to me, barcelona is a mix between sydney and paris. it is definitely not as expensive as the two, but very similar in terms of culture, food and the abundance of activities. although paris is anytime a class above every other city i've been to, i cannot say enough that it can be somewhat intimidating. barcelona on the other hand emits this air of warmth and comfort that you get just by being there.
barcelona is so incredibly colourful and this was especially accentuated by the golden sunshine we were blessed with the entire time we were there (except for the day we arrived - but we didn't do much on that day, so the rain did not really matter). this vibrance is evident from the diversity of scenes: from gaudi's famous architectural ingenuity, to the lovely beaches at barceloneta and the breathtaking view of grand yachts anchored at port vell. then there's the myriad of food at the la boqueria market, the endless shopping opportunities in the city, various museums (like the museo picasso, which in itself is so colourful) and countless places that you can kick back, relax and have a cup of coffee or a glass of wine - whichever you prefer! i really can't see the people of barcelona ever running out of things to see, do and eat!
we stayed slightly off the popular street of La Rambla (in a quiet little alley thank goodness), which is ever busy with tourists, vendors and street performers. such a strategic location to stay at as it is filled with restaurants and shopping outlets, and very close to transport links.
the vivid mercat de la boqueria (la boqueria market) along la rambla. fresh produce, local catalan and spanish foods, wines, trinkets...
walk off la rambla and you'll find the barri gotic (gothic quarter), which houses the barcelona cathedral. barri gotic is also a nice area to explore - less crowded and has very nice little shops and cafes.
walk further down barri gotic and you'll come to another quarter called la ribera. this is the basilica of santa maria del mar. free entry, so no harm going in. :p also nearby is the museo picasso, which i realise we have no pictures of.
on the way to the beach we found music everywhere! so we sat with the crowd and listened to this amazing band who played world music (like putumayo, haha love it!). that's the life.
barcelona is not barcelona without their beaches. this was at barceloneta.
look at the amazing clear blue sky!
barcelona is also not barcelona without the famous Gaudi works, and it would be exceptionally foolish to go to barcelona and NOT see the breathtaking Sagrada Familia *cough*adrianlow*cough*.
i don't think i've ever been this impressed by a church, not even st paul's basilica at the vatican which i really loved!
the magic square featured at the Sagrada Familia's Passion façade.
"The magic constant of the square is 33, the age of Jesus at the time of the Passion." - wikipedia
the Nativity façade, signifying the elements of life.
SO majestic!
the interior of the Sagrada Familia: subtly colourful columns, arches and ceilings.
beautiful stained glass window.
view from the top of the Sagrada Familia.
another of Gaudi's works, the Casa Batlló, which i was not fond of. i'd say the façade did look quite interesting, but it's not something i'd pay 15 euros for to go inside (which i unfortunately did).
La Padrera/Casa Mila: another Gaudi creation. better worth of my money at least, and quite remarkable both on the outside and inside.
Parc Güell: a huge park on a hill with interesting designs, again by Gaudi.
lunch at La Rita near the upscale Passeig de Gràcia, recommended by Ben. quite a posh restaurant but with reasonably-priced meals, and very good food indeed! and very friendly staff members too.
i think we spent most of our time hanging around Port Vell. this is it at sunset. very lovely.
for a harbour, the water was super clear and clean! could actually see fishes swimming!
Maremàgnum mall, at Port Vell.
L'Aquarium Barcelona also at Port Vell. ONLY because we had nothing to do while waiting for our bus to Madrid :p but it was a nice aquarium anyway.
a live band on one of the streets, where anyone can dance to their music! how sweet.
public water fountain. it's bad enough that boiled water in barcelona was horrible, so i did not dare drink from this!
Arc de Triomf, the Spanish version. haha. came across this on the way to Barcelona Nord, the bus station.
i THINK these elderly men were playing petanque.
some of the food we ate in barcelona, at random places: seafood paella, iberia ham and eggs, catalan fried squid, patatas bravas, and of course sangria! the sangria de cava (the white one) pictured above was AMAZING.
