We had a quick breakfast on the train, packed our bags, and before we knew it, we were in Barcelona.
We dropped our bags at "Consigne" or "Left Baggage", while we walked around the city. We wouldn't be able to board the boat for several hours, and we were eager to make the most of our time.
Estacio França (French Train Station-- we arrived from Paris) is on the west edge of the Gothic Quarter (Barri Gothik), so it was simple enough to walk through the most scenic part of Barcelona.
We managed to walk by Museo Picasso (I was amazed we found it without a map), but they weren't even open yet. We continued on toward the Gothic Cathedral which I felt was even more spectacular than Notre Dame de Paris. Outside the cathedral, a flea market had sprung up by the time we had our fill of the gothic architecture and stained glass. A brief stop for an espresso and some Tapas confirmed what we already knew: Barcelona is much cheaper than Paris.
By mid-afternoon, we were on a metro ride to Gaudi's Sagrada Familia, a surreal cathedral that rivals Neuschwanstein in its extravagance (and lack of completion). While we were astounded by the quality and reach of the Paris metro, Barcelona was every bit up to measure with Paris, and a little further. The cars we rode had indicators to show which stop you were at and what direction the car was going!
At this point, we took a cab to pick up our bags, and headed for the boat. After checking in and freshening up (the facilities on the train were rather spartan), we grabbed a cab which took us around some of the more scenic areas of Barcelona before we headed back to the Disney Magic, ready to embark on Disney Cruise Line's inaugural 10-day Mediterranean Cruise!
