Almost a fortnight later...and I'm pining for Barcelona

It's over a week since my easyJet plane landed at Luton airport from Barcelona and I began the long journey back up to Preston, trying to remember what my own bed was like after experiencing the W Hotel's heavenly offerings.

Ironically, my sister arrived back from a school trip to Barcelona on Friday night. It got me looking through my photos again and wishing I'd been coming back at the same time as her after an 11-day stay, albeit with a few days of rainy weather thrown in.


After all, I might have been able to go and watch FC Barcelona play AC Milan on Wednesday. Instead I had to settle for the view from my sofa. Not quite the same, really.

If I'd had more time to spend in Barcelona, I think I definitely would have stayed longer at Camp Nou. It really is an all-day experience. It would take a fair while to watch every single video clip available in the museum but I'd love to do it.

Like I said in my previous post, for any football fan visiting Barcelona, getting a glimpse behind the scenes of one of the most famous football clubs in the world is a must. I couldn't quite believe I was actually there at first. And the trophies...oh, the trophies. The delicious silver glint of the European Cup, rows and rows of silverware from competitions I never even knew existed, the three golden Ballon D'Ors each kept in their own display and all won by the amazing Lionel Messi...you simply have to see it all for yourself.

As well as the visual displays, there is a lot of reading to be done if you really want to travel through time and take in every single bit of information about the club's history and pedigree. The museum teaches you the events from decade to decade and one extract in particular really stood out to me. "For the first time ever, all three finalists had come from the same club's youth ranks. It meant recognition of the work carried out at La Masia: three homegrown stars, educated in the principles of effort, humility, sportsmanship and hope, were selected as the three best players in the world in 2010," referring to the nominations of Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta and Xavi as the top three candidates for the Ballon D'Or that year.

For me, that was the moment when I realised exactly where I was, and how amazing it was for me to be there.

My personal highlight from the Camp Nou experience, though, was being able to listen to El Cant del Barça - the official anthem of FC Barcelona. Sets of headphones hang from above you, and the lyrics are written in front of you on the wall, in the language of every footballer to play for the club. At first, I read the English lyrics while the Spanish version rang through my ears. Then I closed my eyes and listened again, imagining I was part of the crowd, experiencing the atmosphere before El Clásico, or the Champions League final. It's an incredible, emotional piece of music and I only hope one day I am lucky enough to be able to join in myself.

I also enjoyed our look around Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys and its museum, although we had to whizz around without getting a proper chance to take everything in, which was a bit of a shame. Port Vell is another example of the legacy left by the 1992 Olympic Games, a magnificent harbour build to replace an area of nothingness.

Knowing what the Games had brought to the city is encouraging for those wanting a successful Games for London. It was interesting to hear how the citizens of Barcelona were initially sceptical about hosting it, until around six months before the event, when anticipation and excitement began to grow. Many of us agreed that this had been the case for London, too. If the Games can benefit us even half as much as it did for Barcelona, I think the UK will end up very satisfied indeed.