BARCELONA, SPAIN

BARCELONA

SPAIN

October 2012

What an awesome city! 

It was the first time any of the family had been to Barcelona and we can't wait to go back. We stayed at the Majestic Hotel in one of the four bedroom apartments. They are located looking over the Passeig de Gracia to the main hotel with the Sagrada Familia in the background. On the balcony you can see the tourists visiting Gaudi's Casa Mila. The buzz of the street below, the smell of delicious food and the vibe the city projects is electric.

 Hotel Majestic & Casa Mila from our balcony

Whenever we travel I make sure that I have all bases covered. We hate it when time is wasted planning the day or just wandering around and not really achieving anything. Therefore, I spend a lot of time looking up websites, speaking to people who have been and booking as much on line as possible. 

I had heard that if you want to see Barcelona properly then get on one of the open-air buses that tour the city. This isn't usually our thing, however in Barcelona I agree this is a must! You can hop on and off and since Barcelona is surrounded by hills it really saves your legs. 

The bus took us up to the MNAC Art Gallery where we decided to alight. The Art Gallery has an amazing view over the city and a welcoming cafe where you can get an ice-coffee or cold drink. From here you can either hop back on the bus or do what we did and walk back down the hill. Fortunately for us we found the Montjuic Restaurant directly opposite the funicular that takes you up to the Castell de Montjuic. From the outside it doesn't look like much, but the food was incredible and the wine even better. The uninterrupted views are well worth the stop for lunch.

The view from the MNAC Art Gallery

Looking over the city from Montjuic Restaurant

 I love travelling with the children.Their energy is endless and they absorb everything around them with a totally different perspective to us. My kids are particularly good at walking. In fact they are more like dogs that zig-zag across the path, run up and come back, slow down to a dawdle and then skip past with a giggle. So when we are organising family holiday's, I always keep in mind that we have to do something for the kids each day. In a city like Barcelona there are endless things to do with children, however on this trip the pool at the Majestic Hotel, albeit small, would have to have one of the best views of the Sagrada Familia and the Mediterranean Sea. Unfortunately, the kids took more interest in their Coke and chips than they did of the view!

The view from the Hotel Majestic Pool

Gaudi is everywhere in Barcelona. His architecture is unbelievable and what a forward thinking city to allow his ideas to be built. They really make the city. From the street lights, parks, buildings and of course the Cathedral, without these quirks I'm afraid it would probably be just another city. We visited the Casa Mila/La Pedrera at dusk (about an hour before closing). It was the perfect time to go as it was cool, uncrowded and the lights and shadows made the visit all the more special. You can book tickets in advance to the Gaudi museums, however be aware that the queues are huge from a very early hour.

Casa Mila/La Pedrera at dusk

We had dinner at Cintos Jonas,  which was in walking distance of the hotel and very nice. 

When people talk about Barcelona they always say you have to walk down La Ramblas and visit the market La Boqueria. The La Ramblas on a really busy day, you will find yourself shoulder to shoulder with other tourists trying to navigate the tree-lined street, with vendors selling baby turtles and ice-creams (not together!). Fortunately, we were in Barcelona at the end of the summer when the streets weren't so packed.

La Ramblas

La Boqueria is a sight for sore eyes. Even if you don't like going to the butcher or fish market, this is a must. Just to see how they display the food is unbelievable. Do not miss this whatever you do, so make sure it is open the day you want to visit. From memory it is closed Sunday. There are tapas bars skirting the market or you can just sit up at the counter and have a coffee. The sweets, cold press meats... my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Two happy little piggies welcoming you to the market

 The magnificent displays of produce are a must to see

Take time to really have a wander around the back streets and different quarters of Barcelona. It definitely well worth dedicating a day to doing nothing but wandering. There are treasure troves in the back streets of shops and cafes.

My father-in-law is a boat fanatic, so whenever we travel together I always try and find something maritime to do. Barcelona's Maritime Museum is located at the end of La Ramblas in the Old Town. It has the largest collection of figureheads of any Maritime Museum. Unfortunately 90% of the museum was closed for renovation the day we visited. We were gutted - it was going to be one of the trips highlights and we'd set aside a good amount of time to visit. What we did see, however was very interesting and we have made a vow to return when it re-opens.

One of the figureheads on display

The restaurant Escriba is to die for and fantastic for a seaside lunch of paella. The view over the ocean instantly transports you to a resort destination and its hard to believe you are on the outskirts of a major city. It was still warm enough for the kids to swim (albeit in their undies as we hadn't packed their swimmers!) and there were still a couple of umbrellas and chairs set up so that when they had finished lunch and got bored they went and lay down and hired a local girl to give them a massage. What a life.

