Leaving Russia: Hello Barcelona

Leaving Russia: Hello Barcelona

The day before we were scheduled to leave Russia was spent packing all our crap up once again into our various backpacks and getting ready to head off to the Moscow Domodedovo airport. As Fiona & my next flight was leaving at the ungodly hour of 5:40am the next morning we had decided to check-in to the local airport hotel the night before to make the transition a little less painful, and Yates decided to do the same even though his flight left a far more reasonable time of 9:00am. Packed and ready, we left the apartment in as good a condition as we found it, including a toilet lid fix, (don’t ask..!), and crammed ourselves into an Uber to the airport hotel. We all chilled out for a while before heading over to the airport itself to check out the dining options for the evening, and we collectively decided that our final meal in Russia was going to be Burger King.... After eating we made our way back to the Airport hotel at around 8pm and said our goodbyes to Yates, as we wanted to get an early night if we were going to get up at 3am for our check-in and flight.

It’s always sad having to say goodbye to friends at the end of a great holiday, and this time was no

exception, maybe I’m just getting a bit soft in my old age, but as this might be the last World Cup we attend together, I had a real lump in my throat as I hugged Yates goodbye. I know I am not the easiest person in the world to get along with when confined in my exclusive company for 6 weeks or more, (just ask Fiona, she’ll tell ya.!), but Yates always does a great job at hiding any annoyance or irritation I cause and has a cheery smile and a positive attitude at all times. This trip has been a little different from the past, as Yates has had the distraction and additional responsibility for looking after his family members that joined us throughout this trip, helping them solve the myriad of issues associated with such an ambitious adventure, and I think both Fiona & I have a new found respect for Yates’s patience and perseverance. Without these abilities, none of these World Cup trips would have been possible over the past 24 years, and for that reason alone, I will be forever grateful, so long mate, see you next time wherever that may be...

When I was planning this trip a couple of years ago, the fact that this year we would be potentially still be traveling over Fiona’s fiftieth birthday needed to be taken into account, so I asked her where she wanted to spend this significant birthday. As we would be on the other side of the World to home the week before the big day, I told her that she could choose anywhere in the world to spend her special day as it would invariably be on our way home, and so the next leg of our adventure was going to be a week in Barcelona. Our flight out of Moscow was uneventful and we had  a pleasant enough time with lounge access at Heathrow during our stop-over there, before an equally humdrum flight and swift airport bus into the heart of the city, and we arrived at our swanky hotel midway between ‘Plaça de Catalynya’ and ‘Plaça Universitet’, by mid-afternoon. After a brush & wash up, and being only 3 minutes from Las Rambla, we went out into the streets to reacquaint ourselves with this mesmerising Spanish city. It had been 17 years since we had both coincidentally been in Barcelona last and things didn’t seem to have changed much, maybe a bit busier and more hectic, it’s hard to tell in a city like Barcelona. Having just come from

Moscow the one thing that we noticed immediately was how much dirtier and scruffy Barcelona was in comparison, but I guess that has always been a part of its charm. It wasn’t long before we were wandering done Las Ramla, dodging street performers, hawkers, and wave upon wave of fellow tourists, before we headed off into some of the side streets to look for food. Fortunately, we stumbled into the back of the Boqueria market which fortunately was still in the process of closing up, and found a fabulous outdoor market stall cum restaurant called theRambelero, and sat down for some well earned Tapas. I’m not sure if it was the heat, our hunger, or the tiredness of travel, but once we started eating & drinking we just couldn’t stop, it was delicious, so delicious in fact that we found ourselves ordering a second round of Tapas and drinks, and stuffed ourselves completely. Even though it was comparatively early, most people were heading out to look for something to eat as we waddled back to our hotel, we still found time to head to the roof-top terrace for a couple of nightcaps. What a start to the week in Barcelona.

Over the next few days, we did quite a bit of sightseeing and touristy things that you just seem to find yourself doing when in Barcelona. We took ourselves on a little excursion around the hillside attractions of Montjuic, riding on the cable car up to wander around the castle, before stopping off on the way down again at Miramar for a sit in the shade, and then heading over to sit outside the MNAC art gallery and taking in the commanding view down across the city down into Plaça d'Espanya and beyond. We have also taken part in the traditional ritual for all visitors to Barcelona that is wandering the streets and looking up at the buildings designed by Gaudi, before finding a shady park area, of which there are not that many

in the heart of the city, to rest, eat an ice cream and do that other traditional pastime in Barcelona; people-watch, there is always something to see if you sit around long enough. We spent Sunday morning in the park and then along the seafront afternoon, taking the aerial tram from the port to Miramar, and having a well-earned drink overlooking the city once again.

Every day so far has been burning hot day, maybe too hot for this sort of meanderings, but you’ve got

to do it if you want to absorb this city and see it in all its glory. By mid-afternoon most days we were headed back to the air-conditioned luxury of our room for a little siesta, (you know, when in Rome....) Most evenings we have been tired and didn’t venture too far from the hotel to look for dinner, but the choice of places to eat close by is astounding. Fiona indulged me with dinner and few beers at the BrewDog bar which is not too far away, and we had a really nice Indian meal too. The thing that draws most of these days to a close is heading up to the rooftop bar at the hotel for a Cava & Sangria or two, just for a change.