Mini Cab to Gatwick. I was glad it was a fixed price as at one point I thought I saw France. Anyway it was a nice trip and we saw some come English countryside.

At Gatwick we were cruely denied Gin and Pimms. Duty free considers travelling to Spain from England not 'international enough.' Miranda was so distressed that she tried to throw herself in front a Spanish airplane. OK it might have been throw herself at a Spanish airplane pilot, but we are talking details here.

Flight and taxi to the super big 3 bedroom apartment in the centre of town was uneventful. The apartment is great and with 3 convenience shops within 20 meters of the front door. We were well serviced. The apartment was on the 2nd floor. In America this is one flight of stairs, in New Zealand , two, but in Spain it is five. The oxygen stations half way up should have been a giveaway but our Sherpa guide kept us moving to the top.

Doing a limbo and then sitting in the 2nd smaller bathroom Miranda had a shower and we hit the town all of 30 metres away.

After being followed for a short distance by some shady characters we managed to ditch them and ordered 4 'sangria grande' from a local restaurant and a few nibbles. Grande it turns out means 1 litre. Surprisingly we finished all four them, had some nice food, and still could walk. A good start to the Spanish part of the trip. Tomorrow it will be off to the Sagrada familia