The flight was uneventful and we arrived in Barcelona on time without incident. After passing through Customs which took all of ten minutes (mostly because Amanda requested the officer to stamp her passport rather than just looking at it) we made our way to the airport lobby where we were supposed to be able to purchase bus tickets in order to make our way to the hotel. Time, however, was quite literally against us. At 10:00 PM on a Friday evening none of the public transportation kiosks were manned which meant we had to try and manage to use the automated ticket machines scattered throughout the airport. This also proved to be a difficult task as well. Amanda has mentioned our issues with chip and pen credit cards when trying to buy things in England. Well the automated ticket machines will only accept chip and pen cards which we still do not have. So at 10:30 there we were wondering around Barcelona International with no cash, no transportation and approximately 15 miles separating us from our hotel.
Thankfully, we found a friendly train attendant who patiently listened to our struggles (in Amanda’s special version of Spanish) and allowed us to board a bus that would take us to another station that would have a manned ticket counter. We thanked the attendant and boarded the bus for our twenty minute ride to a station downtown Barcelona. Upon arrival, there were no manned ticket counters. So we located another attendant and proceeded to explain what had happened. Unfortunately, this attendant couldn’t understand that American credit cards don’t have the chip and pen feature which makes them practically useless in Europe. After wasting half an hour with this attendant and getting no closer to the hotel we politely told the attendant we would try and find another way to the hotel. At this point we were tired and frustrated and it was well past our bedtime. It was about the time I suggested that perhaps we just walk the rest of the way to the hotel that another attendant came by and asked if he could help. We told him our troubles and that we were about to set out on foot and simply shook his head and beckoned us to follow him. He led us down to the line platform entrance and passed us through security and even told us what metro we would need to take to get to our hotel. We didn’t even really get to express our gratitude effectively because he made the decision to let us pass so quickly we didn’t realize what had happened until we were already through security. The rest of the night passed uneventfully as we arrived at the hotel around 12:20, checked in and collapsed on our "married" bed - that's European for two twins pushed together.
On Saturday morning we made our way to Plaça de Catalunya and the top of Las Ramblas. After walking through Plaça de Catalunya we found a busy little Café were we stopped for a croissant and fresh glass of orange juice before we began our Rick Steves’ walking tour of Las Ramblas. When I say fresh glass of OJ, I mean, I watched a guy take an orange and make my glass of juice. It doesn’t get better than that. Las Ramblas was packed with tourists, entertainers, and street vendors.
Las Ramblas is an experience that I don’t know that I’ll be able to fully describe here. My favorite part was La Boqueria, a market just off the main street…well, maybe it was the gelato shops on the Ramblas, but more on them in a minute. The market has a wealth of colors and smells which compete for attention almost as much as the booth operators wanting those tourist Euros. The fruit was so brightly colored; every kind of melon and berry that you can think of was there. They were fresh and just begging to be eaten (I obliged). There were also legs of ham hanging from the booths and fresh fish from the boats just that morning. All the booths were mixed together in one hodgepodge of semi-organized chaos so your nose never could figure out if you were near meats, melons, fish or flowers.
At the bottom of Las Ramblas is a monument statue dedicated to Christopher Columbus who is depicted standing triumphantly pointing out to sea as if he is beckoning the people of Barcelona to take to the seas and discover the world.
From the statue we started towards Montjuic and the castle that bears its name. On the way we managed to find the steepest road in all of Spain as our route to the top of Montjuic. Side Note: Amanda is starting to think that I’m searching out these hills. It’s not true. A little less than half way to the top we came across the swimming and diving arena for the ‘92 summer games which has been converted into a public swimming facility. Just outside the entrance to the swimming facility is a cable car that we elected to take for the remainder of our journey up Montjuic. At €9 per person the price was a bit steep, but then so was the hill we were trying to climb. In the end I think it was worth the price. Besides, it helped us complete the transportation trifecta for the trip…plane, train & cable car (okay, bus & car were in there too, but they’re not nearly as cool).
Upon ascending the mount in our cable car, we disembarked and made our way to the castle. Built in the 18th century and used by Spain’s fascist leaders to repress the locals it is appropriately intimidating. The main battery of guns face the Mediterranean ready to repel anyone foolish enough to attack the fortified position perched high above Barcelona’s port. There are few guns facing inland from the castle but the walls and towers can be seen from nearly every area of the city that has a clear view of the mountain. Inside the castle the inner ward has been transformed into a large gathering area with a small restaurant nestled into the arcade and what used to be sleeping quarters and administrative offices for the castle. Opposite the restaurant the castle is in the process of being transformed into a museum. Most of the magazine spaces and auxiliary facilities were closed to the public as they are being turned into exhibit spaces for the new museum. Above the parade grounds is very expansive walk wall that affords a commanding 360 degree view of the city, port and surrounding land and seascapes.
