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Barcelona: We’ve Arrived!

KayLynn · June 1, 2017 · Leave a Comment

After a successful landing in Barcelona, all the passengers were looking forward to deplaning.  It was disappointing to find we had to carry our roller bags down old-fashioned stairs.  There were several buses waiting once we got off to take us to passport control.

That line took 45 minutes to an hour plus depending on the bus you boarded.  It was long, hot and frustrating.  Once through passport control, we were able to get to the baggage carousels and find our luggage.  Finally, we could exit customs and enter the main terminal.

Getting to our AirBnB

For transportation to the Airbnb apartment, we had booked a shuttle with SunTransfers.com.  We found the driver but not sister M who was arriving via Amsterdam on Delta.  It turns out that she had gotten to the driver first (even though she arrived nearly an hour after us but didn’t have passport control).  After a few minutes we were all located and led to the shuttle van.

Despite our tired state we admired the scenery on the way to the Bac De Roda section of town where the apartment was located.

This hillside cemetery fascinated me. We drove by it several times during our stay in Barcelona.

We couldn’t check into the apartment until 2 pm but had arranged to drop our bags and pick up the keys.  I had a heck of a time figuring out how to get into the building.  Fortunately someone came out and I was in but then couldn’t figure out the apartment numbers.  The problem was me!

I thought the address was 37 1/2.  Turns out it was 37, 1-2.  This means first floor (second to us Americans) and apartment 2.  We found it with help from another resident and dropped our bags, got the keys and went to a nearby cafe/bar, Granja Cafeteria, for some food.

First Lunch in Barcelona

He only had cold food until 2 pm but we were fine with that.

We were surprised to find tomatoes spread on the ham sandwich!

We didn’t always get exactly what we expected, but all was tasty!

An egg “tortilla” sandwich

We enjoyed the food and drink.

We sent a pic of us dining to our families to let them know we made it and were already enjoying our long awaited vacation!

Outside dining at Granja.

After lunch we went to the grocery store around the corner for some supplies.  Even though it wasn’t quite time, we headed back to the apartment and found it empty and ready for us.

When getting ready for a much needed nap, I discovered my first mistake in buying something different than it appeared.  The bottled water was with “gas” (otherwise known as sparkling water) and I needed natural for my CPAP’s humidifier.  Easily solved with tap water for now.

Dinner in Barcelona

After three hours we were refreshed enough to search out dinner and headed out for tapas at a nearby restaurant, El Manolo, recommended by the Airbnb host.

The outing turned out to be a unique, fun, tasty experience.  Our waiter spoke English (not great, but better than our Spanish) and guided us through the menu.

I ordered a glass of red house wine which was only 2.10 euros; 10 cents more than soft drinks.

First came papas bravas which included two delicious dipping sauces.

Next came chicken nuggets.

This next dish tasted way better than it looked.  I think it was called huevos estrellados con jamon (eggs with ham).

Who knew that eggs over french fries could taste so good!

The next dish I selected and it was not a hit.  It was torta de camarones (shrimp).

I thought it was dry and overcooked.  Our next dish was bread with tomato and oil.  It was good but just because the bread in Europe is just so tasty.

Our last dish was my favorite.

The pork sausage on top was fatty, but the steak was delicious!  Our bill for six plates and four drinks was just 44 euros and we tipped our waiter for all his help.

On the 2 block walk back to the apartment we stopped at the grocery and this time I got regular water bottles!  We didn’t stay up late as jet lag was still with us.  Our first day in Barcelona was done and we were happy.

If you missed the other parts of the recap the links are below.

Next Vacation: Barcelona and Norwegian Epic
Barcelona Flights and Lodging Plans
Norwegian Epic: Port Call Plans
Norwegian Epic: Traveling to Barcelona

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Filed Under: Cruises Tagged With: #Epic2017, Barcelona, Norwegian Epic

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