We got to the train station with enough time to spare to get a quick cup of coffee before getting on the train; it was around 6.15 and the sun was just getting up. It is actually a really nice time of the day – still air with the smells of fresh croissants and coffee fill the air. Our train was meant to depart at 6.30 so we had a bit of time to get to the platform but we decided to see if the train was there so that we could get a seat, possibly even with a power point. As we walked up onto the platform there was a train just about to go with all its doors closed and the conductor blowing his whistle which means get on or we’ll go without you. Both of us thinking that this must be the train before ours didn’t think too much of it, but then I realised that the big digital clock in the middle of the platform said 6.32, oh shit… We suddenly waved our arms and ran for the first carriage just getting on before it started moving leaving us confused and undecided if we had made the right choice by getting on as we weren’t 100% sure even if this was the train we were booked on, but we were pretty dam sure and we went in search of our carriage. We got to the last of the sleepers and could see the next one was a seat carriage and after a closer inspection we could see that it definately was our carriage but unfortunately this door which separated the sleepers from the seat carriages was locked… we had no choice but to hang out in the corridor until the train stopped at the next station – if it wasn’t direct! Fortunately it wasn’t a direct train, stopping about half an hour down the line. We jumped off and ran to the next carriage, finding it basically empty. The journey was comfortable with nice views of the sea every now then, made even more spectacular with the sun rising in the background.
We are now in Portbou waiting for the local train to Barcelona leaving at 10.27; hopefully this time we will get the right seats…

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The train to Barcelona wasn’t really up to the usual standard, it didn’t have a toilet for the 3 hour journey and the seats were the same as what you would get in the subway – to be honest it looked just like a normal subway car that had just strayed from the depths – just as well as I have just started a new book, so filling in a few hours wasn’t really a problem. We got to Barcelona a little after 2pm, and quickly organised a hotel. We hadn’t eaten enough food too keep us going so we were both in a dreary state of mind by the time we got to the hotel, so food was essential. We went to the super market and bought salad, salami and baguette - conveniently the super market was right beside a park so we sat in the shade with our feast watching the world go round…. Funnily enough, there were several other groups of people dotted around us with the exact same idea, although that bastard over there looks like he got a better bagueete than us.. and he’s sneaking Vodka!

Little else happened for the rest of the day other than looking in a few shops and hanging out, as we we’re both very tired after the day’s events. For dinner we decided to go to the ‘Hard Rock Café’ as it was just around the corner and seemed to have reasonable prices, turning out to be a nice way to end the evening.

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