After two weeks we regret having to leave Alicante, but our next destination is an exciting city which we love.
We board a RENFRE train for Barcelona at 11:10 on Sunday morning. After getting settled in our reserved standard service seats we see that the train is much older than the ScotRail trains we took during the first part of our trip. RENFRE does have an advantage in that they show movies, however the audio jacks do not work in either of our seats. The car becomes very warm so William heads to the club car which is much cooler and stays there for the remaining half of our 4 1/2 hour journey.
Upon our arrival the taxi driver gets us to our hotel, which is located in the Port Vell area. It is along the harbor and just a short walk to Bari Gothic and also La Rambla. As we are checking in we are offered a glass of cava and also a small dessert. I love this place already.
Monday's weather forecast is rain and wind and our initial plan is to do indoor activities, however most of the museums are closed. We have an incredible large breakfast at the hotel then walk a half-block to the Hop-On Hop-Off bus stop. They put a tarp over the top in inclement weather, so we decide to give it a try. There are two routes and we pick up the red line. It takes us past many interesting areas and sights, and we agree we want to spend more time in Bari Gothic, Placa D'Espanya and Palau Nacional de Montjuic (with it's art museum).
We stay on the bus and start the loop again, planning to get off a few stops later near the Bari Gothic. As we hop-off it is starting to drizzle, but not too bad. We make our way to the Bari Gothic and eventually to the Barcelona Cathedral. The tourist visiting hours are only 1-5:30 pm. Good thing we didn't visit Bari Gothic in the morning!
We board a RENFRE train for Barcelona at 11:10 on Sunday morning. After getting settled in our reserved standard service seats we see that the train is much older than the ScotRail trains we took during the first part of our trip. RENFRE does have an advantage in that they show movies, however the audio jacks do not work in either of our seats. The car becomes very warm so William heads to the club car which is much cooler and stays there for the remaining half of our 4 1/2 hour journey.
Upon our arrival the taxi driver gets us to our hotel, which is located in the Port Vell area. It is along the harbor and just a short walk to Bari Gothic and also La Rambla. As we are checking in we are offered a glass of cava and also a small dessert. I love this place already.
Monday's weather forecast is rain and wind and our initial plan is to do indoor activities, however most of the museums are closed. We have an incredible large breakfast at the hotel then walk a half-block to the Hop-On Hop-Off bus stop. They put a tarp over the top in inclement weather, so we decide to give it a try. There are two routes and we pick up the red line. It takes us past many interesting areas and sights, and we agree we want to spend more time in Bari Gothic, Placa D'Espanya and Palau Nacional de Montjuic (with it's art museum).
We stay on the bus and start the loop again, planning to get off a few stops later near the Bari Gothic. As we hop-off it is starting to drizzle, but not too bad. We make our way to the Bari Gothic and eventually to the Barcelona Cathedral. The tourist visiting hours are only 1-5:30 pm. Good thing we didn't visit Bari Gothic in the morning!
The Cathedral is dedicated to the Holy Cross and to St. Eulalia, who also happens to be the Saint my grandmother was named after. It's no surprise that as an adult she had her name legally changed. The church was started in 1298 and finished at the beginning of the 20th Century, with Catalan Gothic architecture. It is huge (ok - not as big as Notre Dame, but equally interesting). It has many side alters and a large enjoyable courtyard with geese.
Monday evening we meet one of my former colleagues and his girlfriend for dinner. They are a fun and adventurous couple, recently relocating from Buchrest to Barcelona. We share some tapas, a good seafood paella and happy conversation.
Tuesday after breakfast I go online and order admission to Sagrada Familia, Gaudi's famous church. It has been over ten years since we last visited the church and a significant amount of work has been completed in our absence. Still, I think if we return in another 20 years it will not be completed.
Monday evening we meet one of my former colleagues and his girlfriend for dinner. They are a fun and adventurous couple, recently relocating from Buchrest to Barcelona. We share some tapas, a good seafood paella and happy conversation.
Tuesday after breakfast I go online and order admission to Sagrada Familia, Gaudi's famous church. It has been over ten years since we last visited the church and a significant amount of work has been completed in our absence. Still, I think if we return in another 20 years it will not be completed.
The blue line of the Hop-On Hop-Off bus stops in front of Sagrada Familia and we hop-on. We hop-off to walk around the Gracia area, which has been recommended to us by my colleague. The area is being gentrified, so there is a mix of young and old, but the character of the buildings remains. Once again on the bus we continue and see more of the city. Following a transfer to the red line we hop-off at Palau Nacional de Montjuic, which hosts the Museu Nacional D'Art de Catalunya. As we are buying our tickets we are informed that the ticket is good for two days. This turns out to be a blessing as the Museu is closing in two hours and we are already tired. We recharge with a coffee then take the lift to the rooftop for a view of the surrounding city.
After the rooftop we agree we will see one of the galleries today then return by subway on Wednesday to walk through Placa D'Espanya and take the escalators up to Palau and the Museu. The Medieval Romanesque Art gallery is the one we tackle on this day. There are a large number of murals which have been detached from the walls of churches and public buildings throughout Spain (many people say they were rescued) and brought to the Museu and exhibited.
Wednesday we walk a few blocks to the subway station and catch a direct train to the stop at Placa D'Espanya. We walk along the Placa and pass by the convention halls, then start to catch the series of escalators and walk through plaza areas which take us past fountains and waterfalls up to Palau Nacional de Montjuic and the Museu.
Today we spend several hours exploring the five remaining galleries within the Museu. I am fond of Salvador Dali's portrait of his father - it is so distinctly different from much of his other work, and there is also an early work by Miró that catches my eye. Another gem is a stone sculpture of Pablo Picasso by Pablo Gargallo.
Today we spend several hours exploring the five remaining galleries within the Museu. I am fond of Salvador Dali's portrait of his father - it is so distinctly different from much of his other work, and there is also an early work by Miró that catches my eye. Another gem is a stone sculpture of Pablo Picasso by Pablo Gargallo.
Thursday morning we once again enjoy a late breakfast at the hotel, settle our bill and catch a cab for the port. The Norwegian Spirit is there waiting for us. It is with some sadness we leave Barcelona and Spain, a country of fun people, great food and delicious well-priced wines.
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