After taking the cable car back down to the Olympic swimming facility, we made our way to the Olympic stadium. I got to stand directly beneath the caldron where the greatest torch lighting ever took place.
Once we finished our tapas we walked back towards Font Magica de Montjuic for a water and light show choreographed to music. I have to admit that Amanda pretty much had to drag me to the show. We’d had a very walk intensive day and the thought of walking about another mile just to watch a fountain and some lights really didn’t sound that great. I’m going to put this out there just for her: I was wrong. There, I said it. Well, I have many other times too, just not quite so publicly. Anyway, the fountain show was a wonderful way to cap the evening and was my favorite sight of the day. For about 30 minutes, over 680 gallons per second of water are pumped through this massive fountain in three concentric pools. That’s impressive enough, but also a variety of music blares out of the air– from the Star Wars theme song to some very classical piano pieces to even California Girls and then add the light show behind it all. It really was quite amazing.
On Sunday, we got up early to beat the crowds that gather at the Picasso museum. We still managed to wait 45 minutes in line before entering but there was an excellent café next to the museum where Amanda had another croissant and I indulged in a chocolate muffin. It was by far the best breakfast we had during our stay and only costs about two dollars US. After getting into the museum, we made our way to the permanent exhibit which displays around 1,000 pieces consisting of paintings, sketches, sculpture and lithographs all created by the museum’s namesake. I have to admit that walking around the museum and studying the different types of art that make up the collection I began to see Picasso as a “jack of all trades” type rather than one of the truly great artists. The pieces in the museum are all exceptional however when compared to others, his work doesn’t appear to measure up in my mind. He certainly wasn’t the greatest realist ever although First Communion clearly demonstrated the talent that he was born with and had he continued down that path I might view him differently. I will admit that it’s difficult for me to judge him on his abstract work because by its very nature it’s nearly impossible to compare one artist with another. There is no doubt in my mind that he had incredible talent and a gift for portraying things in a manner that few others possess. Yet every time he approached mastery of a specific discipline he changed gears and went off in a completely different direction. I did however enjoy our time in the museum and would definitely recommend it to anyone interested with one caveat. Make sure you go on the first Sunday of the month when it’s free of charge!
Our next stop was the Cathedral of Barcelona. After a short walk from the museum we arrived around 11:30 and made our way into the Cathedral. It is currently under renovation so much of the church is filled with scaffolding however the areas that are free of construction equipment are very impressive. It’s not the most ornate Cathedral I have ever been in and certainly looks its age. But what it lacks in luminescence and vibrancy it more than makes up for with a rustic Spanish charm. A soft glow that emanates from the hundreds of prayer candles that surround the naive reflect off the un-plastered walls and ceilings and wrap parishioners and guests alike in a warm blanket of light. While we were there, Mass was taking place so we weren’t allowed to wander the aisles so after snapping a few inconspicuous photos we decided it was time for lunch before we made our way to the Chocolate Museum.
After a relaxing stroll through the side streets of the Old City we made it to the Chocolate Museum. Six dollars grants you entrance into the museum as well as a complementary chocolate bar to munch on as you view the exhibit pieces. Every year there is a chocolate sculpting contest and the best pieces get admitted into the museum and put on display for the visitors to enjoy. Many of the sculptures were very impressive and the plaques were surprisingly informative. Amanda may have also found a replacement for her Kitchen Aid Mixer.
We spent about an hour in the museum and decided we were pretty well walked out for the day. On the way back to the hotel we tried to get further into the Cathedral again but another Mass had started and since we didn’t think we would make it through the service awake we decided to go to the hotel.
Power naps are great! Once we arrived at the hotel, we crashed as our heads hit the pillows. I never even got my shoes off. By the time I came too it was nearly 6 o’clock and I was starting to get hungry again. I let Amanda sleep a little while longer and we made it to dinner around 7:30. We chose another Rick Steves suggestion just up the street from our hotel. The food was a little better than the first night and the Sangria was very good but the people watching was disappointing. This particular restaurant sat on a corner but the view across the intersection was blocked by large potted shrubs so the only people we could see were those who walked directly between the building and the dining area. Once we finished off our Sangria we made our way back to Las Ramblas and tried one of the many Gelata stands that line the promenade. It was our second Gelata in as many nights and was an excellent cap to a long day sightseeing.
