Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Beautiful Barcelona

My sister whisked me away on a day trip to Barcelona, Spain. I've never been there before so I thought what can I do in Barcelona in one day?? Driving from the south of France crossing the Pyrenees mountains to Spain was the way to go. It took us close to 2 hours when we arrived to our destination.

Barcelona is situated along the coast of  the Mediterranean sea. We parked by the port where huge ships that sail the Balearic islands are docked. The scene was dynamic.









A massive modern sculpture pillars the center of the highway. The streets were busy.


We walked  La Rambla and there were costumed characters that lined the promenade. Stalls and booths carry all sorts of  unique things available for everyone. Cafes and brasseries were alive and bustling. We got there around lunchtime so we kept walking, looking for a special place to have tapas and paellas.
As we were walking and sightseeing, we came across Gaudi's signature architectural structures and other artists inspired by him. Hard to miss. Sensational!






After our hearty treat of tapas and paellas, we ventured out to the metro and took the train to the Sagrada Familia. It is a never-ending construction for this towering cathedral conceived by Antonio Gaudi. He died tragically by being run over by a train so he left his masterpiece unfinished. The architecture is ornate and religious, a sight to behold.



A quick ride in the metro took us to Parc Guell. Another Gaudi masterpiece that was commissioned by Count Eusebi Guell , whom the park was named after. We had so much fun at the park. It was so bizarre and surreal with numerous towering pillars, colorful mosaics and mazes of  narrow walkways that lead you up, down and around the park. It was true fantasy like walking in a dream and inside Gaudi's colorful imagination.





Up on the very top of the park is Tibidabo where you can view Barcelona's breathtaking skyline where you can point to Sagrada Familia and La Rambla. And even further are the huge cruise ships and the Mediterranean sea in the horizon.







I love Barcelona! and to Antonio Gaudi....you're a genius.



1 comment:

  1. Hi Chatty Queen. I just reminisced my trip to Barcelona decades ago, through your post on "Beautiful Barcelona." I will be "traveling" to faraway places in a couple of hours as I look at other places to "visit" on your blog site.

    ReplyDelete