Sunny and hot.Got money from a machine (directions given in 5 languages), had breakfast (There's no way that a cafe con leche and a croissant will keep me until 2pm), and went searching for a cheaper place to stay. Most everyone was full, but I found a room in the Hotel Levant. I also found a supermarket. Still have to find a post office.
Well, I take that back. No room at the inn. But the proprietor found me a room in another hotel in El Raval.
Had lunch at an overpriced restaurant in Las Ramblas.
Headed for the waterfront, to the Monument a Colon (OK, he was in Barcelona once), through the Maremègnum, down to La Barceloneta. I spent the rest of the afternoon in the Museu d'Historia de Catalunya. They had a temporary exhibit on Montserrat, which included a small space for the Llibre Vermell, showing a few pages of facsimile and playing Polorum Regina and Stella Splendens over and over again. I also went through the first half of the permanent historical exhibit, from neolithic times up into the 18th century.
When I come out it was still 35 degrees, but the the was getting low, so there was shade available.
Wandered back through Barri Gotic, stopping in to see Eglesia de Santa Maria del Pi. After dark I took the camera out to Plaça de Catalunya to try some night shooting, and ended up riding the Moon Express on its rounds.
An open square at the head of Barri Gotic, and ringed by department stores. An excellent place for people-watching or promenading, by day or by night. The plaça is hollow, below ground level are a souvenir shop, an information desk, a desk for making hotel reservations, a Metro station, a commuter rail station, and a national railway station.
