Barcelona, everyone should visit this amazing city
Trip Start
Jun 08, 2008
1
60
65
Trip End
Dec 08, 2008
Barcelona,
Catalonia,
Spain and Canary Islands
Friday, November 21, 2008
I arrived into Barcelona and all I wanted to do was sleep. I was going to crash for a couple of hours and recharge the batteries before I headed out for another day of sight seeing. Unfortually, my room wasnīt ready so I had to ditch my bag at the hostel and carry on into the city. I wasnīt all that motivated to hit the streets but I thought, no time like the present.
This city I have found out by numerous people, including my forever worrying mother, that it has the hightest number of pick pockets in Spain. More people have their vactation ruined in Barcelona only because they let their gaurd down at the restaurant, internet cafe or even just walking the streets. I was lucky enough to be able to lock all my stuff in the safe at the hostel so I didnīt have to worry about getting that damn passport stolen.
Barcelona is like the spanish version of London or Paris. Too much to see and usually not enough time to see it. I had a list but it quickly changed when I found out about all this other stuff that was even cooler to see. My list was growing and knowing that I only had 3 full days in Barce I knew I had to get going. The first day was easy and I played it pretty easy. La Rambals is the most popular street in Barcelona, I would even venture out to say that it is the most popular street in Spain. A great place to walk, eat, and watch the street preformers. Knowing how tired I was I was pretty happy just to watch the people and chill out. I hit the market, this was one of the best markets on my trip. You could buy anything and anything. Fruit, Veggies, Seafood, Meats, Bakery Treats, and my fav, chocolate. The Cholocate that they had were incredible. Only 2 Euros for 100 grams. Grab the baggie and start picking at the endless amount of choices that they had set up.
I continued down the street watching all the tourists with their money belts hanging out the back of their pants, and around their necks. Watching people pulling out their wallets and counting money right in the middles of the street. I knew for a fact that these people never get hit, the stupid ones that are so obvious never have anything stolen from them. Its the ones that keep on edge and put all the precaustions into effect. I was one of those people, but I knew that these guys werenīt getting anything. I watched about 4 times on my time in Barcelona, the police talking to pickpockets and telling them to move on. If you get anything stolen in Barcelona, the police tend not to really give a damn unless its your passport or something of importantance. The problem is they just donīt have the time or man power to deal with all the crimes against tourist. I leanred really qucikly earlier in my trip that the wallet always stays in the front pocket and in crowds and subways, the hand always goes in over top of it.
I walked La Ramblas and then headed over to a couple of buildings that Barcelona is famous for. A very modern, for his time, architecture by the name of Gaudi has buildings all over the city. They are like nothing else I have seen in Europe yet and I have seen a lot of great architecture. Like seeing something from Dr. Suess, no building has right angles, everything is curved and has the craziest tile mosaics all over the facade of the building. Looking at them sitting right next to a normal building really makes them stand out as something different. He has a few building along Garcia Street, one of the best shopping strees in Bacrelona. The street lamps out side the buildings are all in his style too.
After I killed the afternoon, my head was craving a pillow and was very much willing to let it rest. I headed back to the hostel, chatted for a while, ate some dinner, FREE DINNER at that. You gotta love it when the hostels cook for you, nothing is better!!!!! I crashed early, in the common room, so I thought it was time to head for bed.
The next day I was on a mission to cross off a few things from the huge list of things to see in Barcelona. The first stop was the Sagrada Familia. A temple, designed by Gaudi himself. Started in 1883 and schedlued to finsih in 2020. If you want to see this thing under construction, you have some time. This is the church of all churches. As you can imagine, I have toured, gawked, oohed and ahhed over a huge amount of churches. I think I might have to say this one takes the cake. A huge structure in the middle of Barcelona, towers over most of the city. In the style of Gaudi, which means, very few right angles inside, very modern scultures on the facade, and colour on the towers.(which is very unusual). This church has to been seen. I understand that it is not everyones taste but I really liked it mainly because it was so different to what I have seen over the last few months. I paid the entry fee, headed to the top of 2 towers and I got this incredilbe veiw of........POLLUTION!!!!!
