Our next five days were spent in the beautiful city of Barcelona. Though we flew into Paris, we decided to take the TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse or high-speed train) to Barcelona. I remember learning about this train in my high school French class and was excited to be able to experience it. Including several stops, the trip took a total of six hours.
My simple point-and-click takes terrible night photos. But its motion shots are crisp and clear. Weird right? These photos of the French countryside were taken on a train that was traveling at around 200mph!
We stayed at Hotel Nouvel in the Gothic Quarter - an historic part of the old city. The hotel is a less than 5-minute walk to the Plaça de Catalunya and is situated on a small street between two major streets: La Rambla and Via Laietana. The location was perfect with lots of shops and food options. We walked everywhere and only took the subway when needed.
Day 1: After checking in at the hotel, food was a must! We walked around the area and found an organic market a short distance away. The food was so good, we went back three more times. If you ever visit Barcelona, add this place to your list. I don't know the street name, but it's near the Plaça de Catalunya a few doors down from KFC and called Woki Organic Market.
After dinner, we walked around some more to get a feel for the neighborhood. We stumbled upon the University of Barcelona where an outdoor market was going on. We met this baker who was into making really big bread. Do you see that thing? It was pretty tasty, but would not leave any room in my checked bag for fabric.
Day 2: On Sundays, most museums are free after 3p. So this was our day to hit up as many museums as possible. Not wanting to wait until 3 to begin the day, we set out to see Barcelona's Arc de Triomf.
My simple point-and-click takes terrible night photos. But its motion shots are crisp and clear. Weird right? These photos of the French countryside were taken on a train that was traveling at around 200mph!
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| In the background is the beautiful Pyrenees mountain range. |
We stayed at Hotel Nouvel in the Gothic Quarter - an historic part of the old city. The hotel is a less than 5-minute walk to the Plaça de Catalunya and is situated on a small street between two major streets: La Rambla and Via Laietana. The location was perfect with lots of shops and food options. We walked everywhere and only took the subway when needed.
Day 1: After checking in at the hotel, food was a must! We walked around the area and found an organic market a short distance away. The food was so good, we went back three more times. If you ever visit Barcelona, add this place to your list. I don't know the street name, but it's near the Plaça de Catalunya a few doors down from KFC and called Woki Organic Market.
Day 2: On Sundays, most museums are free after 3p. So this was our day to hit up as many museums as possible. Not wanting to wait until 3 to begin the day, we set out to see Barcelona's Arc de Triomf.
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| Breakdancers! |
I
was interested in seeing the Textile Museum, however it was closed
until February. So we went to a couple of famous churches in the Gothic
Quarter: The Santa Maria del Mar and the Cathedral of Barcelona.
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| Inside Basilica de Santa Maria del Mar. |
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| The international bird. |
Before going to the Picasso Museum, we stopped at a local eatery and had some good paella.
Unfortunately,
no photos were allowed inside the museum. The exhibits showed
Picasso's range of works from the time he was is in school up to his
death in the 70s. It was very interesting to learn how his style
changed upon visiting Paris and meeting various individuals.
Day 3: While walking around the city on the second day, we ran into a bike tour (Fat Tire Bike Tours) and asked about their schedule and tours. We were basically told to show up at 11a at their office and wait for the guide. So for our third day, that's exactly what we did! We took a 2.5-hour bike tour around the city. Most of the sites we had already visited by walking the first couple of days, but it was still nice to do a mini slow roll and see some new things.
The meeting location for the bike tour was at a public square between the President's and Mayor's office buildings. In the center of the square was a very large nativity scene. It was beautifully crafted with a lot of thought put into the detail.
Next,
we went to Montjuic or Jewish Mountain. On this mountain is a castle
that was part of an old military installation as well as the 1992
Olympic Stadium. This was a fantastic place to get a great panoramic
view of the city.
Next we went to Park Güell where some of Gaudi's mosaic monuments and designs reside. The "monument zone" is accessible by fee, but the rest of the park is free. This is truly a beautiful and peaceful space.
L
Day 3: While walking around the city on the second day, we ran into a bike tour (Fat Tire Bike Tours) and asked about their schedule and tours. We were basically told to show up at 11a at their office and wait for the guide. So for our third day, that's exactly what we did! We took a 2.5-hour bike tour around the city. Most of the sites we had already visited by walking the first couple of days, but it was still nice to do a mini slow roll and see some new things.
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| Unnamed "Fountain at the Park" (near the Barcelona Zoo) |
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| The beach! Oh to be here during summer... |
The meeting location for the bike tour was at a public square between the President's and Mayor's office buildings. In the center of the square was a very large nativity scene. It was beautifully crafted with a lot of thought put into the detail.
Alas, no nativity scene is complete without...wait for it...waaaaait for it...
...a man taking a dump! Thank you Barcelona. Seriously.
(I did a little Googling and found that "El Caganer" (the shitter) is a Catalan Christmas tradition and is supposed to bring good luck. Awesome.)
After the tour and lunch, we headed out for some fabric shopping. My new intention is to only buy fabric during travel since the stash has far exceeded epic levels. I exercised some restraint by visiting only one fabric store in Barcelona: Ribes & Casals. Granted I went there twice, but at least it was only one store. That has to count for something, right?
All fabrics are very reasonably priced and comparable to what we pay in the States. I could have easily spent a couple of hours here just browsing. In total, I walked away with four pieces.
left: navy blue quilted nylon outerwear fabric
right: dark purple polyester knit
grey herringbone suiting with black velour design
army green quilted lining fabric
I thought this was coating fabric. Oops.
Day 4: We started bright and early with a tour of Antoni Gaudi's most famous design: Basilica de la Sagrada Familia or the Sacred Family Church. Started in 1882, the church is still under construction and isn't scheduled to be finished until 2026. I'll just let the pictures describe its majestic beauty!
I loved this church so much not only because it was beautiful, but because of all of the mathematics Gaudi used in its design. So many parabolas, ellipses, and hyperboloids...be still my nerdy heart!
La
Sagrada Familia is definitely worth a visit. Inside the church is a
museum and active workshop of the current construction and design. If
you're ever in the area, definitely check it out!
This is definitely not a statue! When I asked if he was ticklish, he started smiling. Hah!
Day 5:
Our last day in the city was spent visiting the Historic Museum of
Barcelona, walking the waterfront, and taking in the sites on La Rambla
(street known for outdoor markets and vendors). Barcelona began as a
Roman settlement named Barcino; the ruins of the settlement are
preserved 5 meters under the square known as the Plaça del Rei. This,
and surrounding areas, is a part of the historical museum.
It was very interesting to read about the history of the city and to see some of the actual ruins. Since flash photography wasn't allowed, some of my photos aren't very clear.
It was very interesting to read about the history of the city and to see some of the actual ruins. Since flash photography wasn't allowed, some of my photos aren't very clear.
Finally we headed back to the hotel by walking along La Rambla. In addition to shopping and food tents, there were quite a few performance artists. These were my favorites:
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| John Lennon Music Box |
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| The Predator |
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| The Mad Hatter |
In all I had a wonderful time. My friend and I travel well together and enjoyed all of the sites. It was certainly nice to get away after a stressful summer/fall.
It's time to get back to sewing and talking about sewing. I hope to post my long-overdue sewing 2014 year in review next.
Until next time, peace and blessings.
L
