Category Archives: Spain

The one where we visit a museum

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OK, after a less than stellar start, we arrived at Figueres determined to have a Significant Cultural Experience and were willing to pay. Figueres is host to the Dali Theatre-Museum so it augured well. But welcome to rural Spain. Getting there is easy enough, but don’t assume everyone speaks English. We got onto what (we hoped) was the local bus to get us there. I guess the bus driver knew enough to drop us off near the Dali Museum because that’s where everyone goes and our accommodation was right outside. Tasha was still a bit worse for wear, so I took a wander through the old town and found myself outside the Technology Museum which, quite frankly, I don’t know how it keeps running for only 3 Euro entrance fee. With that name I suppose you might be thinking that I was walking into a museum of old computers, but no, it was primarily typewriters and sewing machines! It might seem an odd collection, but it is well worth seeing. The top floor had typewriters from all over the world since they were first created and was a fascinating insight into how ‘technology’ evolves over time. Each was a thing of beauty and I cannot help but feel we lose something as we make these advances, although I am the first to appreciate said advances. I also do not want to go back to my old PC with no hard drive. Sentimentality only goes so far.

But that wasn’t why we were here. We were waiting at the Dali Museum door come 9:30 and went into… some guys permanent acid trip. I mean, it was just bonkers, but perfectly wonderful. There must be something in the water in Spain to be able to produce such over-the-top extravaganzas. Floor after floor of paintings, sculptures and installations – and let’s not forget the Dali jewel museum next door. Significant Cultural Experience achieved!

Next stop: France

Eat: Bocam

See: Dali Theatre-Museum, Technology Museum of l’Emporda

Back in the saddle again

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Can you believe it’s been two and half years since I’ve been on a holiday? (the Cape to Cape trek late 2017 doesn’t qualify as it was basically six days of agony). Well, never mind the why and wherefore – Euro-Sam is back and off on a month-long adventure through Spain, France and Italy! And in what is surely a test of filial affection, my sister Natasha is along for the ride. While we used to share a room back in the day, we’ve never actually been on holiday together as adults, so whether we are still speaking to each other at the end of this remains to be seen 😉

Anyway, after the usual torturous long-haul flight, we arrived in sunny Barcelona ready for a fiesta. Err… sunny Barcelona? Sorry – that was just how I imagined arriving. It was grey and drizzling and we were so shattered I’m afraid we fell asleep by 7 pm. The next day we blithely ignored the rain and went out anyway, deciding that we’d just spend it inside in all the marvelous shops in the city. Except… it was the National Day of Catalonia so all the shops were closed! OK, so culture it was to be then. The first stop was La Sagrada Familia but being tight-arses of long standing we didn’t fork out for a ticket and contented ourselves to gaze at the outside. I think it’s an understatement to say I haven’t seen anything like it – and that was not even the best of it – Unexpectedly you will come across Gaudi’s all over the city, like Casa Batllo, La Pedrera – all so different and already I’m regretting not spending more time in this city. Alas, after a tapas lunch at Bormuth, Tasha contracted food poisoning and that was pretty much it for the rest of the day.

Next stop: a trip to rural spain where we hope to actually go inside a museum.

Places we went to but didn’t go in because of the queues: La Sagrada Familia, La Pedrera, Picasso Museum (visited the gift shop)

Places we went to and went in because there were no queues: Placa Sant Felip Neri, Parc de la Ciutadella

Lessons learnt: Plan ahead, book online and skip the queues. Save more money for trips of lifetime

Read while you’re here: In Diamond Square by Merce Rodoreda then visit The pigeon girl

Siesta time

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Do the octogenarians like me? Oh yes they do...

Do the octogenarians like me? Oh yes they do…

It’s kind of embarrassing to admit this, but our Spanish excursion got off to a rather ignominious start when we arrived at the airport a day early. How did this happen? We’re still not sure – but all you can really do is laugh and chalk it up to one of those travel experiences that give you good mileage at dinner parties. As it turned out, this was just the precursor to a series of cock-ups until we arrived in Seville (via Lisbon). But we’re here now and that’s what’s important!

I initially had no desire to come to Spain but now I wonder what I was thinking because I love it here. It’s a bit of a culinary adventure for me and ordering tapas is like Russian roulette with a distinct lack of English on the menus, but I’m just giving it a red hot go. Chris will eat anything I don’t anyway so I know it won’t go to waste. But the best part is how cheap everything is. Dinner is a fraction of what it would be in Geneva and we’re staying in a lovely apartment in the heart of Seville which is only 80 Euros a night. To top it all off it’s been lovely and sunny. However one of these days I’m actually going to go to Europe in spring or summer instead of the middle of winter.

The highlight of the trip would have to be a visit to El Rinconcillo a tapas bar made (in)famous by Rick Stein. We had only just started drinking when an old man came up and handed me a table napkin with a poem written on it. Google translate doesn’t quite do it justice I’m sure, but the general gist of it is that I have hair like the sun and I’m beautiful, lovely and elegant. What a charmer. Once I’d had it translated for me I went over to thank him. I’d only intended to shake his hand, but he swiftly moved in for the kiss and hug. He’s certainly got some moves on him – not bad considering he must be pushing 80, but I’ll take my compliments where I can get them these days. But it didn’t end there – he made a return trip with a handful of flowers and finally bought me a seat (stolen from the restaurant). I suspect he wanted me to buy him a beer for his efforts, but basking in my beauty should be enough reward 🙂 Eventually his wife came to drag him home, but Valentin has obviously got a good thing going on.

Go here:

Eslava – tapas bar a bit off the beaten track, but well worth the effort to find.