One Final Day of Bliss in Barcelona
11 Nov 2011 Leave a Comment
Friday, June 3, 2011
Casa Battlo, a popular work of Gaudi
Our cruise ship returned to Barcelona very early this morning. We had one final breakfast onboard in the dining room and, reluctantly, were off the ship by 8 a.m. We’re so sad that our cruise has come to an end, but glad that we have one final day in Barcelona before our flight back to the U.S. tomorrow.
We took a cab back to Olivia Plaza Hotel where we had spent the first days of our vacation. They remembered us, welcomed us back, and put us back in the exact same hotel room we had before. Then, we were off to purchase a ticket for the Hop-On, Hop-Off Sightseeing Bus once again. We had a mission today to see the Sagrada Familia and Park Guell in the L’Eixample neighborhood. We drove past Casa Battlo by Gaudi one final time.
Sagrada Familia
As the bus turns the corner and approaches Sagrada Familia, Barcelona’s most famous building, you can’t help but be in total awe. Antoni Gaudi started construction on this temple devoted to the “Sacred Family” or Holy Family in 1883, and as you can see by the cranes, it continues today. It’s absolutely massive and it doesn’t matter what time of day or day of the week you go; the line to get in wraps around the entire block. We waited in line for 30 minutes (which was actually quite short from the stories we heard) before we paid our admission and added the self-guided audio tour and elevator ride to the top.
Inside Sagrada Familia; looking up at the ceiling which represents trees
The audio tour was super helpful in understanding the design and the complex symbolism of the building and I highly recommend it if you go. For example, when completed, the cathedral will have 18 spires representing the Twelve Apostles, the Four Evangelists, the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ. There are three grand facades: the Nativity facade facing East (like the rising of the sun representing birth); the Passion facade facing West (like the setting sun representing death); and the Glory facade facing South (to be completed, but representing hell, purgatory, the seven deadly sins and the seven heavenly virtues). The detail is unbelievable.
The Nativity Facade of Sagrada Familia
You can easily spend the better part of the day here. We explored the exterior and interior extensively and then took an elevator ride to the top (timed entry) for spectacular – and quite scary (if you’re afraid of heights) - views of Barcelona. It’s a lot taller than it looks. Then, you walk back down by way of a claustrophobia-inducing spiral staircase. Good times!
View of Barcelona from atop the Sagrada Familia
Once safely on the ground, we were ready for lunch. We chose a cute little restaurant called “Picasso” which specialized in paella, a Spanish staple we had not yet tried. Tracey and I each ordered our own and Mom sampled the tapas dishes. Delicious!
Me and my paella
After lunch, we got back on the Sightseeing Tour Bus and made our way to Park Guell. I recall seeing this famous park in various movies including, most recently, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.” Once again, this garden complex was designed by Gaudi between 1900 and 1914. It features a house that Gaudi once lived in (tours available for a fee) as well as some very famous mosaic tile work such as a serpent-like bench and a dragon sculpture.
At the entrance to Park Guell
We walked around for much of the afternoon. It’s a beautiful place but was very crowded. In the movies they make it seem like such a peaceful place where you can wander in solitude. But the truth is, be ready to deal with crowds.
The mosaic tile serpent-like bench
We spent a little time browsing through gift shops before stopping for gelato and getting back on the bus. We completed the loop and returned to our hotel. We decided to have dinner at a restaurant in nearby Placa Reial (where we had seen the flamenco dancer on one of our first nights here). We enjoyed some pizza, pasta and wine. I wanted to buy a couple of paintings I had seen on La Ramblas so we returned to make one final souvenir purchase. We called it an early night so that we could pack and prepare to get to the airport early the next morning. It’s been an amazing trip and I can’t wait to return here one day soon! Adios Barcelona. Hasta Luego.
Guitarist in Park Guell
