Barcelona
=========

After several year I have attended a conference. I have been working at
the university since 2001 but in last 7 year I have been more a manager
than a scientist or teacher. And one of side effect of this development
was that I have had no  time for conferences. Fortunately, this year it
was possible for me to (well, partially) returnt to more normal work. I
was able to finish  some textbooks and also to do  some research and to
present the results on a conference. So I visited the Barcelona and the
Sitges (where the conference venue was).

I flown from Prague to Sitges with  the Vueling. I used them before few
years and now  I noticed some changes, both positive  and negative: one
can check-in online and actually select a seat. There is no run for the
best seats  now, which is nice.  They still sell places  near emergency
exits as  a better (more expensive)  ones because there is  more space.
And there  still are people  who are surprised  for what they  paid the
extra price. Well, I intentionally got  this seat because it also means
priority boarding (and because there really  is a bit more space for my
long legs). On  other side, drop-off of bags in  Barcelona now requires
operations with a strange machine  which automatically prints label for
the bag. In the Prague there was  normal, human, crew for this task and
I think that it was faster and less annoying. Anyway, if I will have to
use low-cost in future then I will prefer the Vueling.

In Sitges I selected a hotel which was close to the railway station and
not so far from the conference venue. It was not too expensive but also
not cheap. After I was there, I  opened the google and started to study
why it has just 2,5 stars from 5 possible. People were unsatisfied with
the fact that  they want payment during check-in and  that they require
payment in cash (I see no problem with that), that there is a bad TV (I
had  a  quite  big flat-screen  one),  that  there  is  bat or  no  air
conditioning (it  worked perfectly for  me but I found  it unnecessary)
and many people found the lift terrible  (yes, it was a bit older and a
small, just  for 3  people, but  it worked  perfectly). In  other hand,
their bed was perfect. I normally have  problem to sleep on a bed which
has different stiffness  than my own but there the  bed was just ideal.
And  the room  was a  dedicated large  terrace with  seats and  a large
parasol. To  be short: I  cannot select a better  hotel for me.  Are my
needs so different from needs of other travelers?

For the Barcelona itself: I had little time to explore it. But it looks
like a nice  city. Many interesting buildings. I  personally don't like
Gaudi works but  its church is magnificent. And for  older ones, I have
found the most interesting the remains of the old Roman defenses.

Public transport is OK,  and they offer a 1,2 or 3-day  (and for 5 days
too, I  think) tourist ticket for  fair price so moving  inside city is
easy.

Now I'm  writing this text in  the night train from  Prague to Ostrava.
Surprisingly,  both electricity  and  WiFi are  available  here. Is  it
because it is the first class couch?