A day with Gaudi

Trip Start Sep 05, 2008
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Trip End Jan 01, 2009


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Flag of Spain and Canary Islands  , Catalonia,
Thursday, December 11, 2008

I got to Barcelona yesterday afternoon and bought a guidebook in the airport. I called a couple of hostels before talking to Carlos at HCB. He is so awesome! He saved a room for me while I navigated my way to the hostel. I took a train to the metro and then took the metro to the hostel. But once I got out of the metro station I couldn't find the hostel so I called Carlos again and he came over to where I was to meet me and show me the way. Then he carried one of my bags and gave me a tour. Finally he pulled out a city map and told me all the good sights in the city and what is worth visiting and what isn't. He also told me where to go to dine and to shop.

It is called a hostel but it is a small hotel I think. I have a small room to myself with my own bathroom. I would like to be paying less even if I am stuck in a dorm but there don't seem to be a lot of options here. I mean there are a ton to choose from but they all are in the same price range and if you want a cheap dorm bed you aren't anywhere near the city centre, so then you end up paying for transportation and sacrificing time Sagrada Familia from a few blocks away
Sagrada Familia from a few blocks away
 . And you wouldn't have Carlos to get advice from.

This morning I started my exploration of Barcelona with a bang. Temple de la Sagrada Familia is probably the most famous sight in Barcelona and it is only a five minute walk from where I am staying so that's where I went. It was absolutely phenomenal! I was blown away by the creativity and ingenuity of Gaudi's cathedral. I decided to go with the audio tour as I don't think I've ever been disappointed by one.

Construction of the building began in 1882 and it is still being worked on. The exterior is incredible. Inside, there was a lot of scaffolding and firing and workers were hustling about everywhere so you couldn't see as much of the nave as I would have liked. I could see some beautiful stained glass windows through the scaffolding and would have liked to have taken a closer look. But what I did see of the temple was stunning so I was still really impressed with the whole thing. There is also a museum in the basement with models of the cathedral and information on Gaudi himself. It was definitely worth a visit.

From there I didn't think I could see anything that came even close to Sagrada Familia but I went to visit another of Gaudi's buildings Main spires
Main spires
 . This was a private residence and office complex he designed known as La Pedrera. It was really cool too! There is a rooftop terrace you can walk around and it has all these crazy chimneys and structures and also offers an amazing view of Barcelona. In the attic is a museum on La Pedrera and more on Gaudi. It made me want to visit more of his work.

Carlos had told me that Casa Battlo was worth stopping by to see the exterior but there wasn't much inside to see, so I headed there next. I was tempted to go inside anyway but saw the admission was €16.50 and decided Carlos probably knew what he was talking about so I just photographed the exterior and moved on.

I went to the shopping district Carlos had marked on the map for me and finally found a pair of jeans I liked. I raced back to my room to get changed so I could do laundry. Unfortunately I can't find a laundromat anywhere! I looked around the neighbourhood and even asked Carlos but that was one thing he couldn't help me with.

I decided I would have to do it in my next station, wherever that may be, and went back to the central area to check out more sights. I ended up going in Catedral de Barcelona which is a beautiful and more traditional cathedral. Then I hunted down some dinner and came back to the hostel. Now I have 170 photos to sort through so that should keep me busy tonight!
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