Days 1 and 2 (February 13-14, 2020): A Long Way for a Weekend Getaway
Although we have visited parts of Spain on four different trips (Palma de Mallorca, the Costa del Sol, Madrid, the Canary Islands), Barcelona has always been one of those great European cities on our bucket list. So we decided to make it a Valentine's Day 2020 destination! At the time of planning last summer, coronavirus was unheard of. But its arrival and explosion really made us seriously reflect on the wisdom of a trans-Atlantic trip in the midst of it. We decided to run the risk and set out on February 13th to Boston, from where we had arranged our trip to London and on to Barcelona with Norwegian Airlines - the current leader in low-cost international travel.
The day brought a forecast of 10-15cm of snow, only a portion of which ultimately fell. But the warning was enough to make us leave town abit earlier than planned in order to get to Boston in time to connect with our Norwegian Airlines flight. And a good thing we did, as the flight we were booked on out of Halifax ended up being over two hours late, due to the snow. Had we taken it, we would have missed the connection and would have had no choice but to cancel the entire trip. But all is well that ends well!
We were able to take in a few quick sights in Boston, but it was a rainy, miserable day in Beantown, as it is affectionately known. Departure out of Boston was on time, and arrival into London Gatwick was early (7:45AM). We hung out in the Aspire Lounge at Gatwick, where we slept for an hour and had breakfast, then set off for our flight to Barcelona, passing the amazing snowy Pyrenees Mountains enroute.
A pleasant 15C greeted us in Barcelona upon landing at 2PM We took the unbelievably clean, modern and extensive Metro from the airport to the station closest to our hotel, then walked the rest of the way. The hotel was super kind, with great information, genuine hospitality and an upgrade to the top floor, offering sweeping views of the city.
Amazing how a hot shower can revitalise even the most weary of travellers - even those who have been up for 30 hours! Just after 5PM, we set out to see the nerve-center of Barcelona: Plaza Catalunya, as well as La Rambla, the city's most famous pedestrian zone, before closing this Valentine's Day with a. nice dinner.
A long way to go for a weekend getaway? Perhaps. But judging on what we have seen and experienced so far, the distance and travel time will be well worth it. Let's hope!
Air Canada Express Dash 8'400 from Halifax to Boston. A snowy day in Halifax!
Pam, the Boston Bruins´ #1 fan? Not really. But who can turn down such a photo opp.
The 496-foot Neoclassical Customs House Tower, built in stages from the 1830s through the early 1910s.
Boston's Old State House.
Our Norwegian Airlines flight passed directly over Nova Scotia, and then over Newfoundland. Judging from the flight path on the inflight entertainment system, incredibly close to my parents´ home!
Norwegian doesn't give as much as a complimentary glass of water, even on trans-Atlantic flights. You pay around 35 Euros for a pre-paid dinner and breakfast sandwich. You can also order and pay for sandwiches and drinks throughout the flight from your in-flight entertainment system. I had heard the food was beyond awful, but was surprised at the quality of the meal we received.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner of Norwegian upon arrival in London Gatwick, 30 minutes ahead of schedule. The red-nose livery of Norwegian is quite unique, and each aircraft tail features Norwegians who have made their mark on history.
The snow-covered Pyrenees, which separate the Iberian Peninsula from the rest of Europe, were on full display as we started our descent into Barcelona.
Coming out of the Metro system at Glòries Station on the L1 route, we were greeted by the sight of Torre Glòries, formerly known as Torre Agbar. it is a 38-story tower located on Avinguda Diagonal (where our hotel is located) , near Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes, which marks the gateway to the new technological district of Barcelona.
Nighttime view of the Torre Glories.
Barcelona has these tiny gas stations next to the sidewalk, where you can pull up your car or motorcycle and quickly gas up. Brilliant!
The view from our 11th story room at the Four Points by Sheraton Diagonal. That's Diagonal Avenue, which splices the city on a diagonal! Barcelona has so many pedestrian streets, and Diagonal is no exception. The pedestrian portion of the street is just as big as the traffic portion. The arrow points out Basilica de la Sagrada Familia in the top left hand corner. It is Spain's most-visited landmark, and we will visit it tomorrow.
The day brought a forecast of 10-15cm of snow, only a portion of which ultimately fell. But the warning was enough to make us leave town abit earlier than planned in order to get to Boston in time to connect with our Norwegian Airlines flight. And a good thing we did, as the flight we were booked on out of Halifax ended up being over two hours late, due to the snow. Had we taken it, we would have missed the connection and would have had no choice but to cancel the entire trip. But all is well that ends well!
We were able to take in a few quick sights in Boston, but it was a rainy, miserable day in Beantown, as it is affectionately known. Departure out of Boston was on time, and arrival into London Gatwick was early (7:45AM). We hung out in the Aspire Lounge at Gatwick, where we slept for an hour and had breakfast, then set off for our flight to Barcelona, passing the amazing snowy Pyrenees Mountains enroute.
