INTERESTING TIMES
(in Spain, Portugal and UK)
Home to Madrid
Saturday 11th May 2019
Sunday 12th May 2019
Monday 13th May 2019
Tuesday 14th May 2019
Wednesday 15th May 2019
Saturday 11th May 2019
e left home, picked up on time by Darrel of DJ's Shuttle Service (he is very reliable) despite his having pranged his normal vehicle that morning. (Not his fault).
We had dinner at Rydges, it was good - Mac had kangaroo and I had wagyu beef with a glass of wine, no dessert. So restrained of us, in preparation for the indulgences to come!
Sunday 12th May 2019
At Changi Airport, Waiting
ydney to Singapore was uneventful, just tedious. We had a good breakfast at the airport, we were early so had a very easy check-in, no probs. Though I don't know why it seems to be a good thing to print your own boarding passes in advance because they always replace them with their own flimsies.
Later:
ingapore to Barcelona. Three hours into the fifteen hour flight I felt ill, faint really, I felt I could not breathe enough oxygen so stood up to see if I could relieve it a bit. Luckily in a clear corridor, not near seats or any other protuberances I collapsed like a ton of bricks, straight down to the floor. Incredible pain ensued. The airline staff were as helpful as possible, offering paracetamol and a hot bottle, then arranging a wheelchair disembarkation through the side exit of the plane. Still in incredible pain, but we were whisked from the plane to the luggage pickup to our APT shuttle in short order.
Monday 13th May 2019
e arrived at the wonderful El Palace Hotel (used to be the Ritz, nuff said) The APT tour director, Christine Segall called an English speaking doctor who arrived shortly. She sent me to hospital, organising it first with the English speaking department of this private hospital and arranging and briefing the driver of a cab to the hospital. At the same time Christine was informing and liaising with our Travel Insurance provider.
t the hospital over the next six hours I had X-rays, blood tests, an ECG, even CT scans of my heart,.lungs and Brain (I can now state definitively that I have one) plus two IV drips of painkillers (didn't work) It finally emerged that I had fractured one rib and cracked another. I refused to stay in hospital although the doctor wanted to keep me in for a night's observation, I was determined to soldier on with the aid of all the painkillers I could get. All the other tests showed normal - they were trying to see WHY I had fallen, because there is nothing but time to do for broken ribs. So €2,500 later I rejoined the tour.
Later:
e were able to shower and change to join most of the rest of the group for our welcome drink, only 32 of us, so should be room to spread out in the bus. They seem mostly Aussies with a few Kiwis and all seem friendly,
We then went out for a short walk to find a light tapas meal: Russian salad and tuna, patatas bravas (potato wedges with hot sauce) and ham croquettes plus two coke zeros.
Our Room at El Palace Hotel, Barcelona
he Hotel has sent up a lovely vase of flowers, lilies and roses and a bowl of fresh fruit with a card of best wishes. More to the point they sent someone out to buy my medications from the pharmacy, and provided a shower chair and suction cupped grab rail for the shower without being asked. This is a great hotel. Our room is huge. You open the door, walk up a passage into the living area, arm chairs, desk, fireplace mantel with large gilt framed mirror which turned out to be the TV. Bathroom all glass, gilt and marble. Very swish.
Flowers and Fruit from the Management
oo tired and in too much discomfort to write any more tonight, It had to be my left side I damaged, so writing and eating will be problematic, especially with the arm sling the hospital provided to stop pulling the ribs apart by swinging the arm.
We headed for bed with hopes of sleep.
Tuesday 14th May, 2019
managed some sleep (surprisingly) but it was very painful getting up. We had a good buffet breakfast then set off to explore Gaudi's Barcelona.
Mac at Casa Battlo. Barcelona
he architecture of this beautiful city is eclectic and fascinating. We passed by Gaudi's Casa Perdrera with hardly a word about its undulating, ocean wave like form and headed for a visit to Casa Battlo for a before hours tour.
Door at Casa Battlo
eally good without the crowds which were forming as we left. This place, although heavily under renovation, was absolutely stunning, especially for a private house.
