Geese in the courtyard!

This morning we walked down the beautiful Passeig de Gracia

to Placa Catalunya...

From there we explored the Barri Gotic (Gothic Quarter),

the centre of the old city of Barcelona.

Many of the buildings date from Medieval times,

some from as far back as the Roman settlement of Barcelona.

Remains of the squared Roman Wall can still be seen.

One of the main attractions, right in the heart of the district 
is the huge Cathedral which has a stunning courtyard 
full of plants and oddly, geese.

Most of the quarter is closed to regular traffic and the narrow, winding streets create quite a labyrinth with many small streets opening out into squares (placas) where you can relax and enjoy the surroundings.

We enjoyed lunch in one of the many restaurants around Plaça Reial.

We shared a seafood paella and a jug of Sangria...there were plenty of buskers...some playing Spanish guitar, some singing or doing acrobatics to the beat of drums...a wonderful atmosphere.

After exploring a little more we came home for a little siesta. Later this evening we will be heading out to the airport to pick Peta up. Her flight from London is scheduled to arrive at 10.20pm...it will be wonderful to have her with us for the next ten days.

I'll leave you with some of the photos Andrew took today...we are intrigued and impressed with the skills of the stonemasons...

So far today we've walked 12.3 k's