Barcelona is amazing, I think I’m in love with her. After tonight, she has officially taken over the top spot as my favorite city in the world (previously held by Edinburgh Scotland). The day was spent on the blue line of the ‘bus turistic’, which took us by many of the sites of the 1992 Summer Olympic games. One of the stops where we got off was Plaza España which is a major artery of the city. In the center is a huge monument…
…and at night, a flame ignites at the top of the statue and burns for several hours. There is a road leading up to the statue…
…that is flanked by two giant towers…
Farther up the road was a rather large defunct water fountain (but we’ll get to that in a minute).
And if you walk even farther up several flights of stairs, you will reach Montjuïc (translated as Hill of the Jews) which is home of Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (The National Art Museum of Catalonia). From it’s vantage point you can get a great view of the city.
We popped into the museum for a quick look at a few Picasso’s…
And of course there were several pieces from Mr. Gaudà as well. One could easily spend an entire day in here as the place is massive.
After about an hour or so we decided to hop back on the bus to see the remainder of the sites..
…including man-made beaches that were constructed for the Olympics along with the boat harbor where men walk their purses on leashes.
Now then… back to that defunct fountain I mentioned.
Every Friday and Saturday between 7 and 9pm in the winter and Thursday to Sunday 8pm – midnight between June and September, the fountain comes alive in a fantastic water and light display.
In fact the entire plaza is transformed into something straight out of Fantasia. I can’t even begin to describe how amazing the site is. Photos and videos just wouldn’t do it justice. It’s truly something you have to see with your own eyes to appreciated. This fountain show puts The Bellagio’s water show to shame. It’s just that good. Here’s a video to wet your appetite (no pun intended) but seriously… do yourself a huge favor and come see this for yourself. This moment alone catapulted Barcelona into the #1 spot.
Another highlight on the red line was the massive soccer fútbol stadium Camp Nou.
The largest stadium in all of Europe is home to the FC Barcelona squad…
…and can pack in an amazing 98+ thousand sardines!
For a mere €13, you can take a self guided tour of the stadium…
…which even includes a visit inside the team locker room…
…which is sorta neat when you see the white board where many a game was won or lost…
… until you see the showers, which is sorta creepy in a way. Who really wants to see where these guys shower!?
After leaving the locker room, you pass by the chapel…
…on the way down to the pitch.
After visiting the official press room…
…and sitting in the stands…
…and in the press box…
…you can see some of the many trophies won…
…in the museum.
Check out these old-school shin guards!
And old-school pelota.
And one of the finest foosball tables I’ve ever laid eyes on.
One of the more touristy offerings is the ability to have your photo taken with a digital cardboard cutout of one of the players. I almost would have shelled out the extra cash, but since Ronaldinho* is no longer with the club, his virtual cardboard likeness is not available for imposing onto a green screen. Bummer. All in all this attraction is a must see for any fútbol fan.
* for those of you who are unfamiliar with Ronaldinho, here’s 5 and a half minutes of his magic:
I admit it, I’m a tourist. As a tourist I feel it is within my touristic duties to sit on the top of a open-air double-decker ‘bus turistic’ and take photos of local landmarks, cuz isn’t that what tourists do?? All I need now is a fanny pack and some sunscreen on my nose and I’ll fit right in. If you ever get the chance to be a tourist in Barcelona like me, I’d highly recommend taking the red line (ruta roja) tourist bus. It runs about every 5-minutes and stops at some of the cities major attractions.
Travel Tip: Most people start the trip at Plaça de Catalunya which is just north of La Rambla. If you don’t get to the bus stop bright and early, there will be a long line of people. Just about everyone wants to sit up top for the best views. The trick is to take a seat on the bottom level as you’ll get on a bus sooner, and then at the very first stop, when people get off, then move to the upper deck.
Once on the bus, they will give you a set of cheap blue earbuds and you can listen to a recorded tour (available in 9 languages). After the tour, it’s tradition (apparently) to toss your earbuds on top of the bus stop overhang.
One of the recurring themes of the audio guide is all of the architecture by Catalan architect Antoni GaudÃ. His building designs are unmistakable and unlike anything you’ve ever seen. One of the first stops on the tour is at Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada FamÃlia which is just one of GaudÃs works.
He actually worked on this temple for 40 years! If you think that’s a long time to work on a building, that’s nothing! This temple is in perpetual development! Construction of this landmark began in 1882, and as you can see from the photo, still goes on today! When asked why it’s taken so long, Gaudà replied “My client is not in a hurry.” His client here of course being god! Hahah.
A few more stops along the route (and a few Gaudà buildings later) you will come to the stop for Park Güell. When you come to this stop, get off the bus. Immediately. Do not pass go. Do not collect two-hundred euros. Just get off the bus and walk up the hill to your right for about a quarter mile to find the entrance to Park Güell.
This park as you may have guessed was also designed by Mr. GaudÃ. Entrance to the park is free and you can easily spend a couple hours just wandering all over the grounds marveling at the bizarre twists and turns of the unique architecture.
And if you like mosaics (mom)…
…you’ll love this park, as almost everything is covered in elaborate yet somewhat random mosaics as you can see in the terraces curvy benches…
…and multicolored mosaic dragon.
Walking further up into the park…
…reveals even more peculiar stone archways…
…and spectacular views of the city of Barcelona…
Gaudà is clearly another one of those rare madd geniuses, and it was a pleasure taking a stroll through his mind here in his park.
When we arrived last night, we had to walk from the subway station to our hostel, which was only a block away from La Rambla. This city street is lined with shops and street vendors selling everything from souvenirs and food to turtles and birds (possibly also as food). La Rambla certainly has its share of tourists. And where you find tourists, you’re bound to find people trying to make a buck off them. Sometimes pan handlers and street performers can be annoying, but not here. Here on La Rambla the street performers don some truely amazing costumes. Here’s just a small sampling of some of the elaborate outfits we saw last night and this morning.
