Our hotel has a small rooftop infinity pool with amazing views of the city.
The next day we relaxed and wandered in the narrow streets of the Gothic quarter, finding an early supper in a small square. We didn't realize that our dinner came with a floor show. Four different restaurants have outdoor space in the centre of the square each defined by 2 large canopy umbrellas and imaginary lines on the pavers. We watched as one particular restaurant's staff kept moving and adjusting their tables & chairs to expand their space right up to the neighbouring ones and pointing out to the other staff (our restaurant's in particular) where the imaginary line should be drawn and that some of the other's chairs were actually over the imaginary line by a few inches. Then the respective managers had to be brought into it, discussing the relative boundaries and size of their respective service areas. Our waiter answered our questions, telling us that this is an ongoing discussion. I suggested the application of flouresent duct tape. When we were ready to leave, I wanted to stand, applaud, and yell "Bravo"!
We used the 'Hop On Hop Off' busses over the next day and a half to tour around the city, Stopping to take pictures and start my Christmas shopping. It was great to see some of the things that I had missed last time I was in Barcelona, when I was not feeling well.
We went to 'torre salta mar' for a pricey but fabulous dinner by a well respected chef. Both the views (of the harbour & city) and the food, were spectacular! We had the smaller of two Chefs Dinners and added the wine pairings option. It was a seven course tasting menu (smaller portions, so you can get through all seven courses), each with a different glass of wine (also small, so we could still walk). The taste combinations of the artistically designed dishes were mind blowing, as was how they blended with, or altered, the qualities of the paired wines! We left 3 hours later, fully satisfied but not stuffed, and totally amazed by the flavour profiles we had experienced. I had also had some firsts which I was surprised that I liked as much as I did, including duck fois gras and black truffle.
The following evening was quite opposite. We wandered 2 blocks over from our hotel to La Rambla, the famous, mostly pedestrian, street that connects Plaza Catalunia, in the centre of town, with the harbour. There are many to tourist stalls and restaurant patios down a central boulevard, with a single line of traffic allowed on either side. We found a nice place for tapas (small plates of sharable food) and sangria while we chatted and watched all the people walk by.
The next morning, we packed up, checked out, and headed to the port to embport to embark on our next adventure: a 12 day cruise from Baralona to Venice, with stops in France, Italy, Greece, and Turkey!
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