Sunday, August 15, 2010

go car go




Trina and Leandro joined Denise and I in Barcelona for a few days and after seeing other people zooming about the city in these funny little yellow cars, Leandro got it into his head that we ought to do it. We had a hilarious time, what with our unwillingness to follow the instructions of the GPS system that was telling us where to go and its tendency to tell us after we passed a street that we were supposed to have turned up that one it was amazing that we found our way around as well as we did.

Leandro's rather more complete account of events below:




We had seen the bright yellow "go cars", with their speed racer black stripe, zooming up the hill and through Barcelona the night before and we all were excited about the idea of having our turn at stylishly taking in the view. Matt (an IT genius) had googled and youtubed the cars finding the site, booking and researching what it would be like.
I was crapping myself about driving one (we had a go car per couple) I had never driven on the right side of the road before and European traffic has always given me the heebies. But once inside the go car and on our way it was great fun. Matt looked extra sexy in his open black motorbike helmet, somehow pulling off a "Chips" look. I looked more like the escaped special needs version of the biker from Village People.
The three wheel mopeds flew across the streets, naughtily we hit speeds of up to 60 miles an hour, albeit down hill. (Matt and Denise insisted theirs was slower, sure guys, good excuse).
We got terribly lost and then stuck in a traffic jam on La Ramblas while the GPS lady started to sound more like a repeating rapstar than a navigation system, that is if she was talking at all. But the fun factor was through the roof and Matt now has some great photos and video footage of us buzzing our way round the immigrant quarter and up the mountain, past Colombus and winding through many small side streets, beeping our horns cheerily as peoples faces brightened to see these crazy little yellow speed cars.
I would recommend it to anyone going to Barcelona or the other cities where it is available, it's not cheap but it was worth every penny, it's still making me smile inanely just remembering the experience. Though I would say it would be great if the GPS was more interactive and you had more choice of setting an itinerary and destinations. Plus I think the lady in the small GPS box in car 36 might need a reboot. Cheers guys, brilliant fun and a great laugh!

Monday, August 02, 2010

Barcelona

Been doing lot's of relaxing and a little painting in Barcelona. Days are full of trips to the fresh food market, siestas and dodging all the people who fill the streets. Nights seem to start late and finish just before the sun comes up with drumming not far from our window. Very good to be back here.
Posted by Picasa