Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona is an incredible coastal city located in the northeast of Spain in the autonomous community of Catalonia. There are so many things to do in this city it would take many days just to scratch the surface. We arrived in Barcelona as part of our Mediterranean Sea cruise.
If you’re limited for time take the Hop On, Hop Off Barcelona city tour to get a good overview of it. There are 2 routes with the orange route does the western part of the city while the green route does the eastern part of the city.
The local football team is FC Barcelona. The local language is Catalan and Spanish. The currency is the Euro and the local website is here.
It was a difficult decision to decide what to do with our day in Barcelona but many people had recommended seeing the architecture of Anton Gaudi.
We hadn’t realised that you needed to pre-purchase tickets for La Sagrada Familia nor that there were 2 tickets – one for the tower and the other for the Basilica
From the cruise ship we took a blue cruise port bus for 4 Euro which took us to the World Trade Centre which allowed us to change buses to the Hop On, Hop Off Barcelona city tour.
There are many places we wanted to stop but we we’re trying to do each of the routes and then come back to do another circuit which in the end we didn’t have time for so it would have been better to be there for two days and take a route each day and get off at the stops we wanted to and then get back on the next bus.
One place we would go back to explore was the Spanish Village which has examples of different types of Spanish buildings and was constructed for the 1929 World Fair. There was also the home of the 1992 Olympics, the beaches and the famous shopping precinct of La Rambla.
We got off at the La Pereda or Casa Mila the Gaudi designed apartment block. We paid 25 Euro each to do an audio tour of this building which involved taking the lift to the roof to walk around the unusually designed roof area full of different levels but with incredible views of Barcelona.
The chimneys are very originally shaped, part of the Gaudi world of inspiration from nature. In the original design there had been no rail on the inside of the roof to stop you falling into the internal courtyard. Some time since it was built what looks like a chainmail fence has been added to stop anyone falling into the courtyard.
It was an incredible experience taking this tour as well as the privilege of exploring this building. After exploring the roof we descended to the attic via a spiral staircase to learn more about the thinking behind this building and Gaudi’s architecture. The way he created the building organically using designs from nature was incredible. The detail Gaudi used in his work was brilliant. The attic felt like a church with its many buttress (roof trusses) but the displays of his work were very informative.
Next, we travelled down to the apartment that was set up in the style of when the building was built provided an insight into how people lived in Barcelona a 100 years ago.
The curves of the apartment felt odd yet also comforting. The ceilings which had sloping corners as well as the door handles which moulded to your hand are very clever in design and execution. The flow up the corridor and into rooms was very well thought out.
The entry and exit points to the building also have their majesty with the building built around a central hollow core with windows to let in light which was one of the central ideas of Gaudi to let in natural light.
To view the outside of the building does not allow you to guess at how extraordinary the building is inside.
We spent 2 and a half hours inside exploring and being amazed by the brilliance of Gaudi.
Next stop was the block of discord further up the street which features 3 buildings of leading architects of the time with 3 very different styles. The Casa Batllo was a very different style from Gaudi with its skull and bones external appearance.
The crowds were longer at this site and the other building were an interesting contrast in styles. For more information about Gaudi please click here
The next stop on the hop on hop off bus was the Gothic cathedral and the old quarter with its narrow streets. There was also a long queue to get into the cathedral and this area that was once the location of the Roman presence is incredibly beautiful with surprises around every corner. It is definitely worth further exploration looking for Roman Ruins.
The next stop was to the Familia Sagrada which we walked around due to no tickets and realised how incredible this building is. It is still being built according to Gaudi’s design and it is hoped to be completed by 2026, 100 years following the death of the Gaudi.
The outside of the cathedral is stunning and unexpected with bags of fruit, a tree as well as the more expected religious statues. The inside is we understand stunning with the columns which are like the trunks of trees to support the upper levels.
We are already planning our trip back to see the Familia Sagrada once it is completed along with purchasing our tickets in advance and to stay for at least a week (or two) in Barcelona to see the many sights of this stunning city.