Catalina Independence voting
Getting from my accommodation to the train station proved a little trickier than expected. Due to the Independence Vote being held in various inner city locations, many streets were blocked off. Lines for voting stretched some blocks, other areas were totally closed down due to demonstrations.
After making several attempts to get transport myself, I asked hotel staff to assist. It took them 10 minutes to even get through to taxis and they were told no car could be guaranteed within an hour - if at all.
So with heavy heart and heavier luggage I accepted my fate of traveling via two metro stops and several flights of stairs. I knew the metro was only 2 mins walk, so that wasn't too bad.
After walking barely 10 metres, I spied a taxi driving by and optimistically tried to flag it down. In the happiest of Spanish miracles, it was free, it stopped and I was loaded in.
Our trip to the main station was quite tense and long, due to the many traffic diversions and seeing the long, long queues of voters and being aware of the high tensions across the city.
Still, I made it to the station in plenty of time, and bluffed my way through the ticket check. I had mistakenly booked a non-refundable ticket from Verona (town) instead of Verona (suburb) to Madrid, but given I had purchased a more expensive ticket anyway, I decided to chance it and waltz through, ignoring the puzzled look and raised hand of the attendant.
I was very relived to get out of the heat and tension of Barcelona and aboard the flash air-con fast train. I was sharing my carriage with a regional Spanish basketball team, so given their height advantage, I enlisted help to lift my bag to the overhead racks.
After making several attempts to get transport myself, I asked hotel staff to assist. It took them 10 minutes to even get through to taxis and they were told no car could be guaranteed within an hour - if at all.
So with heavy heart and heavier luggage I accepted my fate of traveling via two metro stops and several flights of stairs. I knew the metro was only 2 mins walk, so that wasn't too bad.
After walking barely 10 metres, I spied a taxi driving by and optimistically tried to flag it down. In the happiest of Spanish miracles, it was free, it stopped and I was loaded in.
Our trip to the main station was quite tense and long, due to the many traffic diversions and seeing the long, long queues of voters and being aware of the high tensions across the city.
Still, I made it to the station in plenty of time, and bluffed my way through the ticket check. I had mistakenly booked a non-refundable ticket from Verona (town) instead of Verona (suburb) to Madrid, but given I had purchased a more expensive ticket anyway, I decided to chance it and waltz through, ignoring the puzzled look and raised hand of the attendant.
I was very relived to get out of the heat and tension of Barcelona and aboard the flash air-con fast train. I was sharing my carriage with a regional Spanish basketball team, so given their height advantage, I enlisted help to lift my bag to the overhead racks.
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