June 27, 2016
Arriving in Barcelona
An additional advantage of sitting right at the front of the plane was being among the first to disembark. Only three people ahead of me ... in the entire airport, or so it seemed. There wasn't anyone else around until we reached immigration control, where there was a queue. It looked surprisingly long for an apparently empty airport, but then another plane or two must have landed because suddenly there was a very long queue (though not quite on the scale of the security queue at Pearson).
By the time I got to the baggage carousel, both my bags were there. Negotiating the airport was much easier with them on a cart and I should have gotten a cart again after taking the shuttle to Terminal 2 to catch the train into the city. It was a long way to the train station. The Aerobus would have been easier, but not with all my baggage.
Finally at the train station, I tried to figure out the ticket machine. Then, like everybody else, I gave up and joined the line for the cashier. I didn't see anybody successfully get a ticket from a machine.
The train runs underground in the city and when I came up to the surface, the first thing I saw was Gaudi's Casa Batlló just across the street. Wow! I got my directions and towed my bike case with my big duffel precariously on top (it kept wanting to slide off one side or the other) six long blocks to my accommodation. It was only far because of my luggage. Without a bike in a case with little wheels and panniers in an uncooperative big duffel, it would have been easy!
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I was made welcome by Kiku, one of the fellows who seem to run this little business, and while waiting a few minutes for my room to be ready, given a map and directions to the nearest post office which was close to the train station. After moving in and a restorative shower, I went for a walk to admire the architecture. Everywhere, beautiful buildings, clean sidewalks and streets. This applied to all the streets in the area, not just the tourist streets.
I returned to my room and started to write up yesterday's page, but couldn't keep my eyes open. I set my alarm and passed out. When it went off at 6 (p.m.), it was a challenge to get up. But I did, and assembled my bike in the living room of the B&B, as I'd been instructed to do—I had the place to myself. A good thing, because it took me almost 3 hours, though my sleepiness might have contributed to that. With everything done except connecting the front derailleur cable, for which I needed a third hand, I went to find a restaurant for dinner. Seafood paella with a glass of white wine hit the spot.
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