, eggs, toast, juices, as well as sliced meat, tuna, cheese, salad, yogurt, fruit, unusual vege dishes, champagne and the most delicious pastries. It is more like a Canadian brunch. I woke up at 5 am, which is very odd as this is normally closer to my bedtime, and had to wait until 7 to go for breakfast! John insists seriously that the plumbing fixture next to the toilet is a “short sink” and I haven’t been able to convince him that it is a bidet!

    Still feeling sluggish, we opted to explore the neighbourhood on foot. On day 2 we logged in nearly 13,000 steps or 8.6 km, with many rest stops. The highlight of the day was the Gaudi Casas built in the early 1900’s during the Modernista period with some classified as World Heritage sites. The large homes are so unusual that we both agreed that Gaudi must have been on drugs but that he was a gifted architect. We later learned that his inspiration came from nature. His designs were definitely way ahead of his time. We stopped for a light lunch at the Hotel Grandvia and the interior was very impressive as it was all white. A light lunch was served in a room full of comfy sofas, where I actually had a cat nap as we were the only ones there.

    Our first impressions of Barcelona:

    - It is a lively, exciting city with a population of 3 million. There are lots of people out and about at all times of the day with many international tourists.
    - We saw lots of smokers (but fewer than London or Paris) and no obesity.
    - The streets are full of cars, taxis and motorcycles/scooters that all drive way too fast.
    - Pedestrians do not have right-of-way so we had to tread carefully. Green lights change quickly!
    - The main thoroughfares are wide streets with boulevards and are called Gran Vias. The side streets are all one-way streets. In Eixample the streets are on a square grid like in Winnipeg but each corner is diagonal to allow better visibility.
    - Good food is available everywhere and tipping is not required. Wine is good and cheap. At the supermarket I bought a mid-priced Spanish wine for $6 and it was very good. I could have bought several others for $3 but only the good stuff for me!
    - Our Spanish is far worse than their English skills, although very few spoke English outside of the tourist areas.
    - Winter weather has been pleasant with highs of 18 and lows of 12 but it has been quite windy every day. Light jackets have been needed especially in the evening.
    - The Metro is very efficient but you have to walk very long distances underground to get to your right train. We rode 5 times for $1.50 each. I tried not to racial profile fellow passengers or think about potential terrorist attacks :(    Read more

  • TravelerSnowbirds Tackle Europe
    Day 4

    Sagrada Familia

    January 3, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    We purchased advance tickets as this site often gets sold out. We took the Metro to this middle class residential neighbourhood and as you exit the underground, there it is in all its glory....the Sagrada Familia is breathtaking! Gaudi worked on his passion for 43 years before being killed by a street car in 1926 at the age of 72. Other architects have used his drawings and plans are underway to have the project completed by 2026, the 100th anniversary of Gaudi’s death. In 2010 the Pope declared the Sagrada a minor basilica and an effort is being made to bestow sainthood on Gaudi. His designs were influenced by nature and this is evident in the interior where the pillars resemble tree trunks and the many stained glass panes represent the sun filtering through the branches. The Catholic Church can hold 8,000 people but it is very rarely used for services. Gaudi definitely was very forward thinking for an architect in the early 1900’s. We spent about 3 hours wandering through the basilica and the museum. It was a fascinating experience.Read more

  • TravelerSnowbirds Tackle Europe
    Day 5

    Hop-On Hop-Off - Part 1

    January 4, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    After logging in 8,000-13,000 steps each day (about 6-9 km), we decided to splurge on the Barcelona Touristic Hop-On-Hop-Off bus and give the old guy a much needed break! It cost 25 euros each, about $37, and you get a 4 hour tour of major areas in Barcelona. Our plan was to first see Park Guell, a 30 acre park that Gaudi was designing as kind of a gated community. Only 2 houses were built as work was interrupted by World War I but there are still some remnants of Gaudi’s mosaic works. I tried to buy advance tickets but Visa put a freeze on my card for suspected fraudulent use (straightened that out at the end of the day). So we took a chance and hopped/hobbled off the bus at the Park Guell stop, unaware that there was a 20 minute uphill hike to the park entrance. Unfortunately, tickets were sold out for the day but we were still able to walk through the forested areas, just not the Gaudi work that we came to see. The paths are paved and there were buskers so it was a nice break from the city. The rest of the day we just rode on the upper level of the double decker bus and enjoyed seeing parts of the city that we likely wouldn’t have gone to. It was sunny and the temperature was 21, so a perfect day for sightseeing.Read more

  • TravelerSnowbirds Tackle Europe
    Day 5

    A Busy Day - Part 2

    January 4, 2018 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 20 °C

    At 6 o’clock we turned high-brow and went to see a concert at the Palau de la Musica Catalana in the El Born district. Built in 1908, this concert hall holds 2,138 people and is listed as a World Heritage site by Unesco. The show was called Gran Concierto de Ano Nuevo featuring the Johann Strauss Festival Orchestra and Ballet Ensemble. They have performed this show in all the major concert halls in Europe. There was also a soprano singer, the type that my Dad used to call a “wounded bird”! It was quite a memorable experience as the acoustics were amazing, the music hall was gorgeous and you could envision what it was like back in Vienna hundreds of years ago. And I did not fall asleep (which I am known to do!)Read more

