The Robbi Route

May 28 – May 30, 2026

Thursday (8.2 miles): L hit a barre class and G slept in followed by some well deserved cartoon watching!

We met W at a favorite bookstore/cafe of his, La Central de Raval. It was wonderful on So Many Levels!!!  The book store itself was huge with alcoves and meandering rooms divided by subject matter.  Outside was a patio area for enjoying coffee and foods with shady and sunny seating choices.   The vibe was simultaneously serene and happening!!  

W, L & G headed off to the airport via metro to rent a car for a variety of upcoming adventures and activities.  I picked up some miscellaneous things for the remainder of my stay – protein powder, a whisk to stir it and baggies, all purchased at the The flagship El Corte Inglés department store on Plaça de Catalunya.  This place has nine retail floors above ground plus a basement level (which houses a massive supermarket)!!  The ninth floor is a self-serve food court and cafeteria offering panoramic views of the city!!

I couldn’t find a swim suit there but found one very inexpensively at Decathlon, an excellent sporting goods store found throughout Spain.

And though we were soon to meet for our food foray, I was hungry so sat in the plaza adjacent our hotel to enjoy my solo time and tapas of salmon and cream cheese plus Padrón pepper/blood sausage/bell pepper, both on small baguette slices.  Unfortunately for the rest of the crew, the car rental place was sheer madness and it took them hours to get the rental car.

I really cannot put into words how much fun we had being hosted by K and W at their favorite tapa establishments!!  Each had its own unique vibe, all were packed with people, usually with long lines we passed on the way out, and the Taste Sensations – WOW!  

First was Bar Del Pla where we enjoyed pan con tomate and mushroom wasabi ensalada! Followed by croquetas at Santa Caterina Vermuteria, salchichas, cava, hamburgusa and Manchego cheese at Can Paixano and standing outside La Plata we had anchoas (anchovies), tomato salad and a shared wine pour   The finishing touch – bbq ribs with potatoes, Spanish tortilla (egg and potatoe frittata) AND THE MOST AMAZING BASQUE CHEESECAKE ON THE PLANET!!!  We were lucky to get to bed by midnight!!

Friday (6.7 miles):  We had a lovely drive in our rental car on our Field Trip to Platja de Canadelll down the southern coast a bit.  We stopped in to a great grocery store, Ametller Origen, and loaded up on picnic supplies.  Once we arrived we set out beach blankets, an umbrella and enjoyed a lazy afternoon in a most dreamy and idyllic spot – people watching, frolicking in the shallow water and generally letting our playful sides out.  

And as if that spot wasn’t cute and perfect enough, we walked a fair distance around a bend, to another beach in  Palafrugell Llafranc.  

On our way out we climbed up a fortress, Callela Towers.  “ The towers, as well as being a defensive element, were part of a complex surveillance system. They communicated during the day using smoke and bell ringing, and with bonfires at night. Any possible danger from a pirate attack on the Palafrugell coast would’ve been detected from the Sant Sebastià de la Guarda Tower (15th century) and the Calella Tower (1597), where a guard was permanently stationed and from where information could be transmitted to the interior of the Empordà region. The location of Calella’s tower allowed for the control of the Llafranc and Calella bays, and it is the only municipality which was armed. It has a flat area overlooking the sea, where there used to be cannons, but this was dismantled in 1782, since the danger of a pirate attack had diminished significantly.  The tower also functioned as a prison until the Spanish Civil War.” (visitpalafrugell.cat) Walking just a bit further in the agro tourism complex we hopped into a recommended and inviting restaurant which, despite having a number of bad reviews about service, was delightful and superb! – ambiance, service and food!!  It was a long drive home under a full moon, perfect in so many ways.  Ahhhhhh!

Saturday (6.5 miles): We had a full day planned, but instead W & K spent the morning packing up, as they will be moving out of their Barcelona place next week and heading back to Seattle for the summer!! L, G and I wandered around in and out of stores and just took it generally easy, soaking up our joy of being together in Barcelona!

And then it was finally time to go to our flamenco show!!! I was thrilled to introduce G & L to this most favorite Spanish art form as they had never experienced it before!! Beforehand we had tapas and G joined other niñas on an adjacent playground.

We had front row seats and it was as magical for me as ever