Gym's Ramblings: Back in Barcelona

October 2, 2016 - Day 1.5

We had a great couple of days in Barcelona. Again, this city did not disappoint. We could have spent more time here but a few days after our arrival, our ship came in, so to speak.

On our first full day in this amazing city we spent pretty well all of our waking hours trying to find a restaurant that Gym's sister had recommended. There was a second goal though, we wanted to explore Montjuic on foot and we did that in spades. We successfully located the restaurant but sadly after walking almost 12 kilometres on the day, we found it was closed on Sunday night. :( You wouldn't believe how many cool nooks and crannies we discovered looking for the restaurant. What a fantastic urban green space.

We started the day by heading in the opposite direction of Montjuic because Gym had a novel plan of attack. We chose to approach the park from the air. We walked over to the Barceloneta District and on the way checked out the beach - Platja de San Sebastia. It was OK! It was not the big ashtray that some people had commented in the various travel blogs. It was very much like South Beach or any Beach in Rio that are situated right next to an eclectic urban area, surrounded by cheap street food eateries and bars.

The beach was right next to the Port Vell Tramway's San Sebastia Tower. We cued up in an orderly British-like fashion and patiently waited our turn to be able to board one of the only two cable cars that glide over the harbour and pass directly over our Grand Marina Hotel to end up on Montjuic, near the Miramar Hotel.

Gym then led the intrepid couple which meandered up and down Montjuic past the Olympic Stadium and back again towards the Miramar Hotel before Mrs. Gym took over and decided that it was time to ask where the restaurant was located. She chose to ask a policeman that looked like Ben Affleck. Where was the restaurant she asked, showing him the email? Apologizing first for has bad english he simply pulled out his iPhone to show us. We had missed the mark by about a mile. However, as the sun was setting over the castle, we happened upon this beautiful little Italian eatery. All the tables were set in typical Italian fashion but there was no one home. The moral of the story is not to let Gym lead and to phone ahead and see if the place is even open.

Later, we got back to the hotel to hungrily wolf down some bar food and rest in the comfort of our hotel lobby bar. By the way, we give the Grand Marina very good marks for for all of it's restaurants and lounges. The service was great and the food was good too. That night we would sleep in relative comfort because Mrs. Gym would not settle for the uncomfortably warm room we had suffered with on our first night (Gym always backs off of any altercations involving thermostats because Mrs. Gym has always been in charge of such things). It was a short battle between Mrs. Gym and hotel staff and we needed the blankets during the next two nights.