As much as Barcelona is a great city, it sure is dirty. The main tourist areas are nice and clean but getting into the nitty gritty of Barce means that you might not be over impressed with how messy the place it. The Smog covers most of the city, except for the hill. It is pretty disgusting to say the least but I have a feeling that Vancouver is pretty much the same in the afternoon on a hot day.
When I was finished at the temple I decided to hike up the hill and head over to the cable car ride which goes over the water to the greatest beaches in Barcelona. Shocking enough I got lost once I was up on the hill and couldnīt find the cable car. I did happen to find a couple other things I wasnīt going to see. I wandered into the Olympic Park, the home of the 1992 Summer Games. It was really cool walking the stadium, checking out the pools, and seeing where it all took place. The funny thing was, I was the only person up there. I sure hope that our venures get a little more attention then Barceīs do.
I also found the World Trade center, which was build for the World Fair, A huge building over looking the city of Barcelona. Now the National Art Gallery I decided to skip the exibition and try and find the damn cable car. After about 2 hours of searching I finally found it and boared the little death trap to head over the water to the beach. The beach was not there prior to the 1992 Summer Games. The government thought that tourism would pick up, so they built the sea wall and the beach for all the expected visitiors. The beach is quite beautiful though, about 4 km long, full of tourist trying to work on their tans and locals laughing at them with their parkas on. The water was full of surfers and the beach was crawling with pickpockets, I am sure of it.
I stopped to read the book for a bit and pick up a little sun myself. While I was sitting there it happened. This guy ran past this poor girl that I guess was sleeping and snatched her bag. He took of running, I was too far away to do anything but these other group of girls yelled to this poor girl and she took off running after him. I was shocked but happy to say that she did catch up with him and he dropped the bag on the beach. I donīt know if she was local but I have a feeling that she might be. She was screaming Spanish at him pretty loud.
After that I took the cable car back and headed back down the hill to the hostel. I was tired and ready to have something to eat.
Its funny, about a month ago, I lost my motivation to go out and party. I am more then happy to hang around the hostel, drink a few beers and socialize. I was in a perfect hostel for that. A bit of an older crowd which, made it really easy just to chill out and chat. Most of the nights that I was in Barcelona, that is what I did. I know people that have been to the city, are pretty dissapointed with the fact that I didnīt party, but it is only fun when you want to do it, otherwise it is a chore, and an expensive one at that.
The next day was just as cool. I headed across the city to Park Guell. A park that was desinged my Gaudi again. Was suppose to be the housing complex of the rich and famous of Barcelona. After only a year or so was building, the project fell through due to the fact that no one wanted to live up there. It is now a preserved Park and a great place to hang out. Over 15 hecters of winderness and the great architecture. Plazas, scultures, and houses all still stand. It is literally walking into Dr. Suess World. Something that no one should miss if they have a chance to get to Barce.
That night I went on a Night walking tour with the guys from the hostel which was really cool. Great views of the city at night, and the history to boot. It was really cool, cold, but with gloves and beanie in hand it was a really nice evening.
I finshed up my tour of Barcelona with a trip to the Tibidabo on the top of the hill. A huge Church, once a palace of the Tibidabo family. Built to be the highest and closest to god in the city. Competing with the other richest family in Bacrelona. Up there also houses a working amusment park from 1920. I didnīt get on any of the rides, for one reason, most of them were built in 1920.
I got a hair cut in the afternoon and I called it Barcelona, I was catching a night train to Granada that evening. I guess you are staring to ask yourself, if I hate night trains so much, why the hell do I keep taking them. Spain in one freakin big country and sometimes it is the only way to travel. While I was waiting for my train, I heard of this fountain that only goes on, on Friday and Saturday nights. Being Friday night and having time to kill, I headed over to this Magic Fountain. A really cool way to end my stay in Barcelona, Water, and Lights, all to music. It was like watching the Celebation of Lights in Vancouver but in Water.
Overall, Barcelona was nothing but amazing and I canīt wait to one day return and see the finished product of Sagrada Familia. Onto Granda, didnīt have that much info on the place, was just told not to miss, well thank god I didnīt, the food was amazing...........
