Tarragona - ancient Roman ruins

February 24th Friday

Today we took the train to Tarragona, about 30 minutes from Barcelona. Unfortunately, it was raining steadily, but that didn't stop us from exploring the Roman ruins.

The amphitheatre:

An arch in the old Roman wall

And (below) -- the Cathedral - built in 1154. 

Throughout the town there are ancient squares and buildings, as well as numerous ruins. We toured the Cathedral and also the Pretorium Tower and Circus museum, which was really interesting.

The rain made our visit to this historical site a little less pleasant than it might have been otherwise, but it was definitely worth the trip.

In the evening, back in Barcelona, the rain had stopped so we walked to the Placa Espanya to see the magic fountain. I couldn't decide if it was cool or tacky, but it was definitely very popular!

Barcelona - Park Guell and la Sagrada Familia

February 24 - Thursday

Today we went to Parc Guell and la Familia Sagrada.  Both are amazing, unlike anything I have ever seen anywhere else.

We started by walking from the hotel to Park Guell. Outside our hotel there is a bike rental stand. The rental is cheap - 8 euros for 12 hours -- and of course I love riding bikes, so this was very tempting. However, I was not completely clear about how the rental worked, and when I saw that the bikes were single-speed, I wasn't sure what to think. Well, were we ever glad we had decided to walk. Park Guell is about 3 km from our hotel, almost all of it uphill -- a very steep hill. Maybe we could have made it on those bikes, but I am glad we didn't have to find out whether we could!



Photos simply do not do justice to this place and its complex and colourful structures, mosaics, buildings, gardens, etc. Also, as you can see, there were lots of people. We went quite early and the crowds grew steadily as the morning went on.

  

 

 

When we'd seen everything, we started off for la Sagrada Familia, Gaudi's other hugely famous creation -- well maybe work in progress would be a better word.

After a pace-pushing downhill walk on narrow and fairly busy streets, we finally reached the park across the street from this famous church, where we stopped for lunch -- a fresh whole wheat baguette with cheese and meat from the breakfast buffet.

Our lunchtime entertainment consisted of watching this man feeding the pigeons. He actually got one to land on his hand.

And here it is -- the massive unfinished church that has been under construction for more than 100 years. 

The Nativity, with wise men and shepherds below

Barcelona -- a bit of Gaudi and a little Gothic

February 23 Wednesday

Today we explored Barcelona's Gothic quarter: the cathedral and the narrow winding streets.







We walked from the hotel along a route that included two of the famous Gaudi buildings.

As we passed this building, we saw this beautifully carved wooden door, and it was slightly open, so of course we had to step inside. The interior did not disappoint. The foyer was replete with stained glass and tiles on the ceiling.

 

No, we did not venture up the stairs, tempting though the prospect may have been. And when we went back out, we ensured that the door was securely closed behind us.

Also along the way we saw some other interesting apartment buildings

The Catedral de Barcelona was built around 1300 AD and is, of course, amazing. Big, elaborate, perfectly constructed.

We went up on the roof, which to my surprise, meant walking on a scaffolding. It was a little scary because it is quite high and sort of wobbly. But the view is fantastic.

We had a close-up look at the main spire, and could also see over the city and this cluster of bells:

After visiting the Gothic quarter of the city, we walked along the shore to the Columbus statue. It is big, and you can actually go up inside it, but we didn't. 

We continued walking until we came to the foot of Montjuic. Climbing this mountain was not an easy task, but well worth the effort. Dave wanted to ride the cable car. I wasn't so sure, as I am not exactly fond of heights, but I thought I'd give it a try. So we decided to walk as far as the cable car station and take it the rest of the way to the top of the mountain, where there is an old castle. These are some views of the city and the sea as we made our way up... and up...

This is the cable car station -- you can see how high above the city it is.

It turned out you are not supposed to get on the cable car up here -- you are supposed to board at the bottom of the mountain. So if we wanted to reach the top, we'd have to hoof it. It was a steep climb, but we stuck it out

and were rewarded at last with a visit to the castle and a stupendous view of the city.