In Catalonia

I am back from my trip to Europe.

I will write about it in 4 parts (Traveling to Europe, in Catalonia, in Germany and Coming Home.)

In Catalonia

We drove along the Highways north of Barcelona to Girona Province until we got to Bascara.

We stayed at Casa Bascara (a 1400s Building next to a Church run by a Belgian Guy - Luc) that our Relatives had recommended to us.

Casa Bascara was so nice (blending the old and the modern nicely) and Luc was also very friendly and helpful and even walked with me to the Spar Market when I just asked for directions on how to get there.

The first night we met one side of our Relatives who picked us up, gave us a tour of Bascara and then toured the other nearby Family Buildings (one was turned into a very nice Resort and one is a modern Factory that makes Organic Animal Feed – where other Relatives took time off of their busy schedules to meet us -  and then they brought us to their house where we had a delicious Dinner including Catalan Cream.

Friday

The next day (Friday) we were picked up by another side of our Relatives who brought us to their house (where my Great-Grandfather lived), where we saw what life could have been like for him.

We also met their 2 awesome dogs (making me miss my dog even more.)

We went to Lake Banyoles (going from a scenic overlook to the actual Lake) and had Lunch – which was very good -  at a Restaurant there.

We went to tour Besalu  - an amazing Medieval City  - where I took a lot of pictures and had a great time.

 We then went back to their house where we talked, looked at Family Pictures and had a delicious Dinner.

Saturday

On Saturday we drove with a Relative up to the Pyrenees Mountains between France and Spain and saw where my Great-Grandfather had walked through decades ago.

We then went to the City of Girona and took a brief tour before having Lunch at a restaurant (where I have the first Olivier Salada since 2017.)

Afterwards we went to a Cousin’s House where we talked, looked at Family Pictures, had a tasty Dinner and had a great time into the wee hours.

Sunday

On Sunday morning we toured the land my Great-Grandfather lived on and went to a Olive Oil Press Museum to see how olive oil was made long ago.

Afterwards, we went to a Family Lunch where around 40 of us ate, drank and talked at a Restaurant.

This was the first time I was meeting many of these Relatives and some didn’t speak English (only Spanish and/or Catalan), but ever since I was a little Boy my Great-Aunt  would take out her Photo Albums and go through every Relative in the US and in Catalonia until I had it memorized.

It was really awesome to see the people in person that I had only known through pictures and stories.

The Relatives gave my Dad and I a hand painted Genealogy Tree and a photo album with family pictures in them.

It was such an amazing and wonderful time.

Everyone I met was so nice, friendly and helpful. They took time out of their busy lives to make sure we had a great time and we did.

Of course I invited them all to come visit us in the US and hope they take us up on the offer so I can return their kindness.

Barcelona Airport: Part 2

The next day we checked out of Casa Bascara and drove back to the Barcelona Airport.

We returned our rental car to Enterprise (and again had no issues with any of them.)

We found the same elevators as before were still broken so walked a long ways in the Parking Garage to a set of Elevators that did work.

When we got to our floor a Spanish/Catalan Woman was blocking our way off the Elevator. We tried asking her very nicely (in English and in Spanish) to please move so we could get off, but she just shook her head “No” so I took our baggage cart and rammed it into her. Her screaming made her move so we could leave the Elevator. Talk about a very dumb and mean woman.

It took us some time to find our Hotel (again Barcelona Airport seems to hide everything from everyone), but we eventually found it.

Sleep and Fly: Checking In

When we were checking in the Receptionist only spoke Spanish, took my Dad’s Passport and handed us a piece of paper with some money totals on them. Since we had already paid online for the room we wanted any explanation of what this new charge, in cash, was and we wanted it in English.

Begrudgingly,  the Woman called someone who came and spoke English and said that it was a Tax of some kind which we paid. We asked this Woman about places to eat Dinner inside the Airport (since we didn’t know if the other woman, who only spoke Spanish, would be at the desk later.

We learned that our room only had 1 large bed (but 2 closets, 2 sinks, etc.) I slept on the chair that night.

