Barcelona and the Viking Jupiter: November 15, 2023

Yesterday we rode a high speed train from Paris to Barcelona. The train goes about 186 miles per hour, which is absolutely dizzying when you look out the windows. The distance was 643 miles, but we made several stops, so the entire trip took just a bit over six hours. The most difficult part of the trip was navigating the Paris-Gare-de-Lyon and actually finding our train. Good Lord in Heaven. People who got on the train who could actually speak French were even having problems. The good thing about the French is they are quite laissez-faire. There just doesn’t seem to be many rules. The bad thing is that they we are used to rules and keep thinking we may be doing something wrong. Like yesterday. We had three suitcases and it was not clear at all where we should stow them. The actual luggage racks were small and inadequate and already filled up, so we ended up leaving two of them in a really awkward and in the way place. No one noticed, commented or cared. In the US you would get chastised for such behavior.

Below is a picture of the train station. Full disclosure: it was too early and dark when we got there, so I did not take this.

Last night in Barcelona we stayed on Las Ramblas, the main promenade of the city that runs between the Plaza de Catalunya and the old port. The promenade is full of people all day until late at night. It is dotted with newsstands, flowers, an open air market, street actors, cafes and shops. We went to Bar Lobo’s Tapas restaurant and had their delicious delicious fried aubergine with drizzled honey. Of course, I had to embarrass myself by asking what aubergine was (it’s eggplant to us). By the way, we got up super early and it was as hot as Hades for the six hours we were on the train, so as you note, l was looking (and feeling) pretty ragged last night.

Today we boarded our ship, the Viking Jupiter, at the port. This ship has the capacity for 930 people as compared to 190 people on the river cruise, so there is more anonymity here, which is fine by me. Actually, I asked and 800 people are on this ship.

On the last night on the river cruise, our ever-cheerful cruise director, Jerome, (who should be an actor) listed the top ten dumb things he has been asked by passengers. I can’t remember all of them, but a few of the funniest were: 1. “Do you have to get off the boat to go on a shore excursion?” 2. Do these stairs go up or down?” 3. “Is the water in the toilets from the river?” And 4. “Does the crew live on board?” I love the stairs question. Who doesn’t know that the nature of stairs is to go both up and down?