 Paella and seafood at Escriba

After lunch roll onto the beach for a massage

Parc Guell is another fine example of Gaudi's work. Overlooking the city it has a maze of walkways and paths. Buskers play throughout the park and when we were there there was a local school children's choir filling the Sala Hipostila with all its columns and mosaics. Take a picnic and enjoy all the features the park has to offer.

Parc Guell is a fine example of Gaudi's incredible work

Its incredible how much you eat when you are travelling. Our days revolve around where we are going to get our next meal. Barcelona constantly impressed us with the food on offer. Even the croissants were better than what we'd had in France! Tapas bars are fantastic, however be prepared to wait a while to get a table at the popular places. My advice is to get there close to opening time, put your name on the waiting list and go and have a drink somewhere else or at the bar. They will usually give you an indication of the wait time.

We had a fabulous tapas at Cerveceria Catalana. The bar had a great atmosphere and the service was fast and food and wine exceptional. 

A typical tapas bar

The Castell de Montjuic was built in the 1700's and was again used during the Spanish Civil War in 1936. It's a fascinating and interesting fortress with spectacular views of the city and Med on one side and the port and airport on the other. The funicular takes you up to the fortress or its an uphill 10-15 minute walk. 

By this stage it had started to rain, so we opted for a nice lunch and spot of shopping. Zara was a huge attraction for my daughter and then my son (after he'd seen what 'she' got). Oysho is another great shop and of course espadrilles are a novelty!

The Sagrada Familia Cathedral is unbelievable. If you can, get tickets online or at least a day before you go as the queues are huge and even when we visited at 5.30pm there was still a large crowd of people both inside and out. From a distance the Cathedral is awe-inspiring, but close up and inside it is breathtaking. You can take a tour up to the top of the Cathedral, however for some reason the tower wasn't open when we visited. Just to sit and take in the ambiance is enough.

 Sagrada Familia

We had been recommended the Fish Shop for dinner and as it was just down the street from where we were staying it was the perfect choice. Below street level, it was very relaxed and the food sensational.

Our last day in Barcelona was lunch at Sagardis which was recommended to us by the doorman of the hotel. It is located in the La Ribera quarter. La Ribera is a really buzzy part of Barcelona with tourists, shops and boutique hotels. I will definitely push to stay in this area when we return.

FRANCE - LE CANAL DU MIDI

LE CANAL DU MIDI

FRANCE

29 September - 9 October 2012

Finally I've found the time to sit down and write about our trip down the Canal du Midi.

This was our second canal trip. Our first trip was on the Canal du Nivernais, which was just amazing, however as picturesque as it was there really weren't a lot of villages "open for business" and we found that the markets which had been written up in the Waterways Guide were no longer operating. We did however, cruise through Chablis and imbibed on all the wonderful produce the area had to offer.

This trip we had the same crew comprising of my husband, two children and my in-laws. We travel really well together and have found that boating is a great way of seeing a lot whilst only unpacking once!

The Canal du Midi has various boat operators, however both times we rented boats through Le Boat and found them to be extremely comfortable and clean with knowledgable and helpful staff both at the ports and along the canal.

Beziers

With the canal being in the south of France we chose to fly to Barcelona. Arriving at 7.30am, in the pouring rain, we navigated out way through the airport to the car rental company, collected our nine seater manual wagon and headed over the Pyrenees, through the rain cloud, over the boarder and down to Beziers (Port Cassafieres) where Le Boat is located. My in-laws were already in France and staying in Beziers. By 4.30pm the men had completed their induction, the girls had done the grocery shopping and we headed off up the canal towards Castlelaundry. A trip which can be done in a week, however we chose to take a cruisy ten days.

The rain had been constant, however we were told that it was forecast to clear, so we didn't rush to catch the first lock (PK218) by the closing time of 6.00pm. We decided to pull up along side the canal and settle in for the night.

All boats are fitted with metal pegs and a hammer for anchoring to the shore. As often as you are told not to tie up to trees along the canal, the pegs just aren't strong enough to hold such a heavy boat and with the constant gentle currant its very easy to wake up find yourself drifting down the canal. Fortunately at midnight I woke up to a strange noise, only to find we were about to be set free off down the canal. Thank god, my husband is tall and could jump the distance between the boat and the shore to rescue us. What a surprise everyone got when they awoke to find the boat facing the wrong way!

The locks open at 9.00am (not a minute before) and there is usually a little argy-bargy to get in first. They take around 20 minutes to navigate and about three boats can fit comfortably in each. We have learned from experience it is a benefit to get up early, have breakfast and be organised to get the early lock. If you don't then you have to wait for it to empty and return which is another 20-30 minutes.

