Land & Sea - Live from Barcelona & the Oosterdam Transatlantic - November 5th, 2022

[1of4]

3 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

Thanks Colin.  I”m sure going to try.

 

 

Ok, here is the long, sad story.  Just finished Palau Guell and coming down the 3 / 4 flights of stairs.  On the 2nd last one from the bottom and got jostled, lost my footing and reached for the bottom - wasn’t the bottom but the 1st step (same colour marble as the floor) twisted my foot and crashed on the ground screaming in pain.  

 

 

I learned a very important lesson - take a picture of your passport to have with you.  In Spain, they can’t treat you without it or at least a driver’s license.  They would have accepted a pic.  My sister had to return to the hotel and get mine out of the Safety Deposit Box.

 

OMG Jacqui!  I’m so sorry to read this.  I hope some rest and ice make a big difference for embarking the cruise.

 

yes, we always have photocopies of our passports, probably because we had the two children and some ports won’t let you back on the ship without proof the children belong to you….due to international kidnapping and child sex workers.

 

I tried to delete the picture but CC wouldn’t allow it.  Nice tote 😉

[kazu]

So let’s take a look at Palau Guell.  It is absolutely fabulous.  Not sure why DH and I didn’t go in before - I think it was either closed or too busy.  I remember standing and looking at it.

 

If you haven’t gone - do so.

 

Guell was a wealthy nobleman who wanted to stand out.  He admired a little known architect and reached out to him to build his new home.(mansion).  He hired Gaudi and in doing so both he and Gaudi became famous.  Park Guell is named in honour of Gaudi’s patron.

So we’ll start with the stables - yes these are the stables!

 

 

 

 

[kazu]

5 minutes ago, 1of4 said:

OMG Jacqui!  I’m so sorry to read this.  I hope some rest and ice make a big difference for embarking the cruise.

 

yes, we always have photocopies of our passports, probably because we had the two children and some ports won’t let you back on the ship without proof the children belong to you….due to international kidnapping and child sex workers.

 

I have photocopies of my passport too Gal when I am cruising and on tours but never thought about it for my pre-cruise portion.

 

5 minutes ago, 1of4 said:

 

I tried to delete the picture but CC wouldn’t allow it.  Nice tote 😉

 

It’s a great tote, thank you very much for gifting it ♥️ it’s certainly being put to very good use and very helpful with the wheel chair

[kazu]

14 minutes ago, canadianbear said:

@kazu oh no. I’m so sorry to read about your injury.   Hoping the few days you have before boarding the ship helps to recover.  Thankful you had your relatives to help you.  Wishing you a swift recovery.  

 

I am lucky - Blessed with family & I have a great roll call and have already had offers of assistance from them and friends from afar as well.

[kazu]

A little bit more of the stables 

 

 

Check out the staircase - goes all the way to the top.  It is closed off of course - now that one would be dangerous 😉 

 

 

Beautiful carving on the main entrance door.

 

 

One of the stairways - this one is rugged unlike the one I went down on.

 

 

Peaking down from the 1st level

 

 

Lots of stained glass and intricate work:

 

 

[kazu]

The ceilings are magnificent

 

Marble and ornate carving and iron everywhere!

 

 

 

 

Close up of this magnificent piece with the very intricate carving.

 

 

That work is part of the fireplace in this room

 

[Sea42]

@kazu I hope your pain becomes more bearable very soon and that you will be back to enjoying your travels quickly. Rest, ice and adult beverages are called for!

The photos are fantastic. I love wood cravings and these are some excellent examples. Thanks for sharing them.

[kazu]

39 minutes ago, Sea42 said:

@kazu I hope your pain becomes more bearable very soon and that you will be back to enjoying your travels quickly. Rest, ice and adult beverages are called for!

The photos are fantastic. I love wood cravings and these are some excellent examples. Thanks for sharing them.

 

Thanks - took a mini break to get a juice and smoked salmon/cream cheese wrap.  All non alcoholic drinks & snacks are included with my stay.  Quite handy right now, considering my situation.

 

Here is more of Palau Guell:

 

  

 

Pics are originals - this is on the one above:

 

 

We are now in the little church:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We really lucked in on our timing.  The organ started playing.  It was magnificent.

