Tour de Barcelona, day 3

Today's route is not noteworthy so I'll not link to it.  Yesterday really did a number on me physically, and it completely erased that itch to do an epic ride that's generally nagging me so it's time for recovery!  I was unable to consume enough calories last night before passing out, and was feeling it when I awoke this morning looking emaciated and generally wasted.

So, I decided to pedal slowly around Barcelona for a few hours soaking in the rays, enjoying the views, and checking out parts of the city difficult to reach by foot.  I'm fairly smitten with this city.  Compared to NYC, it's a fairy tale.  The streets are free of litter, the vibe is relaxed and seems more focused on enjoying life instead of being a slave to a job, and cars almost never honk their horns even when the car in front of them is not accelerating 2 nanoseconds after the light changes to green.  Since we are staying on La Rambla, the main pedestrian thoroughfare, we get some street noise especially at night when the partying crowd emerges, but for the most part it's a peaceful place to be.

I first headed south down La Rambla to the ports where this grand building greets intrepid adventurers from the sea.

Near the port, there's a bridge that accesses the monstrous docks required for the big cruise ships.  It's over the Sea and offers a nice view of the city.

Leaving the bridge, across the street is a big park called Montjuic that is mostly on a hill to the west of Barcelona, and it has a funicular and cable car access to the top.  Within the park are some gardens that looked beautiful.  Here's the road that leads to the gardens.

And, one last photo from the top of Montjuic park.

Tomorrow it's back to a strict training regime.