Barcelona is a vibrant, energetic and beautiful city. The majority of people in the city seemed to be in their twenties and thirties so the city had a great vibe. It also felt wide and spacious compared to London and Lisbon. The architecture held new surprises around every corner. Our first day, we ventured up Montjuic. We enjoyed our ride up on the cable car and had incredible views of Barcelona. Montjuic castle was more of a fort than a castle and had a long history of protecting Barcelona even as recently as World War II. We decided to walk back down the mountain so we could see the Olympic stadium and rings. Alas, we walked and walked but never quite found them so we gave up and limped our way back to the hotel. Day two was the big one. La Sagrada Familia. We could see the cathedral from everywhere in the city as it towered over every other building. As we approached it and got our first look, the outside of the cathedral reminded me of a dirt dauber nest or a tall termite hill. The closer you get, the more details are revealed. Gaudi was definitely an eccentric genius. Once inside the cathedral, it was like a fairy land. The entire inside of the cathedral was made of a grayish concrete. The design of the building was such that the stained glass windows bathe the entire interior in amazing, kaleidoscope colors that change depending on your angle. It was like watching the Wizard of Oz for the first time when it goes from black and white to technicolor. I have never experienced anything like it. There really are no words that can do it justice. After La Sagrada, we jumped on the metro (we figured out public transport easily in Barcelona!) and headed toward Park Guell. What we thought would be an easy trip turned into an hour and half walk all uphill...and then it started to rain. By the time we located the park, we were exhausted. We were not sure if it was our exhaustion but the park left us feeling a little empty after La Sagrada. Gaudi had designed both and the park was whimsical in his style. The ironic part of Gaudi’s life is that he designed most of Barcelona but when he was hit by a streetcar, he was so raggedy that no one wanted to help him (they did not recognize him). After his death, he was celebrated with a huge procession and ceremony. Odd how those things work. We finished our night down at the waterfront and following the suggestion of some locals, we found some awesome paella! It was easily enough for three people so we had to get a doggie bag. After we had eaten, Bill asked about the suckling pig. The manager asked if Bill would like to taste a “small bite” of the pig. Of course, he agreed. We waited a few minutes and much to our surprise, the waiter showed up with another plate full of food! Bill ended up getting another to go box and insisted on paying for the “small” sample. Our last day in Barcelona we visited Barcelona Cathedral and the Opera House. We took a stroll down La Rambla and found a wonderful park with a magnificent fountain. As we were walking, a police vehicle came flying past and a bunch of plain clothed police officers jumped out and ran after some guys in the park who had been setting out wares to sell….I guess they weren’t allowed to sell in that area? We both felt the police raid would have been more effective if the police had not arrived in the SWAT vehicle! Tomorrow we fly into Nice, France and take a quick train ride into Monaco so that Bill can do his best 007 impersonation at the casino. See you in Monacco! Ratings for Barcelona Overall: 9 Points of interest: 9 Ease of communication: 8 (because we speak a little Spanish!) Ease of transportation: 8 Friendly people: 8 Food: 10!!!! Cost of living: 9 Weather: 9 (only a few drizzles!) Bill’s favorite thing: The overall vibe of the city Sally’s favorite thing: The colors of La Sagrada Familia
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorSally Miller Archives
May 2024
|