 

 

 

If you want a mini tour of the room and hear a smidge of the music, press play.

 

 

 

 

[kazu]

Another gorgeous fireplace 

 

 

check out the railings for this stair case.  Wish there had been one on the one I slipped on 😉 

 

 

 

The ceilings in every room are amazing

 

 

as are the floors

 

 

There’s a fireplace in every room (of coursed) and they just seemed to get more fantastic

 

 

 

 

 

[Sea42]

What an amazing place!

[kazu]

 

 

 

Looking down again from the 2nd/3rd floor

 

 

This is part of the organ

 

 

and here you can see the pipes - huge and the music points towards the room to load it with that wonderful sound

 

 

 

Gorgeous carvings on this - up close:

 

 

And most of the whole thing:

 

Even the furniture was neat!

 

 

 

 

 

[kazu]

Guess the rest will have to wait.  CC doesn’t want to upload pics.  😡 

 

[ski ww]

Sorry about your little accident, hope it doesn't spoil your cruise.  Get well soon. Great pictures.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Hope your foot gets better each and every day so you will enjoy your cruise to the fullest.

[*Miss G*]

Palau Guell looks amazing!  So very sorry to hear of your fall and injury.  I hope you have a quick recovery and the pain is not too great.  (I got my foot trapped in the door of public transport in Venice so I know all about the pain and screaming. lol)

[Vict0riann]

So sorry about your fall and injury, Jacqui.  It might almost have been easier if t

you had broken something.  When I had a stress fracture of my leg, I remember “the boot” relieved so much of the pain and made life worth living again. I wonder if there is some sort of foot support that might help you.  

[rkacruiser]

Jacqui, it's distressing to learn of your accident.  It reminded me of my injury that I experienced at Luxor departing the stadium watching the Light Show.  I missed a step and a knee suffered the consequences.   The wonderful medical staff on the Amsterdam helped me to complete my cruise several weeks later, though.  

 

Good wishes for you and that you will enjoy your cruise!  

[bennybear]

Enjoyed your photos,  I was thinking of Parc  Guell, so this is new for me! 
Hope you heal well and soon, never fun when one’s way.  Time for your luck to change!  

[Blue Eyes]

I’ve been enjoying your post. So sorry about your recent fall. I’m the queen of bad ankles and broken lower legs(3 times). If you can find a air cast support in a pharmacy you will really should buy one. I’ve used them numerous times. They can be worn with any type shoe and give your injured ankle major support. So much better than wrapping it. Sprains/strains are slow to heal.  We loved Barcelona and our trip up to the monastery at Monserrat..

[puppycanducruise]

Thanks for the pictures.  Amazing.

[kazu]

thanks all for the good wishes.  I appreciate them.

 

10 hours ago, Blue Eyes said:

I’ve been enjoying your post. So sorry about your recent fall. I’m the queen of bad ankles and broken lower legs(3 times). If you can find a air cast support in a pharmacy you will really should buy one. I’ve used them numerous times. They can be worn with any type shoe and give your injured ankle major support. So much better than wrapping it. Sprains/strains are slow to heal.  We loved Barcelona and our trip up to the monastery at Monserrat..

 

I don’t think this would help my foot though?  My ankle is fine - it’s the foot thats’ injured.

 

10 hours ago, bennybear said:

Enjoyed your photos,  I was thinking of Parc  Guell, so this is new for me! 
Hope you heal well and soon, never fun when one’s way.  Time for your luck to change!  

 

Nope - not my Park Guell 😉 Palau Guell is just off la Rambla about 3/4 the way down.  it’s really worth the visit - just be careful, very careful on the marble stairway that has no railing.  

 

I think CC is up and working so here is the last of Palau Guell:

 

This was magnificent.  In the room with the cat and mouse chairs.

 

 

 

So I took a closeup to show the detail.  Gorgeous stained glass.  Not sure if the pics do it justice.

 

 

You have to look hard - I brightened the pic - but this gaudy room is a bathroom - even the toilet is tiled.  OMG.

 

 

more stained glass

 

 

marble, marble everywhere - not the staircase that did me in - it had a railing.  LOL   How come I made it down all of them and went down on the last one?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Overhead Fred]

@kazu - would something like this "knee scooter" be helpful?

