Barcelona to Venice Cruise
Kenny & Barbara Danielson - June 2012
The cruise started in Barcelona but since our travel plans are never solid, we gave ourselves three extra days to get there. As pass riders we never know how or when we will arrive at our destination but after overcoming some vexing problems we arrived in time to check in at our prearranged B&B. We always try to avoid hotels because they are full of tourists. At a B&B we are able to meet locals and other tourists like ourselves. This place was the home of a Catalan with a Ukrainian wife. They had three incredibly well-behaved kids tended by a part-time au pere. He is laid-off from Goldman-Sachs and is now working two low-paying jobs. She is also working full time in a dental lab. When asked if she was bothered by the recent disappointing situation in the Ukraine, she replied that the Ukrainians brought it on themselves by allowing corruption and yielding to lethargy. I guess old Soviet habits are hard to break. She has family in Philadelphia. She has been there and doesn't want her kids to grow up in USA. I can't blame her if she uses Philly as a model for the US. She may want to reconsider if Spain continues on its present economic course.
Two other guests with a small baby were Canadians living in Denmark. He works for Microsoft and they are happy in the Nanny State. They feel their taxes are oppressively high but take comfort in the socialist society with lots of full-pay time off for maternity and all the other social benefits. Trading liberty for comfort is a European style.
Our tiny room was only used for sleeping. We were invited to use the kitchen, dining area and living room as we wished. Evening conversation was quite interesting and the kids were no bother at all. Our hosts couldn't have been more accommodating.
Barcelona is the capital of the Spanish state of Catalan. It is located at the far eastern corner of Spain at the foot of the Pyrenees and bordering the Mediterranean Sea. The Catalans have their own culture, history and language. They are a reluctant part of Spain and hold themselves aloof from the general Spanish population, tending to be more cosmopolitan or "Mediterranean". Both Catalan and Castilian Spanish sounds more like Italian than Mexican Spanish and I am able to catch nary a word of it but it seems like everyone understands English.
The weather was perfect for touring the city by double-decked, "hop-on hop-off" bus with an open top deck. There is much to see in Barcelona and three days isn't enough. The city is beautiful, interesting, very clean and graffiti-free.
Spain is having a tough time economically but, in general, it isn't obvious. Unemployment is high and the banks are insolvent as in most European countries. Barbara tried to get cash out of an ATM but they refused so we had to find a bank with money. That's an indication of their serious liquidity problem. Sadly, it will get worse and I am glad we had scheduled this trip now and not later.
The Gaudi designed cathedral started in 1883 and still unfinished is expected to take until 2025 or so to complete. Taking centuries to complete is the tradition of cathedral building in Europe. Even though they are busily working on it, there is very little restriction in touring both inside and outside. The place strikes me as a vertigo inducing parody or cartoon of a real cathedral. It is interesting and cleverly designed but not beautiful.