Reflections on Barcelona

It is interesting how strong the Catalan secession movement is. There are lots of street side gatherings.  The Catalans are the money and industry of Spain and they are unhappy about supporting the rest of Spain's regions. They don't feel they get a fare return. Apparently the EU has said if they become independent  they won't be accepted into the EU. The gfc effects don't seem so apparent in Barceloma but it has had an impact on restaurants and bars etc.
Last night I ate at a more upmarket restaurant and indulged in a true Catalan meal.  I had pigs trotters, grilled potato and a farm salad followed by a soft cheese drizzled with honey and sprinkled with walnuts. Also a glass of nice red.  It was very delicious and a nice chamge from the usual. The pigs trotters had been boiled and then grilled. They were sweet but plain not as tasty as the Chinese style. They were also pretty lean with not much flesh. The potato and salad were really good.  The cheese was yum and now I think it was rather like ricotta.  The evening was quiet though I had waited till 9:00 pm before eating. The waiter said the locals wouldn't come till around 10:00 but now they were so poor they mainly ate out Fridays and Saturdays.
I enjoyed my meal because the waiter talked with me and we discussed the food and his interest in music. I had made the effort to start a conversation and it was rewarded. My solo traveller skills are improving.
When I finally left it was pouring with rain again. I hurried home as there were few people out and about. With no umbrella I was going to get soaked and I needed to pack.
I slept soundly at first but then became fitful as I needed an early start to catch the Aeroport bus. I was up at 5:30  showered and ready to leave by 6:30. I needed to walk up to Catalunya Square. The rain had passed and the stones were still slick, a bit slippery actually so I went carefully,listening to the wheels echoing on the almost empty street. It reminded me of when we left Burgos very early and the pilgrim's walking sticks tapped out their progress through the streets a bit like the pied piper.
Lyn would have been impressed with my quick getaway as it was never a strength last time I walked the Camino.
Lesson number two: check the terminal you are departing from. I leapt onto the first aeroporto bus only to discover as we went along that it only went to terminal 2 and I was terminal 1. I reasoned that there must be a way to get there as other people must fly in to t2 and need to transfer to T1. Of course they run a shuttle and it is free. Small problem no problem.
While having breakfast at the airport I realised I no longer felt odd on my own. I felt a sense of accomplishment that I had managed all my needs in a foreign environment without getting overwhelmed (except for the phone issue) and I was feeling in a really good calm place.
Flight to Sevilla uneventful but interesting to see the amount of cultivation in the countryside as we got closer to Seville. It all looked so neat and green. I did note a precipitous mountain and hoped it wasn't one I would need to cross!
Sevilla is much smaller than I expected and has some magnificent buildings but everything looks a little shabby. It seems more noticeable compared with Barcelona.  I chatted with a young Indonesian woman who was on the bus with me.  The size if her backpack put mine to shame. She is doing a masters in economics in the Netherlands but was taking a break. She works for the ministry of trade so we talked about all the issues Australia and Indonesia have. It was a good conversation and I felt really hopeful about the future for our two countries.
Once I found my lodgings which this time are really easy to locate on the main drag opposite the Mercedes dealership I set off for the Cathedral. It is massive. Cleaning the floors alone would take an army. It is worth checking out this site:
Seville cathedral

My photos can't do it justice. What I loved most of all is the courtyard full of orange trees in blossom. The fragrance was sublime. They were so clever to put shallow channels for watering the trees almost  as an architectural feature into the paving.
I booked a hop on hop off tour and just sat and observed and got colder and colder. I felt too tired in the end to bother getting off. This time I got  a two day ticket so will be feeling more energetic to explore tomorrow.
Tonight I just bought some food from the supermarket. I was too tired for further exploring and wanted to wash my clothes.  Lyn you would be pleased that my vanity is subsiding. I have walked in my boots everyday, worn the same clothes and only used sunscreen(tinted) and lipstick.