And on to Cal Ramonet.... 8/03

Today we headed back to the airport to pick up our car and meet with the Wadley's, our friends from Britain who we are spending a week with us in Spain.  We were renting our car from Hertz and decided to go to the booth in the parking lot only to find perhaps 50 people waiting to rent cars.  I inquired of the staff in the yellow shirts and they "no hablo inglis" so asked a customer and she said that it is Hertz/Firefly which is a budget operator of Hertz and I might have better luck in the Terminal.  So off to the terminal office and thankfully only a couple of customers waiting for cars.  The Wadley's arrived and off we set toward our accommodations by way of Manresa.  As we approached Manresa we noticed a grand cathedral on the hill and Laurel recalled the historical district around the area so we made our way and found parking. Food was the first order of the trek and we found ourselves in a local plaza with a few small bars and the remnants of that days market breaking camp.  We ordered a lunch of local tapas and pizza and as I was clearing up the bill the bartend asked where we were from and then said "so why are you >here< ???" in that "we don't get many tourists here" sort of way; at least that verified we were getting a "local" experience.....  The cathedral precinct is in a state of 3/4 renovation but had obviously completely stopped as a result of economics in the region; new equipment and infrastructure installations but not painted or completed, equipment and supplies behind fencing but weeds and plants growing up and through the material, etc.  The area is a "destination in waiting" and one day, when complete, will be a great place to visit.  We then left the area for the local Carrefor supermarket to stock up on supplies for the week.  We love shopping for food in different regions and this one did not disappoint as we had our pick of 10 or 15 varieties of Serano Ham, the complete leg joint no less, and any variety of local wines, many for 3 Euro or less.  At the checkout with our food, we eyeballed the cart and expected the typical $200 Costco bill and were suprised with when the final total was 80 Euros....  Back into the car again and off to Cal Ramonet our accommodations for the week; a duplex bungalow complete with swimming pool, set on a hill overlooking rolling farm hills with sheep bells clanking in the background, Cicadas buzzing in the heat, and olive trees scattered about the property....  Hmmmmm......