As soon as the TnT vs Paraguay game final whistle blew, it was one time movements to the train station to catch the 11:45pm train back to Frankfurt, then the 3am shuttle bus from the Hauptbahnhof (Frankfurt's Central Train Station) to Frankfurt Hahn Airport for our 5:30am flight to Barcelona. Now we cannot remember the exact times, but remember telling the taxi driver to stamp on the gas pedal to get us from the Hauptbahnhof to our hotel and back with in 20 mins... which he did!

After about 45 minutes to an hour we arrived at Frankfurt Hahn Airport, caught our flight and arrived in Girona Barcelona in just under 2 hours. Brapppps ... 7:30am, tyyyyaaad like hell and we still have to get on another shuttle bus to get us into Barcelona city, which is about an hour away. These are the downsides when you choose to travel with a cheap airline like RyanAir ... NOT using the major airports which closer to the main cities! Our travels are not done just yet, we still need to take a subway to the Le De L'Arc Hotel located on La Rambla situated in the heart of Barcelona at the tourist and historic area. We know what you are thinking right about now, "All this traveling for a relaxing vacation??!!" Don't worry, it's exactly what was running through our minds at the time too!!! :-)

So we in the hotel lobby waiting to check-in having arrived before the normal check-in time. "Sir, we cannot store your luggage at this time since our staff is busy serving breakfast. If you don't mind, it will be closer to 11 or 12 before we can take your bags", said the front desk receptionist. "No problem. We are quite tired from our long journey and will sit and wait with our bags" was our reply. Little did we know that was the very last time we would be seeing one of our bags. Yes peoples, some ka-ka hole STEAL one our bags dry so, right in front of us in the hotel lobby!!! Luckily (we guess), we were working on the laptop at the time so that was not stolen. We lost all accessories, battery chargers and adapters for cells, camcorders, cameras and more along with our EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE with all TJJ stuff (processed and to be processed). Thank goodness all the Germany World Cup 2006 Coverage was on the actual laptop, and more important our passports were not in that bag!!! We also lost a tape with 2006 TNT Carnival Coverage and some WC footage from the TNT vs Sweden game and Angostura Rum Karneval event that day. PRESSURE!!! Barcelona done put a sour taste in our mouths and we ent even start our vacation yet! Next stop, Police station. As expected, de station was ram with tourists. Boy, you should hear the reports other folks were making. So we did what we had to do for formalities, knowing very well we ent getting crap back, then it was time to make the best of our next 2 days in this crazy city!

The food in Spain is excellent, especially if you love seafood - very fresh and tasty! Tapas is very popular at most restaurants. Tapas means a portion of food, a nibble usually savoury, it can be anything from olives to meat balls or fried potatoes. Tapas menus (for the most) are not in English so knowing a little Spanish is a plus. If not, you can always point at someone else food and say, "Gimme dat!" ;-) Restaurants of all types are all over de place. If you rather eat outside for ambiance, be careful where you choose to eat as it can be very pricy. A soft drink can cost you 7 euros ($53 TT) because you dine on the La Rambla main stretch instead of the actual restaurant on the side street. Let's not even talk about the prices when you eat down at the World Trade Center or along the Port. But heh, we only live once right... so we had to do it! Tipping is expected but normally the 7% IVA charge is included in the bill, so tips are usually no more than a euro or two at most. Grabbing a bite in the market areas is a must. The market also seems like a popular area for the locals. Be aware of the buskers!!

On the site seeing beat, we went with Barcelona Bus Turistic. It's about 18 euros for a day pass or 22 euros for a 2-day pass. If you have the time, we recommend doing the 2-day pass. You get to see all the major sites in Barcelona, and the real beauty of this tour is the fact that you can jump on and off at various stops. Their buses run like every 10 mins, so in the day you can use the tour for what it offers and even squeeze in some personal sight seeing as well. With the tour, you also get some discount coupons to use at various places. Some of the sites includes the Sagrada Familia, which is the only "Cathedral" in the world still under construction; Barcelona Football Club, where players such as Kubala, Cruyff, Maradona and Ronaldinho have made footballing history; Montjuic's Anella Olimpica (Olympic Ring), the nerve centre of the 1992 Olympic Games; Port Olimpic, the greatest urban transformation brought about by the 1992 Olympic Games took place in this area; and the World Trade Center.

Barcelona has a very good nightlife, simply because there are lots of foreigners, students, and tourists. You can find every kind of night club you are looking for, from jazz to tourist techno or from gay to straight. We went to a couple spots, but not in the main clubbing area, so we guess we never saw the real deal as far as what Barcelona night life have to offer. The Spanish eat late, drink late and go out very late. Don't be surprised if Barcelona night clubs are pretty much empty until at least 1-2 in the morning, then go on until about 6am. Thank goodness for the siesta! Most of the clubs do not have a set price. It varies according to night, and who is playing, many are free before a certain time (usually 1am) plus if you walk around you are likely to be given a flyer that gets you in free all night. You can pick up flyers in shops, bars and some cafes have a rack of flyers. These usually either entitle you to a free drink, 2 for 1 drinks, or free entrance. In the case of some clubs the flyer people actually stand very near the club itself but you can find them all over the city including down the Ramblas and in the Barri Gotic area.

Before we go, our last message to you if considering visiting Barcelona is to remember to keep a close eye on you your possessions. Never leave your bag on the back of a chair, and don't leave wallets or purses on the table. There are pickpockets operating 24/7. Man, we still doh believe we got robbed!! Time to head homeward bound via London. Adios.