Fireplace at Casa Battlo. Barcelona
he decoration was organic, with wonderful timber furniture and doors, and tiles, ceramics and stained glass. Truly amazing, and I hope the Battlo family enjoyed living there.
Construction of Sagrada Familia
fter this we headed for Barcelona's major tourist hotspot, the Basilica of Sagrada Familia, still unfinished one hundred years after Gaudi's death. The city has promised that it will be finished in 2026 to celebrate the centenary of his death.
Exterior, Sagrada Familia. Barcelona
his amazing building stunned us all with reverence, even Mac. The stained glass windows which flooded the interior with light were beautiful (modern, not by Gaudi but by a later artist who was happy with Gaudi's concepts). I appreciated the interior better than the incredibly busy and intricate exterior. There was too much to try and take in, but the interior was wonderful, with columns like tree trunks holding up the various roof levels, another manifestation of Gaudi's enthusiasm for organic, natural forms.
interior, Sagrada Familia. Barcelona
he amazing thing, I think, is that a city in the late 1800s was prepared to accept a plan like it. I'm glad they did.
Outside the Basilica we had to go through Security like at the airport (not surprising) Luckily Mac had learned from our experience in Paris and had left his Swiss Army Knife at the hotel. One of our party, Jeff, was carrying his and had it confiscated. Since we left at a different exit from which we entered, Christine had to guide him back to where he had left it and join us later at the bus.
The Ceiling of the Nave, Sagrada Familia
Diana Garden Restaurant
hen our visit finished, we toured Barcelona in the coach, seeing the Port and Olympic sites, and the fantastic view from Mont Juic. My ribs were aching by the time we returned to the hotel so instead of heading out like the others for a free afternoon we chose to have lunch in the beautiful rooftop Diana Garden Restaurant, here at the hotel.
Lunching at the Diana Garden Restaurant
hen a siesta (when in Spain) before catching up with Geoff on Viber, showering and dressing for our special dinner. More later.
Later:
e had a vast country dinner at a 17th C farmhouse on the outskirts of Barcelona. It was a very picturesque place held together by a huge bougainvillea vine. We had a tasting dinner, twelve plates to share among the table (about twelve at each table) It was far too much, with constantly topped up wine. A good night. This is a good bunch, mainly Aussies, with a couple of Kiwis, very nice, an oriental couple who speak broad Aussie, and another Aussie couple of Macedonian and Hungarian origin. We are both overstuffed and boozy. Late start tomorrow, thank God.
Wednesday 15th May, 2019
Excursion to Montserrat
Montserrat's "Serrated Mountains"
e had a leisurely start this morning as we didn't have to leave until 10 a.m. I was feeling relatively OK after a reasonable night's sleep. Unfortunately it didn't last long as I forgot to take the meds with me.
We went by coach to the village at the foot of Montserrat, where we parked and transferred to the rack railway (cog wheel type) which took us up the highly scenic mountain to the monastery (Benedictine) which has been there since the 1100s.
Montserrat
ot this particular building, however, since the original was destroyed by Napoleon in 1811 and was rebuilt in the neo-Gothic style, very similar to the Abbey at Melk which we visited in 2015.
Montserrat Monastery
Montserrat Monastery
he scenery was truly awe-inspiring, you can see why the original monks built it there. It is one of the stations on the Camino di Santiago de Compostella and still gets many pilgrims.. The bare serrated peaks in fantastic shapes look like illustrations from something Grimm (or Disney) and I am glad we experienced it.
Montserrat Monastery sculpture
did not feel like fighting my way into the church as it was very crowded, but enjoyed the courtyard with its contrasting statuary and the colourfully candle lit grotto of the nuns' Convent.
Rosemary at Montserrat looking pained
y the time we left, however, I was in a lot of pain and finding it very difficult to conceal. Everyone is very kind and ask after me all the time, but I would much rather not need it. We had an enormous three course lunch at the Pilgrims' hostel and then returned down the mountain and back to Barcelona.
Just a cup of tea and an apple will do me tonight - too much food lately.
