Barcelona
I have always loved Barcelona. The Gaudi architecture, very nice and walkable, great shopping shoes, souvenirs, great vibe in general. Gothic quarter, my favorite. At the same time whenever I was there and after a day visiting, I always much preferred to escape. Barcelona has a great night life, and even las Sardanas, but I had always found it to be so hot, especially in the narrow streets. Vilanova i la Geltru is my escape and paradise with a breeze from the sea.
Madrid is also very hot, however it is much dryer there, so more bearable. Nights are fresh. Pregnant women used to go to Madrid because of this. Madrid is much smaller and also more recent than Barcelona.When younger I didn't care that much for Madrid. This time I really enjoyed it.
Anyway, we woke up early and took the train to Barcelona using the 10 tickets which also included metro in Barcelona. Our first destination was the Sagrada Familia. We took the metro to there. It was completed most recently and has tickets of up to 30E to visit the inside including the towers. There is also a rate of 15E to just visit the inside. I had actually visited many times before completion and even brought my husband in the past. We paid no where near 15E at the time, took the elevator to the top and walked down one of spiral stairs. The real beauty of this building is from the outside and it is free to admire. In the early morning there were much less people and we could walk around and take pictures.I don't know what possessed them to add white structures which look like bones, the modern and square architecture too white to match the old structure. The modern work is no where near the original structure and looked tacky to me.
Sagrada Familia, looks like white bones added to the original architecture.
The original architecture is awesome and the most beautiful is seen from the outside, which is free to admire.
We decided on a breakfast in a cafe right close by and had the best croissant, not sweetened, which so far was a challenge to find in Spain. Adding sugar to everything seems to be a norm.
After that we walked using the itinerary I had prepared in advance to see Barcelona. So we walked to the Casa Mila, then to Casa Batlo, a favorite, then to Plaza Catalunia and El Corte Ingles for a break. El Corte is air conditioned, has great shopping and food shopping and very clean toilets.
Casa Mila la Pedrera
Some shopping on Rambla de la Catalunia
Casa Batlo
Plaza Catalunia
Catedral
The Cathedral was our next stop. Once again, there was a lineup for a paid visit. But I have noticed on the right side a Culto entrance with no fees nor queuing. I told the guy there in Spanish I came for the culto, and he just let me in no problem. In the mean time husband and son didn't notice where I disappeared, but finally figured out and joined me for free. It was fresh inside, and they even gave women shawls to cover themselves a bit, not to miss such a nice sight.
Christopher Columbus was received by the King in Barcelona in the Gothic quarter when he came back from the Americas.
We then walked to the Ramblas for a quick walk to the Boqueria market, where we visited and had a drink. Ramblas and Boqueria were packed even though we were in the morning. We took a few pictures, shopped for T-shirts, and then reentered my favorite part of Barri Gautico for shoes shopping. We bought some nibbles from Enrique Tomas, cucurucho of ham. Surprisingly, husband and son bought shoes while I couldn't find a pair for me. Prices were high especially since I enjoy comfort shoes, and these are expensive everywhere.
Then we started locating a restaurant for lunch but many were closed, so we walked to Christophe Colomb statue, then back to the old quarters, and entered a typical place without air conditioning, but they served a free tapa with a drink. It was dark and had fans, old fashioned and we ate there surrounded by barrels of wine. Food was very good and home made. When people saw us they also joined and it filled up quickly. There were a Russian family who kept coming back to this place as I understood. Wine was very good and beer too. We started with included tapas filled with meat, then I ordered small pepper bells filled with cheese, croquetas delicious, tortilla for my husband and patatas bravas for our son. Then we decided on calamares, big meat croquetas and a creme caramel, flan, which our son enjoyed tremendously. The place was called La Galera.
Our next destination was the Ciutadella park which we never visited in the past. The walk is in the sun mostly and we got lost a bit, but we got to the park as clouds were accumulating. We sat on a bench but a junkie woman came right straight to our son, we shouted at her and quickly moved to another place. Yes, this park has sections filled with junkies and gypsies. How unfortunate, as it is really nice. The central piece fountain was fine however.
