4-11-2016: Day 15, To Spain!

We are leaving France and Headed to Spain!

But first, we say goodbye to our wonderful hotel and their fine hospitality...

Airports are such a pain so thank goodness for nice people.  The folks in the Bordeaux Airport are helpful cause looking for signs does not work.  But we find the line, we check out bags and go to security.  Dang - the line for security wraps around the stores and down the hall.  Good thing we listen to Jim and hit the airports early.  We wait and wonder - does this happen every day and if so, should not someone come up with a better system?  But eventually we clear customs and find the gate.  Tina gets us a seat by the gate and it turns out to be the best seat ever.  We stand and the line forms and the lady looks at us and says, "Bording pass please" and just like that we are the first ones on the plane!  Short but pretty flight over the Pyrenees and by the Mediterranean and we are in another country.  But this is the EU so no customs in Spain and we hit the "Nothing to Declare" exit and find our driver to the hotel in Barcelona, Spain!  

Whoa - this is different than the old section of Bordeaux.  Our taxi takes us down the famous La Rumba that is nothing by stores, shops, and wide median and people - lots of people.  The big boats free their folks to roam hear and other tour groups land here and it is a mass of folks.  Our hotel is off La Rumba just wide enough for the taxi and one person on each side so it takes a bit to get to the Hotel.  

We fall in love with the Hotel as it is clean, they have food and drink available 24 hours a day for the taking.  They have a wonderful breakfast included and a terrace to enjoy in peace overlooking the city.  We have four nights here and we are looking forward to it.   The guys at the desk are ready with the right answer when we say, "What do you suggest for an easy dinner not far from the hotel?".  

We walk a few short blocks for our first Tapas dinner and we love it.  The wine is wonderful (and cheap at $25 a bottle!), the staff is quick and friendly and helpful and we order a big salad that is so good, calamari, meatballs in squid sauce or something,  shrimp and it all so good. The price is so good we think we may be able to pay for Bordeaux after all.