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Life is a journey - enjoy it 
May 15, 2014 08:00 PM Relax in Barcelona
It was a great day without any plan or itinerary. Barcelona is so cool and relaxing city. It is worth to avoid the tourist path as well. We found a lovely pastry for the breakfast (where the owner knew most of the clients), we discovered many small cool shops and simply we were walking around the district of Barrio Gotico. After we went to see the Cathedral, but it turned out that the entrance cost 6€, after 5pm entrance is for free so we decided to see it later.
I could try to mention all the streets or places that we visited but it have no sense. We had a great day in a lovely city, walking around, going to the bars, eating tapas and having much pleasure from this lovely day.
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May 14, 2014 08:00 PM Tarraco....
Tarragona is a very pleasant town, located 100 kilometres south of Barcelona. During Roman times it was even more important for some period. Nowadays Tarragona has many reminders of its great times. An amphitheatre, located just near the sea, remnants of roman walls, some towers etc. another interesting thing to see in Tarragona is the Cathedral (entrance fee 5eur). I loved the cloister. Just beside the town (direction Lleida) are remnants of the aqueduct from the roman times. Spectacular and for free (which is not that common in Spain), but the access in not well marked. After we had stop in Villafranca de Penedes (a capital of cava region) and then finally we arrived to Barcelona. The evening we spent in lovely tapas bar in Ciutat Vella.
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May 13, 2014 08:00 PM Catalonia profunda
Lleida was the most strange place to visit as far. The city has so many different faces that it is difficult to have a clear opinion about it. The most famous structures are the castle and the Cathedral (la Seu Vella). Combine entrance tickets costs 7eur. There is almost nothing interesting to see in the castle, but the cathedral is worth the visit. It has beautiful cloister, Cathedral interior and the tower (possible to climb - 270 stairs). The cathedral is located on top of the hill and gives great panoramic views over the area. The town itself is a very strange mixture - some elegant refurbished houses, but many in the bad shape and abandoned. There are also new structures like all Lljota de Lleida (a concert and exhibition hall) which show that the city hall tries to invest in its future. I was leaving Lleida with odd feelings. Then we had a stop in a pretty fortified town of Montblanc and we finally arrived to Tarragona which was our next stop.
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May 12, 2014 08:00 PM Principat d'Andorra
Yesterday we finished the day in Andorra. The capital - Andorra La Vella has nothing to offer for sightseeing, but many offers for shopping lovers. It is a duty free paradise between France and Spain. As shopping was not our purpose of visit, we left the city after the breakfast. Some kilometres further, amazing landscapes starts. High peaks of Pyrenees were still covered by the snow! We visited a small village Pal (with lovely Romanesque church) and after we went to a view point with breathtaking sights over the mountains. After we went to Ordino, one of the biggest settlements of the country, with lovely old part and nice views as well. Last thing to see was another Romanesque church in Santa Coloma, which unfortunately was closed ( according to the information we got it is open only on Sunday for the weekly service). After we went to Lleida in Spain. The road was unforgettable - high mountains and after gentle hills of Catalonia. Lleida it is not that attractive city at the beginning....
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May 11, 2014 08:00 PM Independencia!!!!
Yesterday evening we came to Vic. It is a mid size town in the centre of Catalonia. Friend of mine told me also that the town is very pro independent! I know that Catalonia will soon have a referendum about independence, but it was only in Vic that I noticed how strong the movement is. There was no single house without a Catalan flag on it (I didn't see any Spanish flag...) and all the signs, names of the places menus in the restaurants are in Catalan language only! Vic is a very pleasant place to spend a day. Wonderful Plaza Mayor, the Cathedral, Roman temple kept me busy for an afternoon. Then we went to Ripoll - small town north of Vic, where the old monastery (Santa Maria de Ripoll) is located (entrance fee 3€). After through narrow road in Pyrenees Mountains we reach the town La Seu d'Urgell. It was the biggest disappointment. Not many things to see and the Cathedral was closed.
