Rambling around Las Ramblas

Las Ramblas was made for people watching. The wide pedestrian street runs from Plaza Cataluna to the Mediterranean, where it ends at a statue of Christopher Columbus commemorating his return to Spain after discovering the Americas. It reminded me a bit of Fisherman's Wharf.

We walked it twice. At its midpoint is Mercat de la Boqueria, a shrine to food filled with fruit vendors, suckling pig legs, live lobsters and restaurants. (If I never eat jambon again I'll be just fine -- we ate way too much of it this trip.)

Along the main drag are vendors selling flowers and small rodents, caricaturists (Eldest Daughter had one done), street artists, spray-painted, motionless people dressed like statues and remaining motionless and not remaining motionless, dancers (especially Michael Jacksons this week) and just strange people. It's nonstop both day and night. We could not get enough! Dave and I bought some original art -- really abstract acrylic paintings this time, not our usual watercolors or pen and inks.

After a long, slow walk to the water we hopped on a golondrine (aka catamaran) for a tour of Port Vell, Barceloneta and Port Olimpic. Barcelona's shoreline was well-developed for the 1992 Olympics and its cruise ship port is quite active. We were all surprised to see the Crystal Symphony there, a ship my MIL has been on 22 times. Yes, really.