The Capital of Catalonia
The moment I drove into Barcelona, I knew I was in for a treat. The athmosphere suddenly became more relaxed, the sun was shining, and the people randomly started conversations.
It was friday the 13th of december, a pleasant 17°C and the sky was perfectly clean.Y bailé hasta que me cansé
Hasta que me cansé bailé
Y me ena-na-namoré
Nos enamoramos
La Sagrada Familia
La Sagrada Familia is the highest building in Barcelona and the most extraordinary minor basilica in the world. The construction of the church began in 1882 and is still ongoing. The design is so intricate that I literally spent hours one day enjoying the beauty of the side facade, and the interior. I bought a 30€ entrance ticket with a guided tour and spent half a day in the church contemplating the architecture and life of Antoni Gaudi.
I met a brilliant guide Miguel, who was more than passionate about the church. The Holy Spirit was with him all the time and it was a pleasure to listen to his peaceful voice. For hours he tried to explain all the intricate symbolism of the church, and I was trying to keep up with him. He enjoyed my spanish, and I enjoyed his english. We were a perfect match. Salud y suerte, wherever you are Miguel.
Having left the church, I decided to take a walk around the neighbourhood. It was christmas market all around, and the streets were full of stalls selling wooden toys, christmas decorations, figures, trees, lights and food. I decided to find a place to eat, and ate the nicest tacos of my life, two streets away from the church.
The Scale of the Kindgom
There are many points of interests in Barcelona. It is exceptionally easy to find monumental architecture, having so many grand buildings in one place is a rare sight. Let’s look at those located in Montjuïc. The hill right at the verge of the sea, with an enormous palace on top, providing citizens with a place to relax and enjoy the views of both the city and the sea. The building in mention is the National Palace, which now acts as the National Art Museum of Catalonia. Montjuïc is arguably the second-best area for viewpoints, right after the Tibidabo on the other side of the city.
However beautiful the palace is both outside and the inside, the other side of the hill is also worth mentioning. The Olympic Stadium, the Botanical Garden, the Castle and many interesting viewpoints, such as the one I visited one evening:
On one of these viewpoints at 11PM I met two bikers and we danced to their music. They were having a great time. The view was amazing and the city definitely didn’t sleep that night.
Parc de la Ciutadella
It was with a great pleasure that I learned that the parliament of Catalonia is located in the Parc de la Ciutadella. I picked a few oranges from these trees and ate them happily. The park is a perfect place to relax, in the vicinity of such modernist architecture.
Él vino a buscarme y ahí lo supe
Vi clara su actitud
Me dijo son tantas las que ya tuve
Pero me faltas tú
See the Mediterranean
What is more relaxing that a walk in the port of Barcelona? The palms, the breeze, the smell of the fried fish (and marijuana) everywhere. The music is playing from everywhere, and the streets are full of people. You lean on the railing and look at the countless yachts on the horizon, soon the sound is drowned in the waves of the sea and you start to lead back to the centre of the city.
La agua era muy fría, pero el sol estaba caliente.
The Metropolis
Even though I enjoy Barcelona with its unique mix of Southern culture and Catalan invidituality, let’s not forget its still just an enormous city with all the flaws of a metropolis. I was travelling off-season, it was not free of the traffic, nor the polluted air. Almost every street aside from La Rambla was way too littered. The city didn’t feel safe at night, fortunately pickpockets were during their winter sleep.
Below you see the view from my €140 hotel room, turn around and you see the sagrada familia (photo above). Eixample is a nice neighbourhood, the historical center is a bit closer to Montjuïc though.
Lleva, llévame en tu bicicleta
Pa’ que juguemos bola ’e trapo allá en Chancleta
Que si a Pique algún día le muestras el Tayrona
Después no querrá irse pa’ BarcelonaI love singing.
Take again a look at the Parc de la Ciutadella, this time from the other side.
The Way Back
I decided to fly back through Girona. The airport is small, but the city is beautiful. I spent a few hours walking around the old town, and then took a bus to the airport.
Thank you Spain for brightening my spirit and allowing me to see the sun in december. I will be back.