We sailed away from Mallorca on Saturday afternoon late. It is 100nm to Barcelona and we need to go now as by midday Sunday the wind is dropping away to nothing. Also we have a fuel problem. It seems that we have ‘dirty’ fuel – bacteria has begun to grow in the fuel and we have very unreliable engine power. So unreliable that we are reluctant to use the engine in case it stops altogether. Not great but also we have sails and can do the distance with wind power and conserve our engine work for entering the marina. And if we need the Sauveters then we will be close to Barcelona and shipyards.

While we got to mainland Spain by 10 am it took the rest of the day to get up to Barcelona. The entrance to the marinas is quite complex and we have to wait for the bridge to open on the half hour to go into the pond. We want to time it so we have very little engine time.

We have booked tours of Gaudi buildings. The Sagrada Familia, Casa Mila and Casa Batllo. The two apartment buildings are now owned and run by the Gaudi Foundation. Incredible detail and beauty in everything.

Started in 1886 , the first Architect lasted one year and then Gaudi was commissioned. He would have been in his 20’s and he had worked on the Basilica in Mallorca. His methods of design were based on nature and his methods of making models and testing strength were unique. As you walk into the main space of the church you are walking into a ‘forest’ and the colours of the stained glass reflect the seasons. It is expected to be complete in 2040 with the Glory Facade which is the main entrance finished.

Built in 1906 with an underground carpark this is another incredible feat of design and engineering. The whole building sits on a steel circular tank that is the parking – originally for carriages but at the time cars were beginning- the light, the ventilation and again Gaudi’s impressive creative mind.

Then onto Casa Batllo. The Batllo’s were a family who wanted an apartment building in central Barcelona. Gaudi talked them into buying an existing building and adding another layer – the Gaudi layer over it. They intended to live there are to let out apartments. The end result is stunning with so many bespoke details. this was 1908 and the last private job Gaudi did before Sagrada Familia.

We have had fun that’s for sure. Tomorrow we are off to Madrid for a few days and we will leave Marley here in the pond. While we are gone we have a technician coming on board to ‘polish‘ the fuel and get rid of the bacteria. Lucky for us the first guy we called was able to come straight away. Filters are available, he is available- it will all be cleaned up by Friday. Yay!

05 Jul This entry was published on July 5, 2023 at 10:00 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.