AFTER the stresses and strains of Friday night's match, Saturday was planned as a day of recuperation for the players - and a chance to sample life in Barcelona.

There was a morning session in which the squad was split in two. Those who had played 45 minutes or more against CF Balaguer had a recovery session led by Conditioning Coach Martyn Pert and a more strenuous session for those who hadn't featured so heavily in the match.

Once training was over, the whole squad loaded onto the coach and headed for a day out in Barcelona.

The hotel provided a packed lunch for everyone which was eaten on the 90-minute drive to the Catalan capital.

There was a 2.00pm appointment at the Camp Nou where the whole squad had the pleasure of a guided tour behind the scenes of the European Champions. 

The famous stadium is about to undergo a huge facelift so it felt poignant to be able to see it in largely it's original form from when it was built in 1957.

The changing rooms were very large but remarkably were no better equipped than those in the East Stand at Vicarage Road, although there was no denying that the overall atmosphere gave the place the feeling of a sense of occasion.

Most of the team took the opportunity to pick up some souvenirs at the FCB club shop before heading into town. 

There was a stop at Gaudi's famous Sagrada Familia church, before the group was dropped off in the centre of town and left to make their own way around, taking in a coffee or shopping opportunities on the way.

The whole party re-assembled at the statue of Christopher Columbus at the bottom of the Ramblas, where it meets the harbour area. 

The was a lovely evening meal organised in the Olympic port with a beautiful backdrop of the sun setting over Barcelona, undeniably one of Europe's most impressive and charismatic cities, before it was back onto the coach for the trip back to Lleida.