[kazu]

1 hour ago, Overhead Fred said:

@kazu - would something like this "knee scooter" be helpful?

 

Thanks Fred.  No pic but I know what you are talking about.

rates to rent are more than to buy here (I’m thinking rollator IF I can bear some weight).  

I can try tomorrow - doing mini gentle tests today.

I am skipping all my tours I arranged here to rest it and flex it as much as possible.  When my DS and D BIL can come back - I am going to test the crutches.  I don’t want to do it alone.  They aren’t like the ones I once used in Canada when I broke my foot.

This makes me miss DH even more as he would have helped me use them.

He probably would have known they might use these and asked for the other ones.  He probably could have gone in with me stating he was a doctor and speaking fluent Spanish and discussed the med and even the gadget on my foot.  

Sorry, I’m a suck today.  Tired of this chair and needing help.  

[kazu]

I’m going to take a minute to talk about my hotel.

 

I’m staying at Casa Camper - which is at the top of Raval on a little side street.  About 3 minute to Las Ramblas, 5 minutes to La Boqueria and 5 to Playa Catalunya to put it in perspective.

I took a couple of pics after I arrived but obviously now, pics are trickier and my room is a mess as it’s set up with the phone on the king bed in case I need it, stuff by the bed and on the couch in easy reach. LOL.

 

I like to stay in boutique hotels and this one is - very different - old building but completely modernized.  Not what you would expect in Barcelona.  Roof top terrace is nice - no pool but a heavenly rain shower (at least that’s what everyone says)

 

 

I think I already mentioned the free food and drinks but there is much more to this place since I have been holed up here since the accident.

 

I have never been in a wheel chair other than when someone pushed me out of the hospital once.  No idea how to use one.  When I got back from the clinic the first thing they said is call us.  Call us 24/7.  We can let you out of your room and take you wherever you want to go here. (One of the rooftop views)

 

the first morning I had to and they wheeled me down to breakfast (which, by the way is very good - these cooks KNOW how to cook eggs 👍 )

 

then my BIL taught me some stuff and they gave me a doorstop to keep the door open to get out and in.  I’m past that now and have returned it. (From one of my balconies)

 

It’s tricky but I can do it.  Jose would be proud.  But, one thing I look for in any hotel is service and boy do they have it here.

I couldn’t find something yesterday ( I did have it I found out this morning but I need it daily so the extra package will just go back with me). I just can’t see to the back of my counter in the bathroom in the chair.  They went to get it for me.

 

They wheel me up to the terrace (roof top) every morning where I like to have my first coffee before breakfast.  I can get there but not with coffee easily LOL.  They already know, training someone new and gave him instructions when he sees me what to do.  OMG/

When they see me wheel out of the elevator they swoop down and grab my chair and push me and ask what they can do for me.

I have tried to pay / tip and I have been refused - over and over.  They made another run for me today.  OMG.

One of them saw me rub my hands (they are getting sore) and immediately asked if they were sore.  I said yes and he said then just call us.  We are here to serve you.  I told him I was imposing and he said no, that’s why there are so many of us - to take care of you.

 

The service is amazing and I have to say - if I had to be disabled and stuck any where this was sure the place.

The 2nd night I went to get into my wheel chair and it moved and I fell.  The ice and water (for my foot) went everywhere.  I tried to pick up and realized it was a lost effort.  Called down apologizing and Cayetano was up in a flash.  Very upset.  He said let me clean first, asked if I was ok and asked permission to re-enter in 2 minutes.  Came back with tools and said the wheel chair wasn’t safe and he was going to try to fix it.  And he did.!

Told me to listen for this noise and if I didn’t hear it, not to try to use it, call them and they would help.

 

These people have been so fantastic to me.  It’s unbelievable.  

 

Besalu will be next.

 

 

 

 

[canadianbear]

@kazu

 

Well the silver lining in all this is that you picked a wonderful hotel to heal at.  The staff sounds absolutely fantastic.  
 

Your photos are so nice to see and will look forward to more.  I’m still disappointed that we didn’t get to sail together with the covid cancellations etc.  Doubt I’ll get to anywhere in Europe now so I really appreciate people who “take us along” with them.