If Bag End were a tourist attraction...

Today was the first day of Gavin's conference, so I got to entertain myself for most of the day.  I started out by heading over to Park Güell, Gaudi's miniature city that was meant to be a housing site for the well-to-do of Barcelona, but unfortunately it didn't take off.  I imagined it would be a delightful place, architecture looking like something from the Hobbit, colorful mosaics, lovely walking paths...  All of the above applies, but add about a thousand tourists, nearby restaurant owners walking around with signs and calling out to potential customers, plus almost an hour in transit (subway and walking uphill) to get there, and that tends to diminish the charm...  I should have planned better and arrived before the crowds instead of right at noon...

The gatehouses of Park Güell, and the city of Barcelona beyond...

So many tourists in Park Güell that I could hardly get any decent pictures.

Inside the Sala Hipóstila (Hall of 100 Columns - there aren't actually 100 columns, there are only 88.  No, I didn't count...  :)  ) 

After my brief walk around Park Güell, I headed down into the Garcia district to have lunch.  I grabbed a little sandwich at a bakery near Plaça de la Revolució de Setembre de 1868 (imagine having to write THAT return address on all your mail...).  I ate lunch on a park bench in the plaza while a couple of young girls beside me played cat's cradle with string.

After lunch, I headed back to Mercat de Mercats - I just had to have some more of those incredible chocolate/raspberry/cognac truffles!  As I mentioned before, the Mercat de Mercats is right outside the Cathedral, and it made me giggle to see so many people calmly sitting on the steps of one of the major cathedrals in Barcelona drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes.  :)

Mercat de Mercats.

Boozin' it up on the steps of the cathedral.  :)

Inside La Catedral, Barcelona's awesome Gothic cathedral.  Since Gavin isn't all that interested in going inside churches, especially if he has to pay for it, :)  I went by myself!

Upon leaving the Cathedral by a side entrance, I found myself at a loss for my sense of direction again (not like mine is all that great in the first place...) and "unfortunately" (for our bank account   :)  ) ended up back on Calle de Ferran (the major shopping street that leads to La Rambla), where I saw a store that only sold recycled purses, handbags, etc.  I bought a funky purse made from recycled Barcelona advertising banners.

Later in the evening, Gavin was finished with his conference, so we headed out in the Born district to find some dinner.  We once again failed to find a Lonely Planet recommended place, (I guess their Barcelona book is way out of date!) so settled on a nice restaurant near the Picasso museum that had some covered outdoor seating; the sky had been spitting rain intermittently throughout the evening, but it was still not too chilly to eat outdoors.  I was happy to be able to order a nice, fresh salad, but their salmon dish was tasty, too.

Overall, I enjoy days walking in cities by myself while Gavin is busy working.  It gives me a chance to see the sites that I am interested in but with which he would have been bored, but I am always happy when he comes back and we can end our day together with a nice dinner, drinks and strolling through the quiet streets at night.