The "Neuf Ecluses" (The Fonserannes Staircase) is located just on the other side of Beziers. It is a staircase of nine locks and takes you up 22 metres. The staircase takes about 40 minutes to navigate and a lot of concentration. They really squash you in and you need all eyes on deck to make sure your boat doesn't get smashed and scraped. If you are like us and the first boat in the lock, when they open the sluice gates the power of the water is terrifying and you honestly can't understand how you are not going to sink! Double check the opening times for going up-stream. I think it is from 10.00am - 12.15pm and then again from 4.00pm - 6.00pm. This is not somewhere you really want to have to wait all afternoon, because you got there at 12.20pm!

Les Fonserannes Staircase

Once at the top of the staircase its an easy, picturesque ride of 50km before the next lock. Settle in and take advantage of the wonderful scenery.

Colombiers isn't a great place to stay, but does have facilities for refilling water tanks etc.

Poilhes is a really lovely town. It has a small grocery stores which sells fresh bread and pastries. At PK192 is Domaine de Guery. It's a 400 year old winery which offeres tastings and demonstrations. We didn't stop here as it was still early morning!

Poilhes

Capestang has quite a big marina and is a well established town. The Cathedral is a dominating sight as you cruise into the town. It's about a 10 minute walk into the centre square where you'll find restaurants, cafes, a laundry, grocery store and bakery. We had a very nice lunch at "Le Provence" just off the square. 

 Capestang

Argeliers has its market day on Saturday! (In the book it said Tuesday.) It was here that we had a problem with our grey water not draining properly so we moored and waited for Le Boat to send someone to have a look at it. Argeliers is another pretty town. Again it's a good 10 minute walk to the centre where they have a great butcher (who will happily give you the rugby scores), baker and grocer. There is also a cave coop which has good local wine. 

We had decided to keep our car with us, so each day my husband and I would cycle back along the roads/bike paths and collect the wagon! On average it would take us about an hour round trip and we could do it well before breakfast. It gave us a fantastic amount of freedom to visit far off places. From Argeliers we drove to a little town called Roquebrun. The village was a good 40 minute drive and it is set into the side of a mountain. Just magic with the river in front and church on the hill. It was the highlight of our trip so far!

 Roquebrun

Up near the church is a community garden which you can pay to visit. Otherwise do what we did and buy a couple of pizzas from the local Pizzeria, a bottle of wine and sit at the picnic table,under the oak tree, outside the church, on the top of the hill and enjoy the spectacular views of the local vineyards, river and mountains. Make sure you take your good walking shoes. It's a steep hill!

Le Somail was an early stop for postal barges, back in the day. It's a really pretty village and well appointed with galleries, shops, cafes and restaurants. The grocery store is located on a barge and open until 7.00pm. Make sure you order your bread and pastries for the next morning.

Le Somail

We had a fantastic dinner at L'Or la Bouche and stumbled the two steps back to our boat and bed!

The hat museum is a must! It's just out of Le Somail (walking distance) and a treasure trove of history. An amazing collection of hats from all over the world.

Narbonne - you can detour down the Canal de Jonction to Narbonne, however it is a good day trip to do so. We chose to leave the boat in Paraza and drive to Narbonne for the day. It was hot, busy and although good to see, I think I would have prefered to stay and have a quiet day on the boat. I'm not much of a shopper (unlike my mother-in-law) so poking around looking at clothes was pretty boring. The Cathedral was impressive and when we entered the organist was playing and it was nice and cool.

After our day out we moved on down to the Pechlaurier Ecluse (PK150). Unfortunately, just as we arrived a boat was going up so the eclusier wouldn't bring it back down for us until the following morning. There is a great walk up a hill here that looks back over the canal. Even if you don't plan on stopping here, try and get up to the lookout and see where you are. It's pretty cool.

Pechlaurier Lookout

Homps - Le Boat have a base at Homps, so we were able to change our sheets and towels and a couple of bikes, which had broken chains and brakes. Homps is a lovely little village with a wine store and cafe.

I am so pleased however that we did have access to a car. Supermarkets are always a long way off, so buying supplies is limited on the canal. The Midi is far better than the Nivernais, however noone really explains how isolated you can be and if you haven't provisioned well enough, you could be going to bed on a piece of bread and cup of tea.

Carcassonne is a sight and the Cite is a must to visit. We drove from Homps for the day and thoroughly enjoyed visiting the museum and walking the cobble streets of the magnificent castle. Unfortunately, it is very touristy and the crowds of people can be quite overwhelming especially when you want to sit down for lunch. However, do take the time to wander around and learn about the history of the castle.

Carcassonne

We were to continue our journey to Castlelaundry and have another three days on the boat, however we detoured to Montpellier Hospital, after my son came off his bike. Nothing more than a grazed face and arm, but enough for the doctors to admit and monitor him for concussion. Montpellier is a beautiful city and I was glad to have a couple of days to see it. From there we returned over the Pyrenees to Barcelona for a week.