The main activity today was a guided bike tour. Compared to the ones we did in Cordoba and Valencia, this one was a little disappointing, Partly due to the sprawl of the city, and partly due to the pretty commercial nature of the company we booked with, we spent 45 minutes essentially standing around before we got started, and then had 2.5 hours to very slowly ride around the city to stop at four points of interest where our guide gave us a brief overview of what we were looking at and then gave us a few minutes to wander around. In order: Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia, La Sagrada Familia, Arc de Triomf, Cascada del Parc de la Ciutadella.
One of the other fellows on the tour was from New York, Cyriel Dikoume. He actually works for Meta (started in May) on the Enterprising Engineering team working on their recruitment system. So, everyone was a bit entertained by the fact that we had a current Meta employee and a soon-to-be Meta employee (Benton) in the same tour group.
After the ride, we checked out a market the guide recommended and then ate lunch, after which Julie and Alana hopped the subway towards the apartment and did a little shopping along the way, while Benton, Lucy, and Tim simply walked back to the apartment.
Benton and Tim then headed back out for another walk to check out the Plaça de les Cascades and the various surrounding views (Benton remembered it from when he was in Barcelona several years ago) and hit another market nearby for a few groceries.
The whole group then dined at a Middle Eastern restaurant near by, after which Benton and Lucy walked back to Plaça de les Cascades, and Tim, Julie, and Alana headed back to the apartment.
An interesting/memorable experience of the day:
Benton: Finally ordering chicken curry after it appeared on menus in many of the restaurants we’ve eaten at on the trip thus far (and it was good)
Tim: Taking over for Benton in his gin game with Lucy while he showered and immediately dropping 51 points in one hand; Alana finding two more opportunities to drop a, “Su perro es muy bonita“ on total strangers (with dogs!) after dinner
