Touring Barcelona

The weather forecast for our last two days in Barcelona was sunny, low 70's, with some clouds.  Absolutely perfect weather to close out the relaxing leg of our vacation by laying on the beach drinking sangria.  We made use of the beautiful weather by walking the streets of Barcelona, not once stepping foot on the beaches.

The activity my daughter most anticipated for Barcelona was a visit to the zoo. On Thursday, we took the short, four block walk from our hotel to the Parc de la Ciutadella. Like many top attractions in Barcelona, Gaudi had a hand in its design and contributed the fountain. We started at the north end of the park and walked past the Gaudi fountain down to the parliamentary buildings and then over to the zoo, taking pictures along the way.

The zoo itself is deceptively large. The animals are no more or less spectacular than you find in most zoos throughout the world. We have visited enough zoos in the last year that the Barcelona zoo didn't leave us feeling enriched. Besides, it is hard to top the animal interactions possible at safari park in near Jakarta. I think people who enjoy zoos, however, would also enjoy the Barcelona Zoo. The dolphin show was pretty nice.

From the park, we made our way to the Gothic district of Barcelona, passing by the Picasso Museum on the way. We kept wondering where Barcelona's old world charm was, and we found it in the Gothic district. This is where we found all of the historic buildings, the narrow alleyways that one imagines from old pirate tales and books like Shadow of the Wind.

We made our way to Ramblas street where old and new truly emeet. Inside buildings hundreds of years old you'll find Starbucks, Burger King, and Subway. You'll also find shops that, coupled with the buildings, transport you back to the days of Don Quixote riding a donkey and fighting windmill dragons. On Carrer de Princessa the rich aroma of a chocolate confectionary was so overwhelming and enticing we each bought a chocolate treat to hold us over until our late lunch.

When mealtime finally arrived, we selected a local restaurant and each sampled a different version of paella (a rice dish, for those of you unfamiliar). We ordered the obligatory liter of sangria to share, and also a liter of Sangria de Cava, which is a local variation using Spanish sparkling wine instead of red wine. The two liters proved a challenge for three people to complete after such a long walk, and, when combined with the heavy meals and full day of walking, had us all exhausted and ready to return to the hotel.

On Friday, we walked to the Sagrada Familia. My wife says of all the architectural wonders we've ever seen - things ranging from Mayan temples, to Borobudur, to the Sacre Coeur - Sagrada Familia is by far her favorite. This cathedral was Gaudi's final project and has been under construction since 1882 and is not likely to complete for another 20-30 years (take that Boston's Big Dig!).  This visually indulgent building is the most visited location in Barcelona and we were not going to leave Barcelona without seeing it (though I was the only one who knew it existed).

Exterior:

Interior (designed to look like a forest):

  
From Sagrada Familia, we walked down Calle de Mallorca to Rambla de Catalunya (which becomes the Ramblas street we were on the day before).  My wife and niece wanted to visit some of the shops they had seen the prior day and buy some souvenirs.
 
Rambla de Catalunya, like many of the large streets in Barcelona, has a large promenade splitting the two directions of traffic.  On Thursday, we had walked the sides of the streets with the shops and restaurants.  Friday, we walked down the central promenade.  This is where artisans and performance artists congregate to sell their crafts and to do their performances.  Most of these "performances" are people standing "statuesque" in elaborate costumes.  If you take your picture with them, or just of them, they ask you for a donation.  The only one that drew a substantial crowd is pictured below.  If you can't figure out how he accomplishes the levitation trick, send me an email and I'll explain it to you.

Walking from the hotel, to Sagrada Familia, to Rambla Catlunya, and then back to the hotel consumed our whole day - our last in Barcelona.  The total walk was 6 miles.  Here was the route:

 
There is much in Barcelona we did not get to see or experience due to our short time:  castles, palaces, cemetaries, more parks, or any of the many beaches near Barcelona but outside the city.  Unlike Paris, I'm sure my wife and I will return at some point in the near future and spend two weeks just in Barcelona.

Some additional pictures of Barcelona:

I'm pretty sure this was a hotel: