My Last Spanish Rays

Time was ticking away as we entered our last day in Spain. Lauren, Chad and I were keen to soak up our last bit of sun before returning to Ireland's unpredictable weather. Our plans were a walk along the harbourfront before catching a group excursion out to Costa Brava for kayaking and snorkelling.

We set out in the morning along Barcelona's most famous street, La Rambla. If you ever need to satisfy a shopping craving in Barcelona, I recommend this street. Not only do shiny, stylish shops line its edges, but the middle meridian also sports souvenir stands and street artists. Be prepared for crowds though as it seems the street has its own gravitational pull. Every tourist in Barcelona ends up there. I didn't stop to take pictures for fear of becoming a transportation hazard.

La Rambla leads towards the sea so our walk soon meandered along the waterfront. Keeping the city's artistic vibe, we came across a harbour marker shaped like a man as well as the Barcelona Head. This funky, colourful statue was created in 1992 by Roy Lichtenstein.




Along our walk we also came across a construction team erecting platforms along the water. Judging by the nearby stands we assumed that it was for some type of sporting event, but we were not sure what. It was not until this past week that I realized it was for the 2013 FINA (International Swimming Federation) World Championships and the platforms we saw were for the high-diving competition. I put everything together when I turned on the television one day to see the familiar harbour on the screen. The men were competing in the high-diving from A HEIGHT OF 27 METRES!!!! That's 88 feet, the height of a nine storey building. Are they nuts?? As you will read later in this blog I declined jumping from a cliff only 6 metres in height.

After such high-diving I'm sure those athletes must relax on the beach to work off all that adrenaline. Barcelona's beaches are not nearly as beautiful as San Sebastian's, but they are certainly passable considering that they were built from imported sand. Apparently the city has to employ dredging boats to drag the sand back as it tends to get washed away by the sea.

For our afternoon we had booked a half day kayaking adventure with the same business that had organized our walking tour the day before. At noon, we met our Venezuelan guide Eric who loaded us into a van with five other people and drove us an hour north to Costa Brava, or the Brave Coast. We landed at a peaceful beach situated in a bay and were supplied with a snorkel, eye mask, lifejacket and kayak. Chad and I paired up in the open-top sea kayak, while Lauren teamed up with an Austrian named Peter.

It was perfect being out in the kayaks on such a brilliant day. My only wish was that we would have gone a bit farther. We never left the bay, though we did find plenty of interesting things to see along its shores. It was very picturesque with its rusty red rocks rising from sparkling blue water. We stopped at one small rocky beach to do some snorkelling. There were a couple Australians in our group who were not too impressed with the underwater life. I suppose the Mediterranean did not offer the neon coloured fish or tropical corral they were used to. However, the sea does support a great assortment of underwater life and since I had never been snorkelling before it was completely fascinating to me. As a child I adored marine life to the point where I painted my room like an aquarium (and it stayed that way longer than I'm proud to admit). Snorkelling around the Mediterranean was like a childhood dream come true. Like a big kid, I kept saying muffled "oohs" and "ahhs" through my snorkel and when Lauren lent me her underwater camera I avidly pursued the ever-elusive fish trying to snap a decent photo.

Ready... Set... Snorkel!

I did my best to chase the school of fish above, while avoiding the spiky sea urchins below. One of the locals on the beach told our guide that he had seen a octopus and barracuda in deeper water!

 

Thanks to Lauren's underwater camera we were able to capture some fun swimming footage! The first video is of Lauren and the second is of Chad. Listen carefully and you can hear me "snorkel talk" to Chad.

 



 

When we were back in the kayaks we made one last stop at a cliff where we could leap 6 metres into the sea if we desired. The brave men all agreed, while the sensible ladies declined. I had jumped from that height last summer and still distinctly remember the bathing suit wedgie I got from the landing. Less than eager to relive it. The good news is that we took a video of Chad's jump (my apologies but you'll need to turn your head sideways to watch it correctly). The bad news is that he thinks he bruised his tailbone.

 

 

 

After a satisfying day in the sun, we were all a bit sleepy by the time we returned to Barcelona. We followed Eric's advice to order a burger from a nearby restaurant called Kiosko Burger. It was sort of an upscale fast-food joint, but honestly it was the best burger I have had in my life. Lauren and Chad agreed, as well as the other apparently happy customers who completely packed the small restaurant. So if you are ever in Barcelona look up Kiosko burger, located very near the waterfront on Avinguda del Marquès de l'Argentera.

 

It was hard to leave Spain knowing that once I returned to Limerick I would again have to sit for hours in front of a computer. I still had a Masters program to complete however and those assignments were not going to finish themselves. Plus Lauren and Chad still had twelve more days of exploring around the Green Isle. I loved Spain and will go back some day! Until that time, dear España...

 

Adios,

Shannon