Up on Monday before the alarm.
TaiChi.
Breakfast banana.
Pack
Head out.
Thought I may have dressed too warmly, but. unfortunately, not. Until I reached Barcelona, where it was a balmy 17degC.
Parked.
Delayered.
Found BMW. They can provide my chain lube tomorrow noon 🙂
Happily went and checked into my hotel.
HUGE bed.
And a patio with this view…….
Unpacked.
Filled up the bike and gave it some TLC.
Then back and park in a Moto spot. I had been parked on the sidewalk by the front door. Handy, but possibly not done. Bikes and scooters seemed to be parked only on the corner.
Had a jus naranja and a queso roll. Then stopped next door (bicycle and motorcycle shop). Nice chat, but nada.
So walked back to BMW. Only 550metres. I choose wisely when it comes to hotels 🙂
There were MANY motorcycle stores in that area. Went to see what they had to offer.
First and last stop was Turo Urban.
Bought a new helmet 🙂 I have been abusing my HJC since the summer of 2015. It has saved my head dozens of times. But, nothing lasts forever. Sentimentality means that I have not thrown the HJC away yet. What I need is a grandmother! hahaha
And seeing as the guys had Givi gear, I asked about a windshield. Yes they can. But they have to ship it from Tarragona!!!! You can’t make this stuff up. Hopefully it will arrive tomorrow. If not, Thursday.
After leaving the helmet at the hotel, I went walkabout to the Picasso museum. Closed.
But saw the Christmas market, enroute.
And a great place for an ice-rink……
Warning. Enroute to the museum, I made the mistake of ordering one of these……
I know. Should not be seduced by Leicester. Especially when I asked for the ‘Leicester’ and the waitress looked at me with a blank look. Should have run away right then and there.
The Picasso museum is in Barcelona’s Gothic section. All alleys and bars. Wandering around and getting lost is the only way to be. So I did just that 🙂
Once home, with the burger still sitting heavy, self-medicated with a cognac at the bar around the corner. Did not get rid of that heavy greasy feeling.
So. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try…………hahaha
The anchovy stuffed olives helped 🙂
I’d sat outside the bar, as the evening was nice. Must be in an area that is posh.
How do I know?
A chap asked me for money. He was wearing a Burberry scarf !!!!! hahaha.
Thus endeth the first day in Barca.
Tuesday morning up before 6am. Yikes! Though I did go to bed shortly after 10pm.
No need to get up, as I only had to get to BMW by noon. 10mins away 🙂 Snoozed whilst listening to the Beeb.
Finally up at 9am.
TaiChi.
Pottered around and arrived early at BMW. Scott oil was there.
Red, not the blue! The red only works above 20degC. Luckily I apply the oil by toothbrush, so this will work AOK for me. If I had the automatic dispenser, in today’s weather, this “red” oil would be incredibly viscous, and cease flowing. Not good. But for a toothbrush, high viscosity may be an advantage 🙂
Then over to see if my Givi windshield will arrive today. Had a very non-committal answer.
By 2pm if it does.
Given somewhere (7 Portes) for lunch, so rode off to the harbour.
Had a bad lunch. 7 Portes was closed, so picked one of the places by the marina. Tourist traps. They would all have been bad. But I needed lunch. Should have stuck with vegetables? Even the potato’s tasted as if they were fried in last year’s palm oil 🙁
Back at Turo Urban for 1:35pm, to find my windshield is in 🙂
Only took an hour and a half to install.
Much faster than Wunderlich 🙂 And the Givi screen fits much better. Re-uses BMW bolts. Impressive.
Slid it down to the lowest setting when riding through town. It’s not adjustable on the fly, as my riding buddy Issa’s FJR. But adjustment on the Givi is simple and fast.
Back to the hotel and park.
Took a stroll to see if I could get some money WITHOUT having to pay 5euros per transaction. Wandered along La Rambla to the end, and the best I could find was BBVA which took only 3euros.
Must be nice to be a bank. You sack people and close branches, by installing ATM’s. Then you charge people, for taking out their money, when it’s just a computer talking to another computer.
Wandered to the opera house. Quite the impressive building.
La Traviata is on for Tuesday night only.
I ran away. Seeing all the patio locations along La Rambla serving paella, and more, had made me hungry.
But I was happy to stop at the motor museum.
Failed to notice that the clean glass door was closed, and banged my head into it, very hard. The kind gentlemen on duty gave me a free postcard. Meanwhile, surprisingly little pain. Leastways for me.
My lawyering inner voice added the next bit.
NOTE: This is not a recommendation, nor even a suggestion of how to enter the museum, just a description of what happened to me.
Had picked up some items in the various Christmas markets, so dropped them off in my hotel, and went in search of supper.
Ended up not far away at Etapes, having the 3-course set, with the wines. You’d have to be teetotal or daft to do otherwise.
Sashimi…..
Scallops on pork belly….
Roast lamb with mushrooms……
And a tiramisu ice-cream to finish.
Real food.
Excellent service.
Perfect end to a day.
Wednesday morning up to a sunny but chilly (2degC) day.
Took the bike out for a test ride with the new windshield.
First stop Barca FC, and the largest stadium in Europe……
Then out on the highways.
Seems the best position for the windshield is “slightly up”. Will see when the rain starts 🙂
Went up the “mountain”. Lots to see, as well as the city down below.
Then ran along the shoreline, till I came into a private yacht club(?).
Turned around. Heading home.
Ran through Chinatown. Not your average Chinatown. An industrial area full of distributors. Lots of people out and buying.
Filled up the bike, or rather refreshed the fuel in my Rotopax. The fuel from the Rotpax went into the bike, and I refilled the container.
Rode home.
Accosted by another chap wanting money. Again well dressed.
That’s one a day in Barca !!!!
Ditched my riding gear, and out for a curry lunch.
Not bad. Not good. But not bad. And convenient. Next door to the hotel.
Seeing as the weather was still nice, went walkabout.
Most memorable building is this church……
Be nice when it is finished. Started construction in 1882!!!!!
And then back.
Had the beer purchased at a Christmas market stall last night. It was nice. As was sitting on the porch, sipping a beer as the sun went down.
My impressions of Barcelona?
It’s a big city. In every way.
Lots of broad avenues, often with a restaurant’s patio in the centre. And just in time for Christmas, lots of booths selling all sorts of craftwork, as well as tacky stuff.
Two wheels rule! LOTS of scooters AND motorcycles. They zoom everywhere. Suspect that I am the slowest:) Big bonus is that there are lots of motorcycle stores, and lots of motorcycle stuff.
Every city should have a beach and a viewpoint.
There is the sound of English everywhere. And everyone, including the beggars, have some command of the English language.
Tomorrow I head out. Not entirely sure where.
I have to be in Bilbao for the 17th.