Conversation piece - with hands

We had a scheduled meeting with Bb and Dd today, but that was not until the evening. We also had an unscheduled meeting, when they walked past Bocconi, where we were having lunch in Sarria. As so often with unscheduled meetings, they are the best. Lively and spontaneous. And in this case sneaky-lunchtime-red-wine fuelled.

Our morning had not been the best. We had to go and get an antigen test, which meant an hour standing in a queue in a street in Gracia, followed by an anxious wait, and then a period of frustration when my phone would not download the results. Luckily I managed to make Mr A’s phone do the job. And we are negative. Phew. Full steam ahead for tomorrow.

Of course, it’s obvious that we have had a wonderful time in Barcelona, with highlights spending quality time with Dd and Bb, but once you get to the end of the scheduled period away, you don’t want anything to go wrong, and the pandemic has increased the likelihood of that, with pings, and tests, and all.

Sarria is a sweet little ‘town’ (effectively) at the bottom of the hills that surround Barcelona. It was very much like being in a provincial town, rather than a part of a larger conurbation. It was good to see it, and we can see why Bb and Dd enjoyed living there for a few years earlier in their life in Barcelona, although gentrification has proceeded apace since that time. To get there and back we used one of the metro lines, and it all seemed very well organised and safe. 

We also met up with Bb and Dd for drinks and snacks later on, and then had a short walk around the city after dark, seeing a few highlights such as the Palau de la Musica, which I want to go back and photograph tomorrow before we leave. No blip on the day, as by the time we got back to the hotel it was late and I was quite hot and sweaty and just wanted to jump in the shower and then bed. When we left them, Bb and Dd were talking of walking home again, in order to get their 20k steps!

Anyway, I chose this photograph for its informality and because everyone looks happy and comfortable in everyone else’s company.