May 21, Paris to Barcelona
We were up early, mostly pack with a few last things to throw in and get dressed and off to the train station to catch the 7:40am train. We picked this area to be able to roll our suitcases down the street and get there in 10 to 15 minutes. It is tricky for us to pick a hotel by a train station as we see the station and the tracks on the map but we don’t really know where the entrance is so if we pick wrong, we could be going a long way around as the tracks block a lot of the access as they should. We picked ok but we look for other things in a hotel that limit us, a safe, now a refrigerator for my medicine and limited or no stairs and access to the metro in some cities. Usually we are looking for a pool as well but luckily not this time. The people comments can help as well. Planning the trip can be as much fun for us as actually going on the trip. Of course when everything is booked or very expensive, it can be a real pain!
Lyon train station is the biggest in Paris and also has lots of metro lines below it as well. It is not easy to get around and find where you want to be. Because we planned this trip so quickly or maybe mistakes happen. We forgot we booked 2nd class instead of first on the train. We didn’t bring our usual bottle of water and we only grabbed some pastries at the train station as we thought we were getting a breakfast & lunch in 1st class for the 7 hour train trip. We also booked one of the seats where 4 people sit across from each other…. I sat across from a very tall young man with huge feet who his back pack under his seat, David sat across from a guy with a big carry on under his seat that opened it regularly and at first he had locked it and his code didn’t work. He was pretty upset as anyone would be until he figured out he was using the wrong code. He was a bit of an odd ducky in a way I can’t explain. After we got going, figured out how to share the space (and decide never to get that arrangement of seats again!). David went down to the bar/cafe car and returned with sandwiches & water for breakfast and life was now good again. Mistakes are part of travel but usually work out. Beautiful scenery and another trip to the bar/cafe for lunch and the rest of the trip was as we expected. The last couple hours the 2 guys left and an interesting family from England arrived and then we arrived in Barcelona. Uber arrived but we appeared to get a fast driver with quick stops for the city drive across town. We realized that in Barcelona, pedestrians appear to have the right away, at least when crossing the street. They just walk in front of cars and never seem to look. Later when we were walking around, cars would stop even if we hadn’t quite gotten to the crosswalk.
He delivered us a block from our “apartment” as it was on a no vehicles street. It was build in approx. 1914 and it had the balconies on the front like all the others row buildings did on the street. It was about 4 blocks from the beach and you would see a bit of the ocean from the balcony. Very Barcelona looking. It didn’t have an elevator so it was 2 flights up the smallest narrow stairs. Glad we weren’t on the 5th floor! Getting the suitcases up was a work out so a quick nap was in order before walking down to see the beach and getting some dinner. There were small grocery stores every block and lots of restaurants & bars.
We loved the location and all the people walking down our street under our balcony to and from the beach. It had a remodeled kitchen with washing machine and a drying rack for the balcony. The “bedroom” had a curtain for a wall and twin beds, a table with 3 chairs and a love seat sized couch (maybe to get up the stairs??) a modern bathroom.
