Train and Barcelona Dia Uno

Today was a big travel day. We started off with a 9:14 train out of Marseilles to Montpellier which is more western along the coast. Whether it was due to the language barrier or a lack of knowledge on the part of the man at the Marseilles train station what we thought was going to be a four hour layover in Montpillier ended up only lasting for 30 minutes. From there we made our second stop at Portbou right on the other side of the border where we picked up a quick lunch before boarding our third and final train. The immediate change in language between the two train rides made it clear that we had finally arrived in Spain. We arrived in the Sants station in Barcelona around 5:30 p.m. after almost a full day of sitting on trains excited to finally have arrived. Barcelona did not disappoint. We emerged from the metro on to La Rambla a main street in Barri Gotica the Gothic quarter of Barcelona's Ciutat Vella (old city) and were immediately presented with lively crowds and beautiful scenery. Our hostel is called Pension Mari Luz and is located in Barri Gotica and while rustic is very charming. We are on the third floor and there is no elevator so getting our bags up to our room made up for our lack of exercise due to sitting on trains all day. After regrouping we set out to explore the surrounding area. We walked down La Rambla in the direction of the sea stopping to look at vendors and street performer. At the end of the street we found the mirrador de colon, a statue honoring Columbus placed atop a 164 ft column. We were able to take an elevator to the top were we enjoyed an amazing view of Barcelona. After returning to street level we went to a tapas bar called Bar del Pie and sampled some of the famous Spanish cuisine. Tomorrow promises to be aesthetically pleasing as we plan to set out to see the Gaudi Creations Barcelona is known for.