  • TravelerSnowbirds Tackle Europe
    Day 5

    A Busy Evening - Part 3

    January 4, 2018 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    Dinner was at a nearby Korean-owned restaurant, followed by more walking. We went through trendy Barri Gothic where the ancient Romans first built the city, Christians built the Barcelona Cathedral, and where Jews gathered. Now it’s narrow, winding roads and courtyards are full of shops, restaurants and bars, still all lit up for Christmas. We wound our way to busy La Rambla. The tourist office told me that locals no longer go there and the food is over-priced and not very good. But I wanted to see where 14 people lost their lives and more than a 100 injured at the hand of an Isis terrorist, and said a quiet prayer in their memory.

    On arrival at the airport I had bought a T10 card that allowed 10 public transit rides that you can share for about $15. Best deal in town! So it was back on the Metro for our final ride home at 11 pm.....a very long but wonderful last day in Barcelona.    Read more

  • TravelerSnowbirds Tackle Europe
    Day 6

    A "small sink"

    January 5, 2018 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 6 °C

    Inquiring minds want to know if it is indeed a “small sink” or bidet. What do you think?

  • TravelerSnowbirds Tackle Europe
    1
    Day 6

    Travel day - Barcelona to Segovia

    January 5, 2018 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 6 °C

    Why do travel days have to be so difficult?!! Our train was departing at noon so I allowed ample time for us non-morning people to get there. I didn’t dare suggest that we walk to the train station so I arranged a taxi fully aware that the driver was going to rip me off. And he did and I fought back, just on principle, and still lost $5 on the deal before I decided it just wasn’t worth the aggravation.

    We boarded our AVE train and in just 3 hours at a speed of 300 km we arrived in Madrid (Atoche station). The speed is posted on a screen with a map and I tried not to look at it! We no sooner arrived in Madrid when John discovered he had left his e-reader on the train. I ran around that huge train station trying to find someone who could help me get back on the train to retrieve the e-reader and had no luck. I was told to come back when the lost and found was open. We then had to take the Metro to another train station (Chamartin) in order to board our train to Segovia, 100 km north of Madrid. When we arrived in Segovia, we discovered that the train station was 11 km outside of town, which surprised me because usually they are in the centre of town. John wanted to take a taxi but I only had enough euros to take the public bus, which was fine with me.

    It was raining when we got to the city centre. We then learned that there was a huge celebration across Spain, called Three Kings Day, which is equivalent to our Christmas Day. The narrow cobble-stoned streets were packed with people and we had to pull our luggage uphill nearly 2 km as no vehicles were allowed within the old walled city. John grumbled the whole way but the people around us were so joyous that it was infectious. Our hotel, Exe Casa de Los Linages, was once an old castle. We were assigned the nicest room on the 6th floor, except the elevator only went to the 5th floor. At this point John was struggling and a nice young man offered to carry his luggage up the flight of stairs. John declined the offer but I intervened and the luggage was hoisted up the steps in seconds. Now John was really feeling old because earlier in the week a young man offered him his seat on the Metro! So you can see why it is imperative to pack light when travelling in Europe!

    We ended our eventful day with a nice meal at a local restaurant where no one spoke English and the menus were in Spanish. We gambled on a 3 course dinner that is typical in Segovia. Fortunately, I was served some unknown species of fish and John had steak. The cost was $25 per person and that included a full bottle of wine, which we really needed!!    Read more

  • TravelerSnowbirds Tackle Europe
    Day 7

    Soggy in Segovia

    January 6, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ❄️ 0 °C

    This hotel also provided a fantastic European breakfast, although one thing we noticed was that the bacon was almost raw. Well fed (minus the bacon), we were ready to explore. We dressed in multiple layers and rain jackets and headed out. The rain from last night had turned to a heavy wet snow and the temperature reading was 1.5 degrees (very accurate!). Many businesses were closed because it was a National holiday. We walked through the town to one of the main attractions, the 9 mile Aquaduct, which was built by the Romans 2,000 years ago. The exposed section we saw was 2,500 feet long, 100 feet high, with 118 arches, made from 20,000 granite blocks without any mortar, and can still carry a stream of water to a subterranean channel that runs through the city. Pretty impressive.

    We stopped at a small market and picked up a fresh baguette, cheese and tomato for lunch because I just wanted to return to our warm hotel room and not have to sit in a restaurant with wet hair and clothes. Later in the evening we wandered out again to a nearby pizza restaurant. When I asked how big the pizzas were, the server told me “small....good for one”. So we each ordered one. Surprise! They were actually the size of our typical large pizza. I once again felt like I was taken advantage of because I was a tourist. Most of my leftovers ended up in the garbage. Although the restaurant was empty at 8:30 when we arrived, by the time we left it was full. The Spanish people eat supper between 9 and 10 pm and I observed that they usually order 3 courses plus coffee. Seems like a recipe for gastric reflux when they go to bed a couple of hours later! It’s a good thing we are used to eating later than normal at home.

    The falling snow and the medieval buildings looked so pretty at night.    Read more

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