Barcelona, Spain

 April 11, 2025

After that brief day in Palma we arrived early this morning in Barcelona.   It was supposed to be cloudy but thankfully that was false with temps in the upper 60’s - perfect in our opinion.  We caught a taxi to the meeting point for a tour of Barcelona highlights.  Our tour guide was great and looked a lot like our kids in fact.  I can see why they are often mistaken for being Spanish or Italian.  By contrast, once again while in Europe, Germans immediately assume I am German and speak to me in their native tongue.  Thankfully I understand them and can respond but it cracks me up every time. I guess I look very German.

The city traffic was worse than usual due to locals trying to leave town for the Easter break and ongoing demonstrations - our cab driver said the demonstrators were Uber drivers who are protesting the fact that they cannot come into the port.

We strolled through the city for 3 miles taking it all in and stopping for a very quick lunch before walking some more and then boarding a bus. The tour took over an hour longer than normal due to traffic congestion and the demonstrations. Seeing a lot of sights quickly isn’t ideal in my humble opinion.  It’s kind of a tasting menu - not the kind of travel we normally do.  I’ve never felt more like a tourist (in not such a great way). First world problem to be sure.

First up was the Spanish version of the Arc de Triomphe

Then while meandering through charming streets we came upon a monastery/nunnery.  Apparently when a daughter hadn’t wed by a certain age (not sure where that bar was set) she was sent here to become a nun.  Another common route to becoming a nun here was for a husband to show up with his wife, claim she was mentally ill or “losing it” and she was kept there for life while he ran off with his mistress.  Reportedly that no longer happens. 

This is the Palau de la Musica Catalana which we weren’t allowed to enter but were told that building something cultural in the middle of a crime ridden section of town was a way to reduce criminality there and it worked!

The biggest surprise of the day was this gent - the “Pooping Man”.

We were told that years ago the farm workers pooped where they worked and it fertilized the fields which was considered good luck.  He has become the symbol of good luck and at Christmas, people put a version of him out with their nativity scenes hoping for good luck in the new year. This store had every sort of variation - world leaders, movie stars, super heroes  etc. - all pooping.  

We then got in the bus and went up to the top of the city, a teeming metropolis. On the left you can see the Sagrada Familia and on the right a green cucumber looking building commonly known as “the suppository”.

Due to the delays we were not taken to the Sagrada Familia so we hoofed it.  Unfortunately we were not able to enter and hope to return some day to do so.  It’s under construction just now as is a large part of the city.  It never seems to end per our guide.