We hadn’t been in a really big city for a while after traveling through southern France and Basque Spain. Barcelona is definitely a sprawling city with an extensive public transport system that we took advantage of. The metro runs until midnight during the weekdays and 24-hours during the weekend, trains come every 2 or 3 minutes, and we never had to wait more than 5 minutes even late at night. We stayed in the Gracia neighborhood, which is on the northern part of the city. The area was quite nice with several lively streets and plazas filled with shops and restaurants.
Barcelona is a great mix of the friendly and laid back Spanish culture, with the buzz of a metropolitan city filled with a diversity of people. There are tons of tourists everywhere, but it is easy to see why. This is definitely a city that we could envision ourselves in if we were to ever live outside the US.
Our friend Janet (from Munich) recently moved to Barcelona after receiving an internship there in the travel industry and subsequently got (and accepted) a full time job with an international hotel chain. It was very nice to see her again and she once again played tour guide for us for several days of our visit.
The first night we arrived, we walked a good distance to the Sagrada Familia, the Gaudi designed church that is still under construction to this day. Walking around certain areas of Barcelona can take quite a long time because their intersections are shaped like octagons that causes you to have to zig zag to cross the streets. Gaudi was such a big part of what we saw in the city, that we decided to create a special blog post dedicated to his work.
The next day, we took the metro into the main part of the city and rambled down Las Ramblas, the major pedestrian way through the heart of the city. At almost all hours of the day it is packed with people, mostly tourists. The wide, tree-lined street itself is very nice, with many interesting sights along and on it including…
…Animals being sold, including rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets, and these chicks. 3 euros seemed like a decent deal, but backpacking around with a baby chicken is a bad deal.
…Spontaneous games of three card Monty. In Spain, they use theses boxes and a ball underneath. The games never last long as they are constantly on the lookout for police and disperse in seconds. This game appeared to be very popular with the Russian tourists.
…This display of some giant figures that are used for parades.
…Street performers, like this Man Baby. Others favorites were three heads on a table (a guy with his head through a table controlling two fake heads on either side of him), slow motion guy, and headless guys.
…St. Josep Market that is a huge covered market with a variety of meats, candies, produce, and other foods. On several occasions we bought these fresh fruit juice concoctions and if you buy them at the end of the day, they usually discount or give you an extra drink.
…Plaza Real, a beautiful palm tree adorned square surrounded by yellow colored buildings. The large open space is a wonderful meeting place that packs plenty of atmosphere.
At the end of Las Ramblas, you reach the harbor after passing the column of Christopher Columbus. We joined the masses of people sitting along the water enjoying the views and a paddle boat race. Across the harbor is a large shopping and entertainment area as well as the tall structure that is part of a gondola over the water.
We met with Janet at Barceloneta and walked along the beach. There were plenty of people out, but nothing close to the droves that flock during the summer. In the distance you can see the sail-shaped W Hotel.
Along the beach there were several sand sculptures. This one with waterfalls and fireplace was a favorite.
We then headed to Plaza Espagna and towards the National Art Museum of Catalonia that is set on a hill overlooking parts of the city. On the way there we crossed this bus exhibition that had models from yesteryears to the present.
The way up to the museum passes through a long corridor of exhibition halls and an enormous fountain and water features. After reaching the summit, we sat back, enjoyed the views and a guitarist performing some classic Spanish songs.
Back at the fountain, we were treated to an elaborate show. The fountain performed by changing its patterns and lights, creating misty walls of color and geyser like jets of water, all to a soundtrack of Disney music.
The next day, we got tickets to Valencia at the bus station, which was near the Arc De Triumf. It is a finely decorated and massive brick arch.
At the other end of the Arc De Triumf is the Parc de la Ciutadella. It’s a modestly sized green space with a zoo, small lake, and a number of buildings including an old church, conservatory, the above government building, and the below fountain.
The Santa Maria del Mar church was built between 1329 and 1383. It is a very beautiful, but plainly decorated, structure that is set in the middle of the Barrio Gotico (Gothic Quarter). There are buildings all around it, so it pops out of nowhere when you turn a corner.
Janet took us to this wonderful tapas restaurant with some of the best food we have had on our trip, for example this fried camembert cheese stick.
We walked through the Barrio Gotico, the oldest part of the city with narrow, winding streets and older buildings. Walking down this street and under this bridge, you get out to the Cathedral.
The Gothic interior is quite imposing. The Cathedral has the characteristic choir in the center and a crypt below the altar. There is also a nice cloister with exterior chapels, several fountains, and geese!
For Vince’s 30th Birthday, we went out to the Port Olympic area that is known for their Paella. We had a wonderful set dinner that included a smorgasbord of paella and seafood. We were also treated to our waiters Spanish rendition “Feliz Cumpleanos” (Happy Birthday).
Up on the hill behind the National Art Museum of Catalonia museum is Castell de Montjuic Fortress. There are still remnants of defensive cannons that were in place during WW2. We also got some excellent views out over the city and the Mediterranean.
On our way back down the hill, we passed by the Olympic complex and caught the setting sun over it.
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