Day 12 - End of Bike Trip in Barcelona

We get together for breakfast, the final official event of the bike trip. We know everyone in this group so well and are planning a trip together next year so saying goodbye is easier. We are talking about doing the Experience Plus! Alsace trip but extending it by two or three days. Philipp is working with us and says extending the trip into Germany would be easy. Everyone is on board to do this so we would have enough people.

Philipp is not leaving until the evening so he suggests the group meet at 1:00 to go to a "Cava" tapas bar, a well known one. We walk to the apartment to pick up the keys while the maid is there and walk back to the hotel to go lunch. The Cava tapas place has no name on it, looks like a hole in the wall. I have read about these places. It is packed with people. One has to buy a bottle of champagne and then can order little plates of tapas. You just have to push your way up to the bar and ask for what you want. Philipp does the ordering for us and passes the plates back. I am glad he is there to show us how to negotiate a place like this. The bar tender keeps a tab for everyone. They designate Philipp's as "blond boy." Isn't that funny?  What a fun cultural experience this is!! 

Philipp walks back to the hotel with everyone. Kathy, Dave and I retrieve our luggage from the hotel storeroom and get a taxi to the apartment. John walks with Philipp to the apartment. We all arrive about the same time. The owner of the apartment arrives to collect the rest of his rent money from us. When he leaves, Philipp expresses displeasure that people like this guy want money in cash so,they don't have to pay taxes. It was the same in Florence last year. It is a cultural attitude that undermines the health of the country's economy. He nevertheless agrees that we have a lovely place to stay. I will be more aware of this issue in the future.

 Philipp spends the rest of the afternoon showing us possible routes for the Alsace trip. It is so nice to have this time to visit with him. Linda will contact Experience Plus! with our request for this trip and Philipp will do so as well. We will get the ball rolling for next year. 

We went across the street for dinner at one of the many places lining the street to the beach. 

                                                           Cava tapas

                                        Kathy, Philipp and Me at the Cava tapas bar