It’s our last day in Barcelona and my what a time we have had! Beginning with the cruise from Southampton, (and learning all about the Titanic) then moving on through France, Spain, Portugal and then Spain again, oh my! Our cruise ended in Barcelona and we stayed there three days! I booked the Hotel Colón to stay in. Why did I pick that particular one you ask? I wanted a quiet neighborhood away from the tourists. Since it was located on a plaza of a church I thought it would be perfect! I did not want to be near Los Ramblas because of the recent tourist attack and generally do not like to stay where the tourists are. The photos online of Hotel Colón were perfect; big room with comfortable looking furniture in soft yellows and reds in old world charm, two double doors leading to a terrace  overlooking the plaza, and a huge bathroom with a rain shower. I got a big surprise when we reached the plaza. The small church, I had in my mind, on the quiet plaza, turned out to be the Barcelona Cathedral! Oh, and that Plaza was HUGE, although I have to say there were no cars allowed on the street to the Cathedral (the street turned into the plaza) and that was a big plus in itself. But, because of the tourist attack, weeks earlier, and the threat of violence over the vote to make Catalonia a separate state from Spain, there were armed guards (with big weapons/uzi’s) everywhere near the cathedral and in front of our hotel. The best laid plans can go awry! And here are some photos from the roof top terrace!

The rooftop pool…………………of the Colón Hotel………

and little dining/drinking area……..

and the entryway to the hotel was beautiful……

and the soft red and yellow furnishings were here……..

But, our room turned out to be very modern, although very big………and that turquoise-blue colored glass is the rain shower…………… no old world charm here……..very sleek, modern and up to date.

Hotel Colón is very close to the Gothic district, which has narrow streets with lots of interesting restaurants, shops and smaller churches! And, it is walkable to another Picasso Museum! So everything turned out perfect! We loved Barcelona and are going back this July to start another cruise. This time to nine countries in the Mediterranean! We can’t wait…… But, in the meantime, I have lots to do and many more cities to post about! See you next time!