Monday was reserved for Gaudí. We made our way to the famed Sagrada Família where the lines to get in were already wrapped around the Cathedral at 10:00 AM. As we patiently waited for in line we chatted with a couple of Penn State graduates who were celebrating graduation with a tour of Europe. They were the first Americans we had met since we celebrated July 4th at the Texas Embassy in London. As we swapped stories on our latest adventures we marveled at the size and unique design of the Cathedral.
Started in 1882 Segrada Família is still under construction and has approximately another 15 years of building left before it is completed. Once through the gate we took a few pictures of the Passion Façade and made our way to the old school house that was used to educate the children of the construction workers in the late 19th and early 20th century. The school house has since been converted into a museum and contains Gaudí’s actual desk as it was when he died in 1926. After exiting the school house we walked down to the crypt were another museum has been set up to depict the Cathedral as it has progressed through different times in its construction. There are pieces that date from the 1890’s that fell from the Cathedral as a result of the Spanish Civil War which began in 1936 and was concluded in April of ’39. Also on display were several pieces such as the pulpit and one of the confessionals both designed by Gaudí and built prior to his death. At the end of the crypt museum is the model shop where the current architects create scale models of the cathedral in the same way that Gaudí would have done nearly 100 years ago.
Exiting the crypt we were now on the opposite side of the Cathedral from where we entered and were looking at the Nativity Façade. I found this façade far more impressive than the Passion Façade because it more closely reflected some of Gaudi’s previous work such as Casa Milà and Park Güell. Rick Steves describes it as looking like melting ice cream and I believe that’s a very fitting description. We entered Segrada Família through the Nativity Façade and were immediately amazed at the size and majesty of the naïve. The columns appear as stems or trunks and extend towards the ceiling and split into smaller columns that support a leaf-like canopy. Light filters down through the canopy to create a naturalistic effect which has makes the cold concrete interior feel warm and natural. This effect is enhanced around the apse where the colorful stained glass windows have been installed and bathe the alter in a myriad of colors. In total Amanda and I spent nearly 4 hours taking in the cathedral and trying to imagine what it will look like when it’s finally completed.
Our next stop took us to Casa Milà which is an apartment building designed by Gaudí that sits a few blocks up the street from Plaça de Catelunya on Passeig de Gràcia. While not as impressive a structure as Segrada Família the unique design is eye catching in its own right. Nothing within the building is square and the rooms are a multitude of shapes and sizes. I found the roof to be the most fascinating aspect of the building. Whereas the interior contains walls that never seem to square with each other the roof is a constantly rolling walkway were seemingly every step is a different height or length than the one before. It was enough to drive type-A, everything has to fit in a box, accountant Amanda crazy. The ventilation shafts are designed to be an extension of the façade and add to the unique skyline as you look out across the top of the building towards different areas of the city. From the roof you can easily see the towers of Segrada Família as well as the distinctive oval shaped Torre Agbar.
Our final stop of the day took us to Park Güell which was Gaudí’s attempt at creating a gated community. A concept that was well ahead of its time the project was a commercial flop which the city eventually purchased and turned into a park. The entrance of the park is guarded by what appear to be giant gingerbread houses that have been converted into a book store and small museum. Once through the gate we passed a pavilion with ornate fountains and went up the grand staircase and entered the “Hall of 100 Columns.” Originally intended to be the communities local market the hall now provides a meeting area out of the ever present sun where tourists can prepare for the rest of their park experience.
Tuesday was our last day in Barcelona and we checked out of our hotel early so we could make our way down to the beach before we had to catch the train to the airport. The only negative about where we stayed is that I wish it would have been closer to the beach. Although for what we had planned during the day we likely wouldn’t have spent much time soaking up the sun anyway. And Amanda insists that I sunburn easily so perhaps it’s a good thing we weren’t very close to the beach. We walked along the shore taking in the cool morning breeze as it swept in off the sea and watched the sun ascend into the heavens. The beach was pleasantly quite as most of the locals and tourists had yet arrive so it was like strolling along a semi-private estate.
After taking in the sights one of Las Ramblas one last time we made for the hotel and our luggage that we had left at the counter and then on to the airport. It took us nearly two hours to get from the hotel to the gate and we nearly missed our flight home. We really weren’t anxious to leave Barcelona. But we managed to make it five minutes before final boarding and still got to sit next to each other on the return flight.
Barcelona was an amazing holiday. We probably could have spent another day and seen everything we were interested in like the Cava fields and La Iglesia del Tibidabo which sits atop the highest peak of Collserola on the fringe of Barcelona. More than anything though I thoroughly enjoyed the city itself with its wide promenades’ and curb-side restaurants’ it’s a vibrant and romantic place to visit and somewhere we will definitely return to in the future.
The travel bug bites again! Great job!
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