day thirteen, shopping for wheels.

After being relaxed, away from people, today was a bit of a shock. I felt like a naive peasant, learning about the ways of the city for the first time. I had to figure out how the metro worked, reading instructions in a language I didn’t understand, deciding the most cost effective ticket. I pushed my ticket in the wrong machine, a guide tried to explain, but at first I didn’t understand, I felt very stupid. Leaving the metro is different too, I’m used to swiping the ticket on exit, but on Bacelona metro you just push through the double gates. I had to watch someone to see how it was done.

I wanted to buy some replacement wheels for my skates, ended up walking about for most of the day till I found a place that stocked spare parts. Started at Placa de Catalunya, slowly made my way down Las Ramblas, it’s a wide tree lined pedestrian walk way, with traders, selling birds, rabits, jewellery, even tacky sombreros. The path was taking me down to the harbour, but I turned left, half way down and went through Barri Gotic. It’s part of the old town, narrow streets with interesting cafes and shops. While having a rest, looking at the pidgens, I was startled to spot a beautiful green parrot, eating amongst them, I’ve since been told that’s common to see them flying about the city.

I’d aranged to meet my friend Carrie, (who I hadn’t seen for eight years) in the evening outside La Sagrada Familia. It’s one of Barcelona’s main landmarks, a hundred years in the making, an as yet unfinnished cathedral, the guide says it’s due for completion in 2017, but I doubt it will hit that date. You can’t help be be moved when you walk up from the underground, turn round and see it for the first time.

It was great catching up, after such a long time, so much to talk about. She’s been here for two years now, she couldn’t speak Spanish when she first came over, but now, with a couple of lessons, speaks it well. She showed me the interior grounds of hospital de Sant Pau, it’s a lovely collection of buildings built in 1902 and still a working hospital. Walked to a small restaurant, and had a rustic Spanish supper.