Hop On With Us.

September 10th and 20th. Hop On With Us.

Whenever we travel some place new, one of our favorite ways of seeing a new city is the Hop-On Hop-Off Bus. Generally, we like to do this our first day as it gives a good overview of the city and lets us determine what we want to see in a deeper way.

Barcelona was no exception. So, Monday morning we purchased a 2-day pass and made our way to the nearest Bus Stop, Here in Barcelona there are 2 routes, Red and Blue, each taking in a range of sites and attractions. You are free to get off at any stop you like and get back on whenever you like. You are provided with headphones and a running on what you are seeing.

Some of our favorite stops:

1.       Placa de Catalunya: Catalonia Plaza

The centre of Barcelona, its beautiful fountains overlook a bustling city square with impressive buildings all around.

Modernista Port Authority Building

2.    Placa de Espanya. 

Plaça Espanya is a lovely plaza just out of the centre of town, where many of the main roads in Barcelona, such as Gran Via and Diagonall intersect. Here a statue announces your entry to the area, right alongside a circular building which once hosted Spain's famous bullfights.  The bull-fighting ring has now been converted into the a shopping centre, Las Arenas de Barcelona commercial centre.

From here two towering pillars, Torres Venecianes, welcome you. Terraced fountains lead toward the beautiful castle-like complex  that houses the MNAC, or Catalonian National Art Museum. 

The Art Museum is house in the Palau National, a Neo-Baroque Palace of Italian style that was built for the 1929 World Fair.

Fountains cascade down from the palace toward the city below.

Vendors spread their blankets on the ground, hoping to sell souvenirs and knick-knacks to the tourists, despite the fact they are forbidden to do so. Every now and then Policia come by and they scurry to wrap their goods and disappear, only to return as soon as the police leave.

The Art Museum sits high on Montjuic hill and from its terraces you are treated to a fabulous view right across the city.

An elevator leads to the rooftop where even better views await.... the entire city is spread out in 360 degree vvvvvvpanaramas.

Back on the bus, we continue past the site of Barcelona's Olympic Games of 1992.

We sit back and enjoy the scenery as we slowly make our way along the port and on to the Ciutat Vella or Old City and its Gothic Quarter.

Come With Me as we discover the Old Town....

A Gaudi Day!

September 20^th. A Gaudi Day!

Antoni Gaudi was an architect in the later part of the 1800’s. He is thought have been one of the greatest influences in modern architect, changing the way and breaking the box for new and creative thinking. He was only 26 when he graduated as an architect. It is said, when his professors awarded him his Architecture degree they said, we don’t know if we are awarding this degree to a genius or a madman. Within 5 years he was designing magnificent homes for Spain’s wealthiest people, churches, cathedrals, schools…

Barcelona is resplendent with his works and his influence is evident throughout the work of other architects and artists.

One such building is The Pedrera. It was a home commissioned by a very wealthy family and consisted of a main floor with businesses, several stories of apartments that were rented out and a huge family apartment for the owner.

Gaudi's style was influenced by nature, using soft, curved flowing lines. The balconies has railing of iron that mirrored nature and plants.

On the roof, the mechanical systems were housed inside elaborate statues making them beautiful as well as functional.

Gaudi's biggest project and, perhaps obsession, was the Sagarda Familia, a massive undertaking. This church or basilica was began in 1882. Gaudi worked on it for 40 years before his death. It continues to be built totally on donations and money raised from the tours of its breathtaking interior. It has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

At its present state the basilica has four towering spires rising well above any other building in Barcelona.  However when completed there will be 7 more, even higher, towers. One central one will be Jesus, one will represent Mary, and the others will encircle Jesus. 

Spain plans to have it complete by 2026, the 100th anniversary of Gaudi's death.

For the last years of his life Gaudi lived in a bare apartment on the site, dedicated to only his work. He became very religious and left only to go to mass twice a day. It is said, one day he set off but went the wrong way and ended up in a bar, where he got drunk and was hit by a train or a truck on his way home. Because he lived like a pauper, he was thought to be a derilect and was taken to the hospital for the poor where he died three days later, a very unfitting end for a brilliant man,

And finally as the day ends we make our way to a third of Gaudi's masterpieces, The Parc Guall. Here a beautiful parc overlooks the city toward the sea. Beautiful mosaic walls wind down through the park. Set within are several buildings in the signature Gaudi style.

