Barcelona

On arrival in Barcelona, it was a relief to be off that crowded plane. Maybe Easter was not the best time to be travelling. At Passport Control, the man seemed as if he’d never had an arrival from Australia before and told his colleague. They were even more excited to hear I was about to walk the Camino de Santiago and wanted to know where I was starting and how long it would take me, asking if I spoke Spanish. A little, I said modestly.

Then I had to pass through a big area set aside for Health Control, where I had to show the Spanish Govt QR code. This linked to the online form and I’d filled in before leaving Perth which showed my vaccination record. I sailed through as it was quiet. I realised that all the EU citizens had been chanelled off and they comprised most of the passengers on my flight. Those foreigners arriving without the special QR code probably had to be tested for COVID. There was a station in the centre of the room with a group of nurses in full protective clothing, but with nothing to do.

I took the Metro from the airport to Barcelona Sants Station. A kind young man carried my bag up the many flights of stairs and even as far as the taxi rank. I recognised the entrance to Hostal Oliva on the corner of Passeig de Gracia and rode the tiny elevator up to the 4th Floor. My single room is very small and overlooks a light well, but the price is a bargain for this part of town. The Senora gave me a chocolate bunny.

It was a lovely sunny afternoon and the street was alive with visitors and locals strolling about on Easter Sunday, even though the shops were closed. Across the road from Oliva,  I had previously eaten at a typical Spanish pavement cafe. Now it has become a fast food restaurant called Five Guys. They make a big thing of their “fries” and announce each day where their potatoes have been sourced:

The bags in the second pic are full of potatoes. The boxes contain cooking oil!

Later I walked further afield and discovered proper tapas restaurants: next time I’ll know where to go.