Days 42-46 - Half Finished Tables & Churches....Slack Work All Round

After our successful spell as carpenters in Italy it was now time to turn our attention to a bit of stonework. First up; knock down/smash to pieces the old table, beats an anger management class any day. Then on to the slightly more tricky task of building a new one.  This has been my main task for the week, and by Friday although there’s still some laying of tiles and grouting to do the table is basically built.....well ok half built, but good enough to sacrifice an allegorical lion on, even if I do say so myself.

In the meantime Becki has taken on the role of head gardener, and has motored her way through various pruning, sweeping and weeding types of task.

Saturday was our first free day this week, so we set off for Barcelona. There was a bit of a mix up with the bus early on (as in it didn’t turn up) but a quick change of plan, a short train ride later and we were taking in the sights of the Catalan capital.

 

First up we took a meandering route through the Gothic Quarter, past the Spanish version of the Arc de Triumph and then the old Bull fighting arena on our way up to Gaudi’s unfinished cathedral the Sagrada Família, the intricate details and towering spires were all very impressive but if I’d hired some builders and they still weren’t done 100 years later I’d want my money back!

     

Next we set our sights on walking down ‘The Ramblas’, the main street for museums, galleries and shopping. 

Passed some more funky Gaudi buildings on the way, including one the depicts the legend of St George and the Dragon (that guy seems to get all the gigs in this town.....Gaudi that is, not St George).

 

Even the regular shops, apartments and office buildings all seem to be covered in any number of turrets, spires and clever architectural details. 

That evening we headed back to Sitges to catch their celebrations for the Santa Tecla festival, this involved some giant royalty and paper mache dragons parading around the streets followed by a barrage of firecrackers to scare off the evil spirits. 

And in case that didn’t do the trick a round of three mortars fired into the air signalled the start of the most impressive firework display either of us had ever seen, including what I can only describe as ‘two-stage’ rockets, heart shaped bursts and fireworks that detonated on the sea!

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