18.04.2017 – BARCELONA AND HORLEY FLAVORS

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WE ARE FLYING TO LONDON IN THE EVENING. SO WE ARE HAVING NO MUCH TIME FOR GETTING TO KNOW THE WORLD TODAY.

WE DECIDED, THANKS TO THE TIPS OF OUR STAR FROM JOZEFOWIEC (HELLO !!!:)) TO GO TO MONTJUÏC – FAMOUS BARCELONA JEWISH HILLS. THE JOURNEY A BIT IS COMPLICATED. 2 BUSES AND METRO. HOWEVER THAT ISN’T SCARING US OFF. AFTER ABOUT 90 min. WE ARE LANDING JUST UNDER A SOLID LOOKING MONTJUÏC FORTRESS. ADMISSION € 5, 65 + € 3 pp.
THE STRONGHOLD IS HUGE, BUT INSIDE, APART FROM A FEW INTERESTING CANNONS THEY GATHERED LITTLE. DESPITE EVERYTHING, IT IS WORTHWHILE TO COME HERE JUST TO HAVE A LOOK AT THE PANORAMA OF THE CITY AND THE PORT. SIGHTSEEING TIME 60 – 90 min.
IN A HURRY WE ARE RUSHING TO LOCATED MUCH LOWER VERY WELL-KNOWN GRAVEYARD. UNFORTUNATELY WE ARE ENTERING FROM THE UNINTERESTED SIDE AND WE CANNOT ADMIRE THE GRAVESTONES BEING FAMOUS FOR A BEAUTY. WE SEE ONLY THE AVENUES, FULL OF WALLED IN THE 5-METER-HIGH WALLS, FAMILY TOMBSTONES. JUST NOT WORTH THE TROUBLE.

AT THE AIRPORT WE WERE ON TIME. WE DID CHECK-IN ONLINE, BUT GOD ONLY KNOWS WHY ELECTRONIC BOARDING PASSES DIDN’T REACH US. JUST IN CASE WE HAD IN MOBILES THE PRINTABLE PDF VERSIONS READY FOR PRINTING AND THE INFORMATION THAT WE CAN PRINT OUT THE ABOVE MENTIONED ON ARRIVAL AT THE AIRPORT. UNFORTUNATELY, THE BOARDING-CARD MACHINES PROBABLY DOZED OFF, AS NONE OF THEM SERVED FLIGHTS OF BRITISH AIRLINES. WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS IN A FEW MINUTES WE RECEIVED CHECK-INS, WE PASSED THE SECURITY (ABOUT 20 min.) AND PASSPORT CHECKS (NEXT 20 min.).

AT GATWICK WE LANDED WITH A SLIGHT DELAY. HOWEVER I’M NOT SURE, BECAUSE BEFORE WE GOT THROUGH THE LONG CORRIDORS TO THE EXIT, IT TOOK A WHILE.

BY TAXI, FOR £ 10 WE GOT IN A FEW MINUTES TO THE BOOKED „BEDCHAMBER” – GAINSBOROUGH LODGE IN HORLEY. THE CHARMING ITALIAN RECEPTIONIST IN A FLASH SERVED US, INFORMING BY THE WAY, WHERE WE COULD EAT AND DRINK SOMETHING.

20 MINUTES LATER WE SAT IN NEW FORT RAJ – A RECOMMENDED INDIAN RESTAURANT IN VERY CENTRE OF THE PROVINCIAL FINANCIAL CENTRE.
INDIAN DINNER WAS GOOD. NOT OUTSTANDING, BUT WELL PRESENTED AND RELIABLE, THOUGH LACKING IN TASTE. WE TOOK LAMB AND SHRIMPS. THEY HAVE SPLENDID BREAD! THE ONLY FLAW – UNIMPORTANT AS A MATTER OF FACT, WAS THE LACK OF THE POSSIBILITY OF DRINKING VINE PREVIOUSLY BOUGHT IN A WINE SHOP. OF COURSE WE COULD BUY SOMETHING TO DRINK ON THE SPOT.

FULL UP (FOR £ 22) WE CAME UP TO THE HIGHLY RECOMMENDED PUB ON PINT.

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PEOPLE! FINALLY I GOT TO A REAL ENGLISH PUB! HIGH STOOLS AND TABLES; UNPAINTED WOODEN FLOOR; CEILING MADE OF PRESSED IN FINE DESIGNS, PAINTED METAL SHEETS; SIZEABLE BAR. BEHIND THE BAR ONE CHAP. UNDER THE WALLS 20, MAXIMUM 30 PEOPLE SIPPING BEER.
„THE TAVERN” APART FROM THE BEER SERVES SOME LOCAL DISHES AND LIVE MUSIC. LOOKS LIKE THAT THE WEAKER STARS, OR MUSICALLY ADVANCED LOKALS FROM THE THIRTIES TO THE EIGHTIES ARE PRACTICING HERE.
NO MATTER WHO THEY WERE, THEY PLAYED VERY WELL. MOST POORLY – IN MY OPINION, A YOUNG CHICK SANG. I MOST LIKED THE SCRAWNY DUDE WITH THE BEER BELLY OF THE TROLL LOOKING LIKE THE MAN AFTER CHEMO. HE WAS GOOD PLAYING THE GUITAR. EVEN THE BREW ON TAP WASN’T DISGUSTING „DRINK PISS”, I KNOW FROM THE FEW LONDON PUBS, WHICH HAD THE HONOUR TO HOST US YEARS AGO …

I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT HORLEY BEWITCHED US WITH VISIBLE AROUND PEACE, ORDER AND THE AFFLUENCE. VERY BRITISH … I FINALLY GOT RID OF HANGOVER AFTER OUR VISIT IN LONDON…

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►SNAPSHOTS◀︎

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