New Years Day was just as quiet as NYE and Christmas Day. I was in desperate need of human interaction as the dogs alone just weren’t cutting it! Luckily, it wasn’t long before I was picking Mark and Jacki up from Alicante airport but it was to be a brief catch up and handover as I needed to hit the road for the six hour drive north to Barcelona and be reunited with my good wife. We had been apart for about a week, which is a long time particularly as we had been living out of each other’s pockets for the previous six months!
We enjoyed our time in Almoradi looking after Buddie and Skye and we have fond memories of Navidad in the small town. We didn’t get to Benidorm which wasn’t too far away but having recently watched a British sitcom called ‘Benidorm’ we are satisfied that it’s not our kind of destination! We would be happy to return to the Torrevieja area some time, particularly some of the smaller beachside towns.
Linda’s new abode was an apartment in Castelldefels, on the beach just south of the airport and about a twenty minute train ride into downtown Barcelona.
I mentioned Bob and Gina in the previous blog. They and their two dogs Chewie and Murphy live in their beachside apartment for the winter months and they spend the other half of the year at their home in France to escape the Spanish summer. They were flying to the UAE to visit their daughter for a couple of weeks so we were there to look after Chewie and Murphy and walk them on the beach a couple of times a day. A tough gig I know, but we were up for the challenge!
As soon as I arrived after a long days drive Linda grabbed her bag put the dogs on their leads and said, “We’ve got to go down to the beach!” as there was a parade celebrating the three kings. ‘Three Kings Day’ is celebrated in a bigger way than Christmas Day in Spain. It’s actually the day kids open their presents. The parade attracted thousands of people to watch three heavily costumed kings arriving at the beach on camel back and parading out on vintage cars. Quite a sight!
I had never been to Barcelona before (other than a brief stopover) so I was stoked to be spending my birthday there. We caught the train into town and spent hours walking around, taking it all in. We couldn’t get in to see the Sagrada Familia that day but that was just as well because it almost needed a full day in itself. We did however find a restaurant that was recommended to us by Bob and Gina and enjoyed a gastronomic treat for my birthday lunch.
The morning walks on the beach were invigorating. The sand was always freshly combed and it was quite brisk until the sun came up. Then it was time to decide which beachside cafe to visit (I told you it was going to be tuff) of course I tried them all to determine which one would become my regular. Chewie was content to sit in the sun but the older, grumpier Murphy would start barking when he wanted to go home. We would be graced with Linda’s company for the evening walks which we timed to coincide with the stunning sunsets.
The day we did go back into town to see Sagrada Familia was also a bright sunny day. It was at the ticket office I was offered a ‘sixty and over’ seniors discount for the first time – I didn’t know whether to be happy or miserable!
What can I say about this place? I had been getting a bit tired of all the churches we have been in to see but this one just blew me away. The detail and engineering that has gone into it is astonishing. I had heard about it of course but I had no idea it was still a work in progress and even the proposed completion date of 2026 is said to be a bit ambitious. 2026 was chosen as it marks the 100th anniversary of architect Antoni Gaudi’s death and 144 years after the commencement of construction.
As good as these pictures look, they just do not convey the ‘awesomeness’ of this inspiring building.
Gaudi’s other works in the city are also spectacular and seem to be way ahead of their time. He was an amazing talent and he was killed by a tram of all things! I guess when your time’s up, it’s up!
Chewie and Murphy were good dogs. Murphy has been a long time family pet. He keeps to himself and is a no nonsense sort of a dog. Chewie was a rescue dog from Mexico! A playful mature pup but could be a bit timid. Linda warned me before I arrived that he can be wary of men. When I did arrive at the front door he did this weird backwards walk to the other end of the apartment, but he soon warmed to me, who wouldn’t!!!
‘What’s a Mexican rescue dog doing in Spain?’ You might ask, I asked the same question! Apparently Bob & Gina’s daughter was living in Mexico and took Chewie, a rescue dog, on as a young pup. When her family relocated to the UAE they had to find a new home for him so Bob and Gina flew him over. What a lucky dog – from the streets of Mexico to comfortable homes in France and Spain!
Our time in Castelldefels was another enjoyable housesit in an amazing place but all good things must come to an end. We picked up Bob and Gina from El Prat airport, a convenient twenty minute drive away, to return them to their four legged babies. They were tired after a long flight home so we let them rest and drove to La Rambla to enjoy our last day in Barcelona. It’s an amazing city that buzzes with excitement every corner you turn. We returned to the apartment and were surprised with a home cooked fish meal, enjoyed some fine wine and good conversation before packing our bags for the long trek to Paris via Andorra, for a spot of shopping.