We cleaned up and then went to the rest of Terminal 1 and ate at the same Italian Restaurant that we had when we had arrived at the Airport several days before. It didn’t disappoint then nor now.

Since I wasn’t impressed with either the Barcelona Airport the 2 times we were there or with the Sleep and Fly Hotel when Checking-In so I looked up (on my cell phone) different flights that I could take from Frankfurt to Boston rather than flying from Frankfurt to Barcelona, spending one more night at Sleep and Fly and then flying to JFK and then back to Boston.

I found a flight from Frankfurt to Reykjavik, Iceland to Boston and so booked it.

Sleep and Fly: Checking Out

Very early in the morning I went to get a baggage cart from outside the hotel so we would have it when we walked the long way back to the main part of Terminal 1 for our next flights.

I saw 3 people standing in the Lobby (a Couple and a Single Guy) all trying to leave the Hotel to go to the rest of the Airport, but the door was locked. The Single Guy called the number on the sign by the locked door only to have it ring at the empty Reception Desk a few feet from us.

He then called the second number and eventually a Guy came and unlocked the main door and let us out of the Hotel.

The Single Guy complained that he had a flight to catch and the Receptionist (I later asked his name -Julien – so I could include him in my complaint – could have cared less.

I asked Julien why he locked the hotel guests inside the hotel  - since it is a fire hazard – and he just shrugged his shoulders and said he had to be someplace else.

I then told him that I wanted to cancel my separate Reservation for December 5^th because of all the issues we were having with and at the Sleep and Fly Hotel. He told me he couldn’t cancel anything on the hotel’s computer and that I would have to send Fly and Seep an E-Mail to cancel.

I also told Julien about the issue when checking in and he all but called me a liar saying everyone working at Sleep and Fly spoke English. I described the woman and he said she wasn’t a Receptionist, but the Room Cleaner.

I asked why a Room Cleaner took my Dad’s Passport, tried to take our money and was checking us in. Julien just shrugged his shoulders.

I went back to the room and sent the cancellation e-mail as well as an official complaint to the Barcelona Airport Authority and several Spanish and Catalan Departments and Organizations about the fire hazard (locking guests inside with no way out.)

Hours later I received a reply from Sleep and Fly which only brushed all the issues -including the fire hazard – away. At least they canceled my next Reservation.

Barcelona Airport: Part 3

After leaving that horrible Sleep and Fly Hotel we went to the main part of Terminal 1 for my Dad’s flight.

We had to walk from one side of Terminal to use their Check-In Kiosks only to learn we couldn’t use the Kiosks and had to walk to the other side of the Terminal to have an Airline Employee check him in.

Once my Dad was checked-in I said goodbye to him and headed to Terminal 2 for my flight.

Again, as Barcelona Airport doesn’t look signage it was very difficult to figure out where the Airport Shuttle to Terminal 2 was and no thanks to any Airport Employee I finally found it and after a long drive made it to Terminal 2.

Inside Terminal 2 there were a lot of Beggers and People wanting to wrap your stuff in plastic. I was looking at the Board to see where my Eurowings flight would check-in from and a Guy came up to me, speaking only Spanish. I told him I didn’t know what he was saying and walked away.

I saw he was following right next to me and so went into the Bathroom only to have him come inside. He asked for 1 Euro, which I gave him and he left. It was pretty creepy and I have never had to deal with that at any airport – not inside the airport at least – I don’t know where the Barcelona Airport Security and Police were, but they weren’t there to help me.

After some waiting I was finally able to Check-In for my flight to Dusseldorf and headed to Spanish Airport Security to be screened.

As I expected none of the Security Officers spoke English and everything was very confusing to me and the other Non-Spanish/Catalan Speakers.

It was still better than Boston’s Logan TSA and I made it through and to my Gate.

While boarding the plane to Germany the Gate Agent required everyone to show their Passport or National ID Card – so much for hassle free travel within the Schengen.

An EU Citizen questioned the Gate Agent and she just shrugged.

Catalan Conclusion

Despite having issues and problems at the Barcelona Airport and at Sleep Fly Hotel I had a great time visiting my Catalan Cousins.