Barcelona Touring

Got to the apartment and found everything as advertised, nice place. We’re around the corner from a main street in Barcelona so not too noisy but yet close to lots of things. There’s a small grocery store about ½ block down the street and several restaurants in the area.  Should be a convenient location to explore the city.

Madrid train station, start of the last adventure

Master BR

BR #2

Kitchen with clothes washer

Dining room

Living room

Da hood

Bath #2

Bath #1

Had a good breakfast, Collette is such a great cook, and meandered off to our meeting spot for the HOHO bus. Yep, going to do that again because unlike Madrid, Barcelona is spread out, and there’s tons of traffic. We’ll walk to a few sites, like Sagrada Familia and the Market but most are going to require a ride. No rain today and temps around high 50’s, low 60’s so perfect for being outside.

Our first stop on the HOHO is Park Guell, a development designed by Gaudi back in the early 1900’s, and opened to the public in 1926. The park was originally a housing development conceived by Count Eusebi Guell who contracted with Gaudi to do the design work. One house was eventually built in the Park but it never sold. Gaudi was convinced by Guell to buy the home where he lived until he died in 1926. The Park was eventually donated to the city of Barcelona where it became a World Heritage site and major tourist attraction.

Bridge / Walkway entering Park Guell. Typical Gaudi design.

Leo & Lindsay

There were several other stops on our bus tour, the Gothic Quarter or Old Barcelona; Olympic Park from the 1992 Olympics; the Wharf; and a couple of smaller places like an artisan’s workshop area and a Central Park and Gardens. But there was one other very special attraction, probably the best known site in Barcelona, Sagrada Familia. We’ll visit this Gaudi creation in a couple of days. Yes, the term “it’s gaudy” comes from the designs by Antoni Gaudi and his elaborate, over-the-top architecture. But first, here are a few pictures from Park Guell.

View from park entrance

View of the park from the gatehouse

Mosaic

More mosaic

Gaudi fountain

Under the walkway

Under the walkway

Because Barcelona is spread out through many neighborhoods, there is no real city center. Instead there are numerous “centers” with shops, cafes, restaurants and clubs. This made the HOHO bus tour perfect for seeing most of what Barcelona has to offer. A few pictures from around Barcelona.

Gate to one of Gaudi’s past residences

Unique lamppost