GENERAL INFO (Jump to Diary)
Barcelona is a city on the north-eastern coast
of Spain. The name comes from the ancient Iberian Baŕkeno, attested
in an ancient coin inscription found on the right side of the coin in
Iberian script as Barkeno in Levantine Iberian script. Some older sources
suggest that the city may have been named after the Carthaginian general
Hamilcar Barca, who was supposed to have founded the city in the 3rd century
BC.
It is the capital of Catalonia and largest city of the autonomous community,
as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain, with a population
of 1.6 million within city limits, only half of them considering themselves
Catholics.
It was founded as a Roman city, in the Middle Ages, has a rich
cultural heritage and is today an important cultural centre and a major
tourist destination. Particularly
renowned are the architectural
works of Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i Montaner, which have been designated
UNESCO World Heritage
Sites.
Barcelona has a hot summer Mediterranean climate, with mild winters and warm
to hot summers.
Here are 16 parks, but I doubt I find anything interesting, except from
in the botanical garden. The fauna is mainly represented by pigeons and
rats along with cats and dogs.
DIARY
29 /10 2024.
I land late in the afternoon, but I have to see a few things on the way to
the hostel, despite the clouds. And I walk - after I get off the Metro, ten
meters from the first site. Unfortunately, I get out of the wrong entrance,
and the GPS then leads me around in pivots for a little over an hour.
Finally, I find L'Esquerra de L'Eixample, which is one of the city's
many areas with nice buildings. Especially
one Gaudi has soft shapes and a lot of colourful bathroom tiles.
Nearby is La Pedera - Casa Mila, which also has soft shapes, but no
colourful tiles. It is actually quite impressive in its large, beautifully
curved granite blocks.
The city's "Eiffel Tower" is definitely the almost finished La Sagrada
Familia, which is Gaudi's prestigious church. The entrance fee is enough
to keep me out, and the queue will do the same - and it was sold out when I
tried to book a ticket. But a
walk around this multi-towered colossus is
also an experience.
There will also be time for one of the new buildings: Torre Agbar, now
called Torre Glories, is a cucumber-shaped high-rise that seems very
minimalist compared to the other classic buildings. It is located out where
they are still building on the city
I
find
a supermarket, right next to Hola Hostal Eixample. I get a bed and start
exploring tomorrow's program,
as there is still some daylight left.
Parc de la Ciutadella is a park with an enormous, pompous waterfall
by Gaudi. The park itself is a bit worn, but I follow it to the historical
museum and Casa Llotja de Mar, which was built in the 14th century as
a stock exchange.
Nearby is Passeig del Born. It is a beautiful pedestrian street, but
the shops are closing. Never mind, I won't be buying Gucci or Ray-Ban anyway.
Right at the beginning is the enormous Basillica de San Maria del Mar
from 1300. Is it perhaps a very beautiful church inside?
A little further on I find Mercat de San Caterina, one of the city's
fruit and vegetable markets, where many shops have closed. Those that are
open have beautiful displays of meat, fish, nuts, delicatessens and fruit
and vegetables.
I might find Carrer de Montacada, which is
supposed to be a beautiful
13th-14th century Gothic palace. But they are hard to distinguish in
this medieval quarter with its narrow alleys.
It has become dark, and I use up the last percent of my battery of the
phone/GPS to find my way home. I cook, while my phone catches its breath.
After dinner, I find a cafe for a little self-indulgence.
Or rather; that was the idea, but while many shops and all the bars are
open, the cafes have closed. Plan B: 24-hour kiosk and coffee in the
communal kitchen. There are quite a few people here, but everyone keeps to
themselves.
Day's
highlights.
30.
It is a large
dormitory, but really quiet, except for a single quiet but persistent
snorer. Yr.no had promised 76 mm of rain between 11 and 15, but it is now
down to 6 mm. Since I started the day's sights yesterday, it might get a
long lunch break. I start early, and walk in the thick darkness
towards Mirador de Colom. The sky turns deep blue, but I am not
overwhelmed by the view of the harbour and the old buildings surrounding the
column. It is tall, and the surrounding
bronze lions are beautiful.
I find a cafe that is about to open, and watch the locals hurry past in the
grey morning. As in so many other Spanish-speaking countries, dogs,
and
therefore dog walking, are extremely common. They pick-up and some even
spray after number one.
