Parc Güell
Saturday August 4th 2007
I went to Barcelona to visit my friend Sam who was working there. I got into the city late on a Friday night, and Sam and a bunch of other friends were at a bar in town. As I walked onto the platform of a metro station, someone tried to pickpocket me, and the Catalan capital was living up to its reputation. Luckily the would-be thief decided not to steal my printed-out boarding pass, which was all there was in the pocket he chose. I found my friends and went out for drinks until 3am.
The next day we all met up late in the morning, and headed for Parc Güell. It was a long steep walk to get there, and I wasn't yet accustomed to the savage heat. There was a shop on the way doing a roaring trade in bottles of water just slightly colder than the ambient temperature, and I gave him some business.
Sagrada Familia
Saturday August 4th 2007
We walked to the Sagrada Familia. Cranes and spires look like they've always been attached to each other and always will be. Work began in 1882, and is expected to carry on for decades yet. The church is already spectacular, and as long as it doesn't collapse before it's finished it will surely be one of the world's most impressive structures.
Girona
Sunday August 5th 2007
We went to a club at Tibidabo in the evening, and stayed there until it started to get light. We watched the sun rise from the roof of Sam's apartment block, then set off in search of the classic Spanish way to end a great night out - churros con chocolate. But maybe it's just not a Catalan thing, because we couldn't find any. Disappointed, I went back to my hostel and slept. I got brutally awoken after a couple of hours, having already missed the checkout time.
We went to the beach in the afternoon. Having already had one attempted pickpocketing, and knowing the reputation of the beaches, I stayed paranoid and alert despite my tiredness. We managed to catch the sun for a few hours and not lose any of our possessions.
In the evening I headed for home. I got the bus to Girona, arriving there just as the sun was setting. I could barely walk by now, I was so tired. Barcelona had been a fun trip.