A Return to Barcelona

The Bari Gotic, Las Ramblas and the Marina

Last week in Madrid we wondered where everyone had gone.

Here in Barcelona we found them all!

We arrived kind of late at night, so we just went straight to the hotel and checked in. I splurged and cashed in a heroic amount of Marriott points to stay at the Ritz Carlton Barcelona Arts. It is 30 stories of grand luxe right on the beach. Cokes in the mini bar just $10. A full American breakfast only $55 each. The place is full of yanks all seemingly driving new glossy black german super cars. Fear not! The 1% is doing just fine.

So anyway, Day one we slept in and took it kind of easy. We set out to explore the Bari Gotic. This is the portion of Barcelona that was behind Roman walls. It is still a maze of little tiny meandering narrow streets. There are gargoyles galore and little shops selling virtually everything. On the edge of the Gotic is (in my humble opinion) one of the best building's in Barcelona - the Palau of Catalan Music. We just took a look at the outside this time (see Roadboy's Barcelona posts from February 2010 for more on the Palau.) I was hoping there might be someone performing, but it seems the calendar the Palau resumes in September.

The Streets of the Gotic

The Gargoyles

The Shops

We stopped for a sidewalk bocadillo (sandwich) at the Mercat de Santa Catarina. We made our way from the Gotic to join the crowd strolling down the Las Ramblas. It was the end of the day so the fruit venders in the La Bouqueria (mercado) were closing out fresh fruit salads and juice. We got big fruit bowls to take to the hotel for dinner. Not sure what one of the melons was, but it was just as sweet as sugar. The fresh kiwi / mango juice I got was pretty awesome too.

Fresh Squeezed Juices at the La Bouqueria

At the end of the Las Ramblas were all the human statues.

Mugging With a Human Statue

We finished at the tall Columbus statue and then started strolling along Barcelona's beautiful Port Veil marina. From here the cruise ships embark, the Los Golindrinas tour boats depart, and the old 1929 era aerial tram still wisks passengers from the port to a point midway up Montjuc!

Columbus Pointing to Sea

Port Tramway

    

We walked back to the hotel stopping more than once to admire the huge jellyfish seemingly everywhere.

One of the Big Colorful Jellyfish

Back in the room I snapped a picture from our aerie on the 24th floor. Pretty awesome view! The beach malecon is in the foreground. Barcelona's biomedical research campus is kind of in the middle. Down the way is the Barcelonetta neighborhhood and the sail shaped building is the new "W" hotel. The tower for the old tram is just to the left of Montjuc (mountain) on the right. A great view day or night.

The View From the Arts

Tomorrow I'll summarize two days of immersion in all things Gaudi!


Roadboy's Travels © 2012

Last Day in Barcelona

An Extraordinary Photo Exhibition and Candy!

Some of the people I know leave the best things till last. They will eat a whole meal having pushed their favorite food aside in order to savor it for their last bite.


There are people that travel the same way. They look at this and that, saving the best stuff for last.

My philosophy corresponds with the saying: life is uncertain, eat desert first! Before I go somewhere I research it and make a list of the things I know I want to see and the restaurants I think I'd like to eat at. I then make sure to hit the biggies first. I also try to leave plenty of time unscheduled to sort of go with the flow. The list gives me my framework to start with, and after a few days, I've usually scrapped it, re-planning time to see other new things.


For our last day in Barcelona we decided to go back and stroll a bit aimlessly in the Gothic Quarter. We also wanted to tour one of Barcelona's famous Design Museum's.


Think of that, design is so important to people in Barcelona that they actually have museums to celebrate it! I say this since I come from the fifth largest City in America, a city where every new public art project is roundly ridiculed in Letters-to-the-Editor. The standard question being why we should spend money on art and quality design in our built world.


Why indeed? Maybe so ordinary day-to-day life need not be so UGLY?


Just a thought.


Well first up was our wonderful stroll. I just marvel at how harmonious it all looks despite sloped walls, narrow streets, and such amazing little spaces created seemingly at random. I could wander here for days. We stopped at a lovely shop to buy a knit hat since it was a cold morning. 

Balconies with Flowers Clamoring For 

The Soft Filtered Light That

Makes it to the Ground

The Land From The Time Before Cars

The Graffiti All Over Barcelona Was Interesting

Although I Found This One Strangely Creepy

The show we saw at The Design Hub was a 20 year retrospective of the work of fashion photographer Manual Outomoro. The photos were just dazzling. He had images he had created and captured all over the world for most of the planet's most prestigious fashion houses.


I found myself retracing my steps to go back twice to see a couple of the photos. This guy knows how to compose a photo and capture all of its beauty leaving in a little attitude for good measure. Of course we could not take photos inside the exhibit. Sorry bout that.

  

The Manual Outomoro Exhibition

  

We have determined that Irelands gift to the entire planet is a pub (or three) in every city! In Barcelona they even fill historic Art Nouveau buildings!

In Barcelona St. Paddy's Day is Safe

Since we had an evening flight to Granada lined up, we had to finish up early. We completed the day with a visit to the most famous of Barcelona's public markets La Boqueria. Here you can buy almost anything. While the market traces links back to 1217, its current configuration was finished in 1917. Saturday it was filled with the very finest fruits, vegetables, superb Spanish hams, and candy! Lots and lots of candy!

Bright, Fresh Produce From All Corners of the World

Amazing Spanish Hams

How Bout Some Candy?

More Candy

And Still More Candy

And with a couple of bags full of wonderful sweets we were ready to go hit the airport for Granada. My plan was to spend St. Valentines Day at the Alhambra!


Barcelona, till we meet again!

Roadboy's Travels © 2010