Gaudi was indeed a genius whose influence has found its way into modern architecture not only in Spain and Europe but everywhere. 

Join us as we hop-on and see what else Barcelona has to offer.... Come With Me.

Good Morning Barcelona!

Sept. 18^th. Good Morning Barcelona!

It is early as arrive in Barcelona. The morning sky is covered with light clouds and spits of rain streak the windows as we taxi in the BCN, Barcelona’s International Airport.

I am always surprised with how quick and easy immigration and customs is in the EU. Not even a declaration card, just scan our passport, pick up our luggage and walk out in the lane than says Nothing To Declare. And, we are here.

Off to our hotel… U232 on Comte d’Urgell.

Despite our lack of sleep we are eager to explore and set out for Las Ramblas, the pedestrian street that runs through the centre of Old Town. Ramblas is a wide boulevard and the centre section is pedestrian only with vehicle parking on the sides. It is 1.2 km long.

 

 It is soon apparent that the architecture of Barcelona is a step above, even by European standards.

Everywhere buildings are graced with lovely wrought iron balconies, curved and sculpted parapets, domes and rooftops. The influence of some of the world's greatest architects and artists is evident.

We stop to visit a beautiful Church: Mare Maria de Deu, not a particularly special church or cathedral, just a church. Its magnificent interior dazzles, competing with our biggest and our best.

As we begin to fade, we make our way back, settle for a light dinner and a good night's sleep. Tomorrow awaits... Come With Me.

Barcelona Bound!

Europe 2017: Spain and Portugal

Sept 17^th. Barcelona Bound.

It is Sunday morning, early, as I lug my bags out of the back of the Jeep at YVR, Vancouver’s International Airport.

A smoky haze hangs over the North Shore mountains in the distant, a reminder, I suppose, of the forest fires that have been plaguing British Columbia all summer. Despite this, the promise of beautiful autumn day beckons, the sun already warming the crisp morning air as I trudge into the terminal balancing my Air Canada allotment of bags through the heavy glass doors.

A quick wave and I disappear into the vast expanse of the terminal.

Passport. Tick.

Boarding Pass. Tick.

To the kiosk for the bag tags! (Sometimes I wonder if all this do-it-yourself-everything – check-in-online, print your own boarding pass, haul your own bag to the conveyor belt and plop it on, face down of course – has really reduced the number of staff and overhead, or if it just means the airline workers get to watch us do all the work and make their life easier.)

I bag lighter, I am on to security. A deceptively long line snakes back and forth feeding to two security checkpoints way to the right while business clad travellers, smug and efficient, breeze by, Nexus card proudly clasped in their manicured hands.

“We will BE boarding this flight in Zones”, announces the cheery gate attendant. “Please check your boarding pass for your zone number.”

Despite the fact the plane is still being cleaned and checked and boarding will not commence for another fifteen or twenty minutes, travellers quickly grab their bags and scurry to be first in their designated line. It is tempting to join in that unspoken competition, not to be at the back of the line. But really… after all we all have assigned seats, no one is going to take your seat. So I remain in my seat watching the lines build. Finally the boarding begins, Zone 1 (Business Class, definitely not me – too cheap), Zone 2 (Elite- not, that’s not me – too smug and pretentious).

Zone 3 – I think 90% of the plane – and me- are in Zone 3. The line winds well down the corridor, melding into Flight 342 to Calgary. Confused flyers wander aimlessly, trying to decipher where they should be. Every now and them a bold flyer injects themselves into the line, confidently and assertively. Despite the fact the line obviously winds into infinitely beyond, they determine it is their place to assert themselves well forward into the line. But, being Canadians, we shake our heads politely, grumble a little, and let them in.

Finally, settled in, the plane roars, liftoff, we soar into the clear blue sky and I am on my way. Next stop, Toronto.

A brief stop to met up with my travel buddies, have an expensive glass of wine at YYZ and we are off, Barcelona bound.... Come With Me.