Wednesday June 19 – Barcelona

Bill and I walked through the Gothic area of Barcelona today.  It is a most interesting section in the old part of the city.  There are lovely squares like Placa Reial with beautiful fountains, many quaint restaurants, places to sit in the sun and watch the passing parade, and the most interesting shops and art galleries.  There was one shop that just sold plastic ducks of all shapes and sizes.  Some shop fronts were decorated with brightly coloured tiles.  Some had elephant shapes to enhance their windows.  We loved the model ant looking up at a painting in one gallery.  Fascinating things to see. 

Tonight we went to a paella dinner and flamenco dancing.  The leader of the troupe would have been in his sixties but he could move his feet more rapidly than I can blink.  On the way back to the ship we went via the area that housed the Barcelona Olympic Games.  It is a beautifully treed area of this city.  As we are approaching the longest day in the northern hemisphere, the sun is not setting till about 9:30 pm.  At 10:00 pm we set sail for Cadiz.