They don't speak Spanish here

They speak Catalan. Then Spanish. Then English. Maybe. But Catalan isn't impossible to decipher as it is also a descendant of Latin. The Catalunyans are very proud to not be Spanish. So I guess I'm not in Spain anymore.

On top of the new language barrier, I apparently don't know East from West. I got very lost trying to find my hostel, but eventually I arrived--exhausted--at Backpackers BCN Casanova, a fantastic little haven away from the main drag with the sweetest lady, Rosa, guarding the door. Not actually guarding it, but she has to open the door for anyone to get in. It was great to see some forward thinking in the impromptu/budget travel world.

When you arrive at a hostel in the morning, you won't make many friends. Since I was already a pro (having done it once before) I knew this and set out on my own to see La Rambla, which is were Hollywood Boulevard meets Las Vegas Boulevard. It's kind of the thing to do in Barcelona. It starts with Plaza Catalunya which is sort of the center of the shopping district and then La Rambla goes all the way down to the ocean, where there is a statue of Christopher Columbus, pointing the wrong way. Apparently, there was a point in time where the Catalanese were convinced that Colom was Catalanish so they built a statue. Turns out he was probably Italian and why the statue points to Libya is still a mystery. Anyway, La Rambla is basically about 3/4 of a mile of bars and restaurants, with a few souvenier shops thrown in. There is a median in the middle where you can buy anything, from flowers to exotic pets, play some 3-Card Monte, or bribe a "statue" to pose with you so you can take a picture.

I have been using a guide book given to me by my good friend Carl Green and one of the suggested restaurants is called Els 4 Gats which according to my crude Catalanian knowledge stand for The 4 Cats, which explains their logo. It was a nice place. It's a bit weird eating by yourself in a historically relavent place but I enjoyed myself.

Continuing my walking tour, found the Gaudi Cathedral, which is near La Rambla and as it turns out, it is under construction. I hear that a lot of Gaudi's stuff is under construction, so for better pictures of what I am seeing, please consult Google. I mean Bing.