We then walked to the arch of Triumph and took the metro to Sants station to take a train to Vilanova.
It was a nice and busy day out.
Madrid is also very hot, however it is much dryer there, so more bearable. Nights are fresh. Pregnant women used to go to Madrid because of this. Madrid is much smaller and also more recent than Barcelona.When younger I didn't care that much for Madrid. This time I really enjoyed it.
Anyway, we woke up early and took the train to Barcelona using the 10 tickets which also included metro in Barcelona. Our first destination was the Sagrada Familia. We took the metro to there. It was completed most recently and has tickets of up to 30E to visit the inside including the towers. There is also a rate of 15E to just visit the inside. I had actually visited many times before completion and even brought my husband in the past. We paid no where near 15E at the time, took the elevator to the top and walked down one of spiral stairs. The real beauty of this building is from the outside and it is free to admire. In the early morning there were much less people and we could walk around and take pictures.I don't know what possessed them to add white structures which look like bones, the modern and square architecture too white to match the old structure. The modern work is no where near the original structure and looked tacky to me.
Sagrada Familia, looks like white bones added to the original architecture.
The original architecture is awesome and the most beautiful is seen from the outside, which is free to admire.
We decided on a breakfast in a cafe right close by and had the best croissant, not sweetened, which so far was a challenge to find in Spain. Adding sugar to everything seems to be a norm.
After that we walked using the itinerary I had prepared in advance to see Barcelona. So we walked to the Casa Mila, then to Casa Batlo, a favorite, then to Plaza Catalunia and El Corte Ingles for a break. El Corte is air conditioned, has great shopping and food shopping and very clean toilets.
Casa Mila la Pedrera
Plaza Catalunia
Catedral
The Cathedral was our next stop. Once again, there was a lineup for a paid visit. But I have noticed on the right side a Culto entrance with no fees nor queuing. I told the guy there in Spanish I came for the culto, and he just let me in no problem. In the mean time husband and son didn't notice where I disappeared, but finally figured out and joined me for free. It was fresh inside, and they even gave women shawls to cover themselves a bit, not to miss such a nice sight.
Christopher Columbus was received by the King in Barcelona in the Gothic quarter when he came back from the Americas.
We then walked to the Ramblas for a quick walk to the Boqueria market, where we visited and had a drink. Ramblas and Boqueria were packed even though we were in the morning. We took a few pictures, shopped for T-shirts, and then reentered my favorite part of Barri Gautico for shoes shopping. We bought some nibbles from Enrique Tomas, cucurucho of ham. Surprisingly, husband and son bought shoes while I couldn't find a pair for me. Prices were high especially since I enjoy comfort shoes, and these are expensive everywhere.
Then we started locating a restaurant for lunch but many were closed, so we walked to Christophe Colomb statue, then back to the old quarters, and entered a typical place without air conditioning, but they served a free tapa with a drink. It was dark and had fans, old fashioned and we ate there surrounded by barrels of wine. Food was very good and home made. When people saw us they also joined and it filled up quickly. There were a Russian family who kept coming back to this place as I understood. Wine was very good and beer too. We started with included tapas filled with meat, then I ordered small pepper bells filled with cheese, croquetas delicious, tortilla for my husband and patatas bravas for our son. Then we decided on calamares, big meat croquetas and a creme caramel, flan, which our son enjoyed tremendously. The place was called La Galera.
Our next destination was the Ciutadella park which we never visited in the past. The walk is in the sun mostly and we got lost a bit, but we got to the park as clouds were accumulating. We sat on a bench but a junkie woman came right straight to our son, we shouted at her and quickly moved to another place. Yes, this park has sections filled with junkies and gypsies. How unfortunate, as it is really nice. The central piece fountain was fine however.
We then walked to the arch of Triumph and took the metro to Sants station to take a train to Vilanova.
It was a nice and busy day out.
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