Hola di Catalunya!

Last few posts! 

Stopped off in Girona yesterday - it's a place with a real wow! factoreally as you arrive. From the car park you have the riverside houses and two huge churches seeming to ridentify vertically direct from the river itself. It's a lovely town with lots of history and narrow cobbled streets. Sadly, it's also one of the dirtiest places we've come across on our tour, strewn with litter, building skips and posters seemingly stuck to every surface. So sad in what should be such a beautiful place. 

And finally, we arrived in Barcelona. Like any city, of course, you have to put up with the noise, traffic and sheer number of people in order to see the sights on offer. And what sights they are too! We must have walked miles all over the city, down Las Ramblas to the statue of Columb us down by the port, all through the Gothic Quarter past the cathedral and Arc de Triumph and, of course to Gaudi's fascinating Sagrada Familia (sadly no chance of getting a ticket to go in) and past the former Bullring which has the appearance of a mosque from a distance, now happily defunct! Not to mention a stroll through what must be the most interesting market we've ever seen. And still it seems there'should so much more to see, so a good excuse to come back in the future! 

Some pictures from the food market.

Have really enjoyed your travelogue Moulesy, the pics have been great, those last ones with stunning colours....all those chillies (I've only got three left from my plant at home!)

Safe journey home.

If you've got any time left, visit the nature reserve at Aguamolls, in the Bay of Roses.  We found such a variety of wildlife there, and a morning visit turned into a whole day, with so many birds, mammals, amphibians, and other species, to see.

We passed signs for the reserve when we visited Cadaques, Val,  but sadly no time to visit! 

Thanks,  brue, safely home now. It was a fascinating tour, a nice combination of time on the coast and in the Pyrenees and time in Barcelona. It was a good time to be leaving Barcelona though. There's a very controversial referendum on Sunday, asking for Catalonia to be independent of Spain. Huge demonstration as we walked round the city on Thursday, though all very good natured. I heard on the news this morning that the government have tried to close down many of the schools and centres that were planned as polling stations and there are a thousand national police officers on two cruise ships in the port on standby for possible trouble. It'll be interesting to see what happens. Judging by all the posters and flags it'll be a huge "yes" vote.

Great photos moulesy.  It looks wonderful. I've really enjoyed the armchair tour. So glad you had a good time.