Barcelona is our sixth port stop in six days and there seems to be a general questioning among the older set aboard as to why are we doing this so fast? Need to catch our breath. It has been quite hot and humid but not the ‘crisis’ portrayed in the media. Then, again we are by the water which cools things down a bit. It could be a different story inland and in the north. Speaking of the ‘older set’, many are still getting out and about in the sunshine, others though are happy to remain on board. The average age onboard has it seems dropped to just below 70! Some younger people appear to have got onboard in Dubai, and there are the four who have sadly dropped off the perch, perhaps affecting the averaging. Feeling a little older.

Barcelona is too big to do everything in one day. So it is off to see a couple of the main sites and viewing points. Our guide takes us through into the Old City’s Gothic quarter and a viewing of the Cathedral of Barcelona. The Cathedral is in the Gothic style and is quite dark inside, some 600 years old.

We have a walk up and down some of the old narrow streets dating back to medieval and Roman times.

Back on the bus for the drive to La Sagrada Familia. This is something of a spectacle designed by Spain’s famous architect Antoni Gaudi. It has been under construction since 1882 or thereabouts. Gaudi died in 1926 and others have been faithfully forging ahead since then.

Pre COVID the objective was to have it completed by 2026 for the centenary of his death. But, like many other things COVID has been the gremlin in the time line and it seems that it will not be completed till 2032, 150 years after it was started. Meanwhile cranes and scaffolding abound.

Rejoining the bus we continue on a scenic drive around town on the way to Montjuic Mt for a look over the city from on high. We pass by the city’s bull ring, the ornate Plaza de Toros Monumental de Barcelona. Bull fighting was banned in the Catalan region of Spain in 2011, although overturned a few years later there hasn’t been a bull fight here since. The building now serves as an entertainment stadium.

The view from the top of Montjuic is panoramic, capturing the entire city. Quite a special outlook.

Although we are in port here till quite late at night it is back to the ship for a late lunch snack and then put the feet up for a bit of R & R.

All this activity has caused the Blog to slip behind our actual schedule by a few days. In Blog time we now have a day at sea before arriving at Malaga further down the coast towards Gibraltar. In actual time we are out in the Atlantic about to head, later this evening, across the Bay of Biscay. So, Allthego has a bit of work to get up to date.