A pleasant 15C greeted us in Barcelona upon landing at 2PM We took the unbelievably clean, modern and extensive Metro from the airport to the station closest to our hotel, then walked the rest of the way. The hotel was super kind, with great information, genuine hospitality and an upgrade to the top floor, offering sweeping views of the city.
Amazing how a hot shower can revitalise even the most weary of travellers - even those who have been up for 30 hours! Just after 5PM, we set out to see the nerve-center of Barcelona: Plaza Catalunya, as well as La Rambla, the city's most famous pedestrian zone, before closing this Valentine's Day with a. nice dinner.
A long way to go for a weekend getaway? Perhaps. But judging on what we have seen and experienced so far, the distance and travel time will be well worth it. Let's hope!
Air Canada Express Dash 8'400 from Halifax to Boston. A snowy day in Halifax!
Pam, the Boston Bruins´ #1 fan? Not really. But who can turn down such a photo opp.
The 496-foot Neoclassical Customs House Tower, built in stages from the 1830s through the early 1910s.
Boston's Old State House.
Our Norwegian Airlines flight passed directly over Nova Scotia, and then over Newfoundland. Judging from the flight path on the inflight entertainment system, incredibly close to my parents´ home!
Norwegian doesn't give as much as a complimentary glass of water, even on trans-Atlantic flights. You pay around 35 Euros for a pre-paid dinner and breakfast sandwich. You can also order and pay for sandwiches and drinks throughout the flight from your in-flight entertainment system. I had heard the food was beyond awful, but was surprised at the quality of the meal we received.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner of Norwegian upon arrival in London Gatwick, 30 minutes ahead of schedule. The red-nose livery of Norwegian is quite unique, and each aircraft tail features Norwegians who have made their mark on history.
The snow-covered Pyrenees, which separate the Iberian Peninsula from the rest of Europe, were on full display as we started our descent into Barcelona.
Coming out of the Metro system at Glòries Station on the L1 route, we were greeted by the sight of Torre Glòries, formerly known as Torre Agbar. it is a 38-story tower located on Avinguda Diagonal (where our hotel is located) , near Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes, which marks the gateway to the new technological district of Barcelona.
Nighttime view of the Torre Glories.
Barcelona has these tiny gas stations next to the sidewalk, where you can pull up your car or motorcycle and quickly gas up. Brilliant!
The view from our 11th story room at the Four Points by Sheraton Diagonal. That's Diagonal Avenue, which splices the city on a diagonal! Barcelona has so many pedestrian streets, and Diagonal is no exception. The pedestrian portion of the street is just as big as the traffic portion. The arrow points out Basilica de la Sagrada Familia in the top left hand corner. It is Spain's most-visited landmark, and we will visit it tomorrow.
The modern architecture is already impressing us!
Plaza Catalunya, considered to be the city center. It is where the prime tourist spots of Barcelona intersect, namely the Gothic Quarter, and the famous neighbourhoods of Raval and Eixample meet.
Monument to Francesc Macià (died 1933) in Plaza Catalunya. Macia was a Catalan leader and founder of the nationalist party Estat Català in 1922), who played a major role in achieving an autonomous status for Catalonia.
La Rambla is a 1.2km tree-lined pedestrian street in central Barcelona, bustling with people, cafes, flower shops, vendors, etc. We walked most of it at dusk.
Plaza Real, meaning "Royal Plaza", is a square in the Gothic neighbourhood of Barcelona. it is just off the famous La Rambla pedestrian zone.The plaza hosts many restaurants and some of the city's most famous nightclubs.
We saw three light shows on the way home tonight. One was a massive cube with an amazing digital changing display.
Another was a series of well-orchestrated laser beams.
We ended the day with Valentine´s dinner at the hotel - a potato-fish tapa, followed by teriyaki dumplings, a main course of veal, and a strawberry mousse dessert.
Plaza Catalunya, considered to be the city center. It is where the prime tourist spots of Barcelona intersect, namely the Gothic Quarter, and the famous neighbourhoods of Raval and Eixample meet.
Monument to Francesc Macià (died 1933) in Plaza Catalunya. Macia was a Catalan leader and founder of the nationalist party Estat Català in 1922), who played a major role in achieving an autonomous status for Catalonia.
La Rambla is a 1.2km tree-lined pedestrian street in central Barcelona, bustling with people, cafes, flower shops, vendors, etc. We walked most of it at dusk.
Plaza Real, meaning "Royal Plaza", is a square in the Gothic neighbourhood of Barcelona. it is just off the famous La Rambla pedestrian zone.The plaza hosts many restaurants and some of the city's most famous nightclubs.
We saw three light shows on the way home tonight. One was a massive cube with an amazing digital changing display.
Another was a series of well-orchestrated laser beams.
We ended the day with Valentine´s dinner at the hotel - a potato-fish tapa, followed by teriyaki dumplings, a main course of veal, and a strawberry mousse dessert.
Wonderful - you and Pam have already seen a lot in that marvelous city! In just this first day! Hope you are resting well tonight. Blessings.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Mom and Dad