Day 7 - The Final Day in Barcelona

It doesn't seem possible that we have to pack our bags tonight. This is our last day in Barcelona. We got up at a reasonably early hour and, of course, ended up on La Rambla the first thing. It'd be easy to fall into a routine here by taking an afternoon nap and then staying up to at least midnight. We've got the metro system memorized for most common city points.

This morning we got off at La Rambla at the station nearest the harbour (and the Christopher Columbus statue). We wanted to see about a harbor cruise. We got there at 9:30 but that was several hours before the first boat left. So, we walked the waterfront area. It is a remarkable example of how to take back a seedy port area into a city's fold. It surely must've cost a fortune. It, however, has ended in a people-friendly area that is both beautiful and functional.



Of course, Barcelona is very pedestrian friendly. Like other cities in southern Europe, people live their lives out in the streets. Broad tree-lined avenues invite people out of cramped apartments. There's so much life happening here twenty four hours a day. I cannot help but compare to many North American cities that are almostly completely choked with cars until the work time finishes and then the streets remain empty until the start of another business day.

I made a reference on Facebook a few weeks back about how the parents of this generation have organized youngsters lives to such an extent that few, if any, have free time to play as kids. This free play is integral to normal human development. At least, the kids here seem free to play ball in neighbourhood parks unsupervised. As well as young people, it's also nice to see grandmas and grandpas out on benches in the parks. There are times in Vancouver when I wonder where all the old people have gone.

So it's not only the compact city and interesting builidings but the street scene that I will end up remembering from Barcelona. I have a Trip Advisor map somewhere on the Internet marked with favourite places I've been. It's a little hard to compare apples and oranges. Yet, if I were to make a list of favourite urban areas in which I'd love to spend a week or two, then this city would have to be right up among the top contenders.

Leaving Barcelona will be sad but at least there's Lisbon to look forward to. We have to be at the airport at about 11:00 tomorrow morning to be ready for the flight to Portugal. Isn't it strange that flying around the Iberian Penninsular is cheaper, and of course faster, than taking the trains? After this segment though, we probably won't be boarding another airplane until we leave from Malaga on our return on October 6th.