Thursday 18 February

The cloisters at Pedralbes were beautiful

I had a very bad night now I have finished the cortisone tablets. At breakfast I asked for a boiled egg (not the icy cold hard-boiled ones). I got two eggs but no eggcup.

Today we set off to visit the Monastir de Pedralbes which Cheri and David suggested. It was founded by Queen Elisenda and was home to Poor Clare nuns. We took the 22 bus but got off a stop too late. We found the extensive monastery area and first looked inside the church.

Richard and Lesley at lunch

We walked round the cloisters of the monastery and saw St. Michael's Chapel with frescoes by Bassa, the nuns' cells, tombs, artefacts of monastic life and the kitchens. In the garden we heard and saw parakeets nesting in the palm trees. The building itself was quite cold.

We took bus 22 back to Placa Catalunya, which took nearly an hour.  On the way back to the hotel, we found El Secreto de Ellen for lunch and met the rest of the family there. I enjoyed the tuna and tomato salad and we had two bottles of Bicicletas y Pesces white Rueda 2015 which was very nice.

The two Davids

In the afternoon we rested and bought some snacks from the nearby supermarket. At 7pm everyone came to our room to share some cava, courtesy of the hotel.

Then we took a taxi to Cerviceria Catalana, but it was very full. So we strolled round the Upper Ramblas and found Maestro which offered a selection of dishes. I had a flammkuchen which wasn't quite what I expected. We had some craft beer, which was good, though.

Cheri and Robbie with his ketchup

During the night I finished reading The Clothes on their Backs for my book club.