Nearby I find Esglesia de San Pau del Camp, which is a church from
the 12th century. It is far from impressive, but charming in its hole. The
city has grown upwards for a 1000 years, most of them without cleaning.
Palau Güell is a palace designed by Gaudi, and it is more impressive.
Unfortunately, it is located in a narrow street, and I can't take a good
photo.
Placa
Reial is another beautiful palace, which is an entire square. There are
some who have had money in this city - once. Now I see many homeless people,
one of whom is sleeping on the edge of the square's fountain. I have
completed today's program, and it is only eight o'clock. The weather is dry,
so I continue undeterred, and now I reach the centre. Ramblas is a
pedestrian street in old Barcelona. It is flanked by beautiful old houses,
but unfortunately, they are renovating the sewers and the pavement in it.
Nearby I find the small square;
Placa de Sant Josep Oriol, to see the palace and the area itself. It
is incredible how much has been done to these buildings.
One
side
of the square is made up of the enormous Parroquia Basilica de Santa
Maria, which fills the entire square it is squeezed into.
Along one of the many pedestrian streets is the Esglesia de Betlem, I
find a
bombastic 17th-century church. Again, it is impossible to get a proper
photo.
I round Placa de Sant Josep Oriol again, on the way to Mercat de la
Boquerie. I was here yesterday, but now; most of the incredibly beautiful
shops are open. Meat, eggs, cakes, fruit, vegetables, sweets, nuts and
everything else delicious.
I find the House of the Rabbi, a villa from the 14th century in the
old Jewish quarter, but the streets here are really narrow.
La Catedral is a church from the 12th-17th
centuries with an
18th-century crypt – which I can’t find. The tower is an impressive
sandstone
work.
Right next to it is the Casa de l’Ardiaca Arxiu with a beautiful
courtyard.
I stumble upon the Englesiab Cathedral of Santa Creu, which seems
enormous. The clocks add to the effect. The whole square in front of it is
beautiful.
The Palau del Lloctinent is a palace from the 16th century with a
beautiful courtyard. It is very bombastic and grey.
I have found my sights in the centre, and it
is nine o'clock!
I find
a nice cafe that has croissants with chocolate, lattes and power for the
GPS, for two euros.
Well charged, I start to trudge the five kilometres out to the botanical
garden. The first half is through a nice shopping district that has its
share of beautiful old houses. I pass the large cruciform market; Mercat
drl Llibre Dominical de Sant Antonio. A lot of modern shops and
some
really beautiful food vendors.
Then
I get to some parks, which mainly consist of trees and stairs up. I pass a
nice theatre and the enormous Olympic stadium. Then I reach the
historic botanical garden, which is closed. Close by is the new one;
Jardí Botànic de Barcelona, which I reach at the same time as the
light drizzle. Only my glasses do, I unfold the umbrella. This new garden is
divided into locations.
The Canary Islands, Chile, North Africa, South
Africa and California are the most important. Very wide concrete paths
lead around, but here there is a lack of soul and cosiness - and I have seen
all the plants in the wild.
I trudge down towards the city again, but the thunder “forces” me into a
cafe that wants to make me a vegetarian bun. Various cheeses and fresh
vegetables with dressing. Before I get it, the sky opens. Twice lightning
strikes so close, it is only a deafening bang, along with the flash. I eat
languidly, and relax. After all, I am a few days ahead of my four-day plan.
It is still dripping, and I grab a latte and a piece of a strange slightly
rubbery and colourful piece of cake called Sapin-Sapin from the Philippine
cuisine, before I head on. I borrow their Wi-Fi, and read; 63 people have
drowned in the eastern part of the country, due to rain.
I spend the next shower on a €7 haircut from an Indian in the Arab quarter.
Another shower and a latte, and then I reach the Ramblas pedestrian
street once more. I see it from one end to the other, including the more
interesting side streets. I chat with a nice guy from Cameroon, who knows
about Bjarne Riis and Michael Laudrup. Here, he is sleeping in the street,
trying to get by, half of his travel companions drowned on
the trip, three months ago.
The rain has stopped, but the light is still missing.
I follow the Rambla down to the port, and then walk through the large
network of pedestrian streets most of the way home. Just before I get home,
I find a loaf of bread with cheese and vegetables. I get home at dusk, and I
can feel, that I've been on my feet most of the last twelve hours. 2. dinner
at eight o'clock, and then I'm ready for bed.
Day's
highlights
Despite the short stay, there is a Dairy 2. |