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Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Visiting Barcelona
It was a few minutes past eight o'clock when the Metro left station Moncada
Ripollet. It was only a few minutes walking from the hotel to the staion.
I bought a two way ticket and in the train, I asked a lady who could speak
English if she could tell me where to get out of the train.
Station Moncada Ripollet, close to the hotel
I had to get out at Metro station Plaza Catalunya, a big Metro station in the
centyer of Barcelona, below a big square (plaza). Fortunately, the lady
was so kind to tell me where to get out. I went upstairs and arrived at a big
plaza with many tour bus stops.
The receptionist at the hotel had advised me to buy a dayticket for the hop on
hop off Barcelona tour and I got a discount because I bought a bus-package at
the hotel. The bustours all start at the Plaza Catalunya.
Arriving in Barcelona at the Plaza Catalunya
I got on the blue line that went to the Sagrada Familia, the most famous building
in Barcelona. It is an impressive building and it is still under construction.
Sagrada Familia
Painting the Sagrada Familia
I walked all the way around the Sagrada Familia but did not go inside. The line
for the ticket office was at least a hundred meters and I can not stand waiting
in line for a long time. (I think that has something to do with having ADHD)
Anyway, after walking around the Sagrada Familia I got thirsty and bought a very nice
but expensive (3.60 euro) cappuccino in a cafe next to the Sagrada Familia.
Cappuccino, next to the Sagrada Familia
Then it was time to hop on the bus again until the next stop at Park Guell.
From the bus stop, it was about twohundred meter walking, uphill, to the entrance of
the park. On the sidewalk I noticed a musician playing a violin. I took his picture
and gave him some change I had in my pocket.
On the road to Park Guell was this musician
The park itself was worth the uphill walk. It is very different from normal parks but
very beautiful. Not only the park itself was interesting but the view from the top of
the hill was spectaculair.
This is what you see if you enter Park Guell
The view over Barcelona from Park Guell
It was geting warm now, about 30 degrees Celcius in the shade and on my way back to
the busstop I bought a few botles of water. Then I took the bus again, skipped a few
stops and went to Palau Reial Pavalos Guell.
This used to be a royal palace but is now a museum. I went in and security was like
an airport All my luggage, my cameras and vest had to be x-rayed...... Strange for a
museum but I guess they have a good reason. The entry was free so I did not complain.
The former royal palace, build in 1924
The interior is very nice
I did not want to wait for the bus so I walked, past the university buildings, to the
next busstop, at the FC Barcelona Stadium. It is very commercial with official FC Barcelona
merchandise and tours through the stadium but I am not a big socker fan so I just looked
from the outside before I got on the bus again.
The very commercial FC Barcelona Stadium
At the MACBA-CCCB busstop, I left the bus again and walked to La Rambla, the famous street
in Barcelona. A lot of souvenir shoips, bars, restaurants and other shops and street artist
in the area between the two lanes. Very nice.
At an icecream shop on La ambla I bought a milkshake. It was nice but very expensive. I guess
that is what you pay in a major tourist attraction......
Here I had a nice but expensive milkshake (5 euro for a small milkshake!)
La Rambla
In a sidestreet from La Rambla is a big covered marketplace, Marcat de la Boqueria
A big covered market, the Mercat de la Boqueria
Finaly I arrived at the harbour where the have a big statute of Christofel Columbus on
a column near the harbour (pointing in the wrong direction, away from America), the
Mirador de Colom.
A statute of Columbus
I still had my ticket for the tourbusses so now I hopped on a bus from the red line that
rides past the beach and the marina.
Marina with very nice ships
The beach
My next stop was at the Parc de la Ciutadella. I took a picture of the nice entrance but
did not get in. I walked some narrow alleys and strets to the Picasso Museum but the line
here was aslo much to long for me so I did not buy a ticket.
The entrance of Parc de la Ciutadella
Through some more narrow streets ans alleys, I arrived at the cathedral and past the
cathedral I walked back to the Plaza Catalunya.
The Cathedral
I was very happy I bought that bus ticket. With the bike it would have been much harder to see
so many things and traffic in Barcelona is a madhouse. Because of the busy traffic and
the warm weather, Barcelona has the most motorcycles and mopeds of any city in Europe !
If you know where you are going and not need a heavy motorcycle jacket, a motorcycle or
moped is the perfect mode of transportation in Barcelona and you see rows of parked bikes everywhere.
Finaly I was back at the Plaza Catalunya and went underground to the Metro station.
Back at the Plaza Catalunya
At the infodesk they told me where to get the train back to the Moncada Ripollet station
(line R3) and after fifteen minutes I was in the train back to the hotel........
until it stopped and something was announced in Spamish.....
Waiting in the Metro
Finaly it took more then half an hour before we started riding agian but I made it back
to the right station. At the shopping center I bought some milk and orange juice and went
back to the hotel to have a shower after a hot day in Barcelona.
The day ended very good with a wonderful dinner at the restaurant in the hotel.
Dinner in the hotel restaurant. Perfect !
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