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May 10, 2014 08:00 PM Catalán wedding
Sometimes a chance to travel comes accidentally. I have been invited for the wedding of my friend in Barcelona. So I took a few days off and I am going to discover little bit of the region of Catalonia. The ceremony took place in Arenys del Mar, small town, north of Barcelona. It has small old part, but from upper part of the town are great views over the area with Meditarenean sea. Love it.
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May 28, 2013 08:00 PM It is wonderful place on earth
Today I come back to Warsaw. It was an excellent and unforgettable journey. I expected that Azores will be very beautiful but the reality was far beyond expectations. I saw three different island - Sao Miguel with its natural wonders (Sete Cidades lakes and Furnas springs), unspoiled and breathtaking Sao Jorge (where as my friend said - more cows lives that people) and Terceira with it rich traditions. I was very lucky to have friends (thank you very much to all of you) in Azores, so I could see Tourada a corda, having fun during Fiesta de Termocos and Fiestas de Espriito Santo and many others. Usually I don't like to come back to the same places, but I more than sure that I will come back there so see remaining islands in the archipelago.
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May 27, 2013 08:00 PM Boa Lisboa
It was time to say goodbye to beautiful Azores. In the morning we left Angra to get to Lajes Airport (there is a good highway between two places). From the plane windows I could see Terceira again. My ticket allowed me to spend entire afternoon and night in Lisbon. It is my second home town :) and every time I came here I discover something new. This time I spend afternoon in Bairro Alto and had dinner in small family run restaurant "Andorinhas" in Belem. Portuguese people are very lucky to have such an excellent cuisine!!!
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May 26, 2013 08:00 PM Torrada a corda
Another day filled up with emotions. In the morning we climbed up to the Monte Brasil for great panoramas of Angra do Heroismo. Then we crossed the island to see second biggest town - Praia do Victoria. It is a town much less interesting than Angra and it is better to spend this time in Angra. Then due to Azorean weather (heavy fog) we had to skip Serra do Cume (fabulous view point) and went straight to Angra. It is the oldest city in Azores Island (subscribed on UNESCO list). It has so many historical buildings, that even three days would´t be enough. The town was heavily destroyed by the earthquake in 1980 but it has been completely rebuilt. We visited only the most important buildings in the town - the Cathedral (Se), The Sao Gonçalo Convent (stunning interiors, entance fee 2 eur, guided tour but only in portuguese), The Angrense theatre, Miradouro and few other buildings. At the end of the day we have been taken by our friend Francisco to watch Torrada a corda, another local tradiotion. It is a bull race on the streets of the village (little bit like Pampelona in Spain). Nothing bad is happening to the bull and the fact that this big animal can jump the fence and get close to you is really amazing!!! There were four runs, two first I watched from the balcony and others from the street - so emotional!!!
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May 25, 2013 08:00 PM Always the third
Terceira always been the third (discovered - third, in size - third) so I also saw it third in the row. The island is beautiful, less scenic than the others that I saw but still great. I almost made a loop around the island. From the early morning I had an Azorean weather - rain, but then I got better. We visited small towns around the coast like Sao Mateus, Cinco Ribeiras, Santa Barbara, Doze Ribeiras. In Cino Ribeiras I watched the fiesta organized by the locals, in Serreta when we visited Imperio (small chapel) a keykeeper shared with us a typical soup (it is make for this part of the year) Sopa d´Espirito Santo (a bread and beef soup), then we received a Massa Sovada - a sweet bread. Here it is an habit to share the bread with the others during Fiesta d´Espirito Santo. Then we visited Grota do Natal (a cave), spectacular Algar do Carvao ) a cave with an open ceiling (comined ticked for both 8 eur) and Furnas do Enxofre. From there we came back to the coast and tried great wine from Biscoitos. Biscoitos is also famous from natural swimming pools in the ocean!! And, at the end of the day we had a great sea food dinner in San Mateus.
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