01.04.2010 - 06.01.2010
Norway has a 5-day Easter holiday so we thought we would re-visit the beautiful city of Barcelona . We have both been to Barcelona before but there is so much to see and do here that it's well worth another trip, plus it is warmer than Oslo. We arrived in the afternoon after a early start from Oslo through Prague, we bought a five day underground pass which is really practical as the underground station (Paral-lel) was only 10 meters away from the hotel. We stayed at the Universal Barcelona Hotel, which is also within easy walking distance of the harbour and Las Ramblas. The hotel also had a great view of the whole city at the top of the hotel where there was also a very small swimming pool. As we had a early start we took things easy with a short walk to the harbour before going out to eat some tapas, after dinner we took at a stroll and had a glass of wine in the Las Ramblas area before heading back to the hotel.
After a good night's sleep and some breakfast it was time to see the city, we had decided the day before that we would try the hop on hop off bus to see as many of the sites as possible and see which ones we would like to spend more time at, this worked out well as when we arrived at Sagrada Familia there was a very long line which would have taken us hours before we could get in. Next stop was Parc Guëll where we got off the bus and joined the crowds to view this beautiful site, you have to walk up the hill a fair bit before you reach the impressive entrance to the Parc that had two fantastic Guëll designed houses on each side with large iron gates that would lead us up the stairs past two fountains and other pieces of Guëll's works. We took one of the many side paths that lead off in different directions and passed impressive columns that had walk ways that took us past beautiful houses to the top where you could see the whole city stretched out at your feet. We walked back down the hill to find a terrace with beautiful mosaics lining the walls, here you get a view of the entrance to the Parc and off to the one side the colonnaded pathway that leads away from the entrance.
We again hopped on the bus and enjoyed some hours on the bus to places like Placa de Catalunya, Casa Batlló, Fundacio Antoni Tapies, Passeig de Gracia, La Pedrera, Sagrada Familia , Gracia, Tramvia Blau, Tibidabo, Monestir de Pedralbes, Col.leccio Thyssen, Palau Reial, Pavellons Guëll, Barcelona Football Club, Francesc Macia, Diagonal. After a long day we headed back to the hotel for some rest before adventuring out into the night to find good food, wine and to see the night life.
We woke up to a warm and for the most part sunny day and decided to get away from all the tourists, we first had headed off to the far side of the marina for a short walk before taking the underground to a street called Rambla del Poblenou which leads down to the sea. Rambla del Poblenou is a long street with a pedestrian walk in the middle with cafes and restaurants, lined with trees that stretch all the way to the sea. This was definitely not a tourist spot and we were some of the few tourist that were there, as we walked down the street people were out for walks, meeting family for lunch and the older people brought out their chairs and sat with friends, talked and just watched the day go by. It was a very peaceful area and many people felt the the touch of spring, the trees were budding and birds were singing as we slowly made our way to the beach. The beach area was fantastic, as the city of Barcelona had been spending a lot of money on the area with sandy beaches, beach paths for walking or jogging with workout machines, and small cafes in each cove. We decided to have lunch as we had been walking for so long, so we sat down to a very good lunch in the sun and watched the brave people laying on the beach in swim wear (for us it was just a bit too cold to lay on the beach). In the evening we tried one of the local tapas places were we were the only tourist again, we seated ourselves above so that we could watch the comings and goings of the locals and a have a great view of the meat counter with all the Spanish specialities. After ordering too much food (we had to bring some back to the hotel) we went in search of a wine bar to try some of the local wines before we headed back to the hotel.
The next day we got an early start and headed off to Sagrada familia, another creation by Guëll, it was a wet day so we couldn't go up in the tower. After about half an hour of waiting we entered this impressive build, there are no words that could describe this build and they still have as yet to complete it. With it's five towering towers reaching for the sky and the amazing sculptures all around there was a lot to take in and to think of the vision Guëll had to design such a detailed building and to think that it is not even finished as yet and will not be for some time. Sadly much of the inside was more of a construction site than anything else but we did get to see part of the vision before we left. As it was a rainy and cool day we thought we we would go to the marina where the aquarium was located, much to our surprise lot's of other people had the same idea as there was a long line of people snaking back and forward in front of us. The rains let up in the afternoon. so we spent some time walk through the Gothic area of the city taking in the city and listening to Spanish guitarist play sweet music before heading off in search of some sweets and tea.
We have avoided walking too much on Las Ramblas as it was always packed with people most of the day and there were a few pic pockets here and there. We headed to see two buildings designed by Antonio Gaudi, Casa Milá (La Pedrera) and Casa Batlló. Casa Batlló we were only able to see from the outside but it was still an amazing sight to see with rounded shape instead of straight lines and mosaics made from broken tile that covered the facade.
We did wait a half hour to get into Casa Milá and it was well worth it, the facade had some similarities with Casa Battló but also different and once you entered things got better and better. After entering through beautifully designed glass doors into a circular court to an elevator to see one of the old flats that had been kept in the original style from the early 1900's. we then headed for the roof with its rolling walkways and sculptures along the path way, from our vantage point we could see Sagrada Famila in the distance souring to the sky, we walked past ventilation shafts that looked like medieval knights in there helmets, there was so much to see but at last we made our way down the stairs to the atrium and out to the world out side.
That evening we went out to dinner at a luxury hotel that had been recommended to us but soon found out the gourmet restaurant was closed but their other one was open and we thought if they had one good restaurant this should pretty be good too, well we were sadly mistaken and had a poor meal. We were so disappointed as we were looking forward to a good meal, we soon found a wine bar close by that is owned by Torres wines where we drank good wines and enjoyed a pleasant evening before strolling back to the hotel.
We woke to a sunny day so we decided to to avoid the crowds by first going to visit the Torre Agbar which is a bullet shaped building in the business district that along with it's unusual design can also change colour and due to panels on the outside is very energy efficient. Afterwards we decided to take a walk so we continue on and were soon on Rambla del Poblenou again, we once again continued on until we reached the beach and followed the seaside path until we reached the marina. Today was going to be a special day as we were going out for a gourmet lunch at the restaurant Moo, this was a very nice place and we felt a bit underdressed, but that's life. The restaurant was minimalistic but comfortable with small figurines on each table. Having had a bad meal experience last night we decided on a five course meal with wines to match, this was great, each dish was amazing and the wines were just right for each dish, at the end of our meal each of us received a chocolate Easter egg, made in house, and with our tea chocolate truffles also made in house. After about three hours we made our way back to the hotel to rest a bit and digest our wonderful meal and prepare for the next, yes that's right we going out for more food.
That evening we went to a old and very well known restaurant called Los Caracoles. We entered into a small crowded bar and were taken through the kitchen, yes through the kitchen, and up some small stairs that took us to our table. This place was amazing with pictures of famous people who had visited on the wall and cured meat ham hanging from the ceiling and other decoration that made you feel like you have gone back in time. We had an enjoyable meal in a very charming surroundings, as we left we felt that were had been luck to arrive early as there was a long line of people waiting to get in and sadly for the people waiting outside they were grilling chicken on the outdoor grill and many people were looking very hungry. The next day we were up early as it was time to head home where the snow still lay on the ground and spring time was still to come.
No comments:
Post a Comment