Rain forecast overnight happens but not much. It stirred up the homeless guys sleeping rough outside, I’m guessing with a little chemical help. They are yelling a lot of the night.

8am the taxi arrives, €10 to Sorolla train station which again works out well. Thumbs up to Spanish taxi drivers and their fares.

The Navigator argues the train on the board, No 01092 showing Alicante 8.55 is not ours. I advise its the arrival board not the departures board which shows the destination Barcelona Sants 9.05  . She struggles with the concept a bit does finally grasp it.

Fun Population Fact         Madrid 3.2m Barcelona 1.6m  Valencia 800k

Our train is a little late but after our platform comes up on the board we’re through security and on platform 9 where the tickets are checked.

This is a nicer train than the one from Madrid, more room better seats. It’s a duck billed sleak looking unit in need of a wash on the outside.

The train in Spain,

Was late, but in the main,

It was fine, there was rain,

As we sped across the plain

I hate to be a pain,

The Navigator lost again,

Nearly drove her insane

An argument that was in vain,

About time and platform of our train.

There is lots of intensive agriculture on the outskirts of Valencia, all irrigated but mostly plains, however there are mountains that hug the Mediterranean coast as we edge towards Barcelona.

This train runs at about 200km/hr. Very civilised, good coffee. I manage to knock over a few chapters of A Death in Cornwell” by Daniel Silva. Gabriel Allon is one of my favourite fictional characters.

We have lunch in Barcelona Sants train station waiting for our apartment to be ready.

Taxi rank at the train station is bedlam but €19 gets us to out apartment. We rush in, throw our gear down and head up the ramblas to meet our walking tour group of the Gothic area of old Barcelona. Tamara is a Chilean girl who has lived in Australia, Portugal and now calls Barcelona home. Great tour ,too much to see, too tired to tell you.

Tomorrow we see Goudu’s the Sagrada Familia Church.

Ciao from Barcelona

Pauolo