When we arrived in Barcelona, we picked up our tour guide – a man who works for ISA Barcelona – to give us a panoramic bus tour of the extremely large city. We were able to see the Plaza de Toros Monumental – the bullfighting arena in Barcelona. There is also another bullfighting arena in Barcelona called the Plaza de Toros de las Arenas, but this bullfighting arena has been converted into a shopping mall and is no longer used for bullfights. Also, during out tour, we stopped by the Barcelona Olympic Stadium (Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc), where the 1992 Summer Olympic Games took place. The bus trekked up to the top of the hill of Montjuïc, so we could look at the beautiful views of the harbour of Barcelona and the city itself. In passing, we were able to see the Palau Nacional, which is the National Palace in Barcelona. Barcelona is another city in Spain that borders the Mediterranean Sea, so you can experience the beach there like you can in Valencia.
At the top of the hill of Montjuïc.
The view of the harbour of Barcelona.
Palau Nacional
After our panoramic bus tour around Barcelona, we were dropped of at our hotel to unpack. A group of us quickly unpacked and left the hotel to walk to an English movie theater by the beach to see the final Harry Potter movie! When we got to the theater, many of the shows for that day were already sold out, so we were lucky to get tickets. I was NOT going to watch Harry Potter in Spanish. We were really excited, and the movie was in English with Spanish subtitles. But how many people can say that they watched the final Harry Potter movie in Barcelona?
At the movie theater ready to see Harry Potter!
So excited!!!
On Saturday, we woke up early for complimentary breakfast by the hotel. Then, we had a walking tour around the two Gothic Quarters of Barcelona – one called Barri Gotic – where we viewed the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia (the main Cathedral of Barcelona). This cathedral was gorgeous, and the only way that you are allowed entry is if you cover your knees and shoulders. So we all wore jeans and sleeved shirts in Barcelona in July on a walking tour. Yes, it was very hot, but it was definitely worth it. Later, we visited Temple d’August in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter. These columns represent the Roman influence in Barcelona dating back to the first century AD.
Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia
Temple d'August
Our walking tour
We also toured the Placa Sant Jaume in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona, where you can find the Palace of the Generalitat and the City Hall. This plaza was the center of the Roman Empire in Barcelona. Continuing along our tour, we come across the Sinagoga Mayor de Barcelona (synagogue), which has been recognized as one of the oldest buildings in Europe.
Placa Sant Jaume
We also briefly viewed the church Santa María del Mar in Barcelona, but there was a wedding that was about to take place, so we weren’t allowed to stay for long. Our next stop was the Museu Picasso, as Pablo Picasso was actually born in Málaga, Spain.
After our guided walking tour, we were given free time for the rest of the afternoon. My friend Bre and I decided to walk along the street called Las Ramblas, a popular street for tourism. We walked and shopped until we ended up at the Placa de Catalunya, which is a large city square. After taking pictures and enjoying the sites, we made our way back to the hotel. After a quick 10-minute break at the hotel, we left with a group to view the Sagrada Família. This church is still under construction – it was started last year, but it won’t be expected to be finished until about 2026.
“Wikipedia says that the Sagrada Família is a large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926). Although incomplete, the church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site,[4] and in November 2010 was consecrated and proclaimed a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI.[5][6][7]”
Placa de Catalunya
Sagrada Família
After viewing the exterior of this massive structure, we took the Metro to the outskirts of Barcelona to experience first-hand Camp Nou, the Barcelona Soccer Stadium. It was overwhelming, as we shopped in the enormous gift shop and walked around the stadium.
“Wikipedia says that Futbol Club Barcelona (Catalan pronunciation: [fubˈbɔɫ ˈkɫub bərsəˈɫonə]), also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça,[2] is a Spanish professional football club, based in Barcelona, Spain. They play in La Liga, and are one of the only three clubs to have never been relegated, along with Athletic Bilbao and rival Real Madrid. They are the current Spanish and European football champions.”
In front of Camp Nou - Barcelona's Soccer Stadium.
Later that night a small group of us decided to go out to this special bar in Barcelona called IceBarcelona. It’s a bar that is completely made out of ice – with ice sculptures, ice walls, ice seats, ice tables, ice glasses, etc. Before you go in, you have to put on this giant parka and gloves, as it’s -04 degrees Celsius inside the bar. It was a lot of fun, and we definitely enjoyed the outfits that we had to wear.
Inside IceBareclona!
Ice sculpture of the Sagrada Família
On Sunday, we again woke up early for our complimentary breakfast by the hotel and set out for another walking tour to experience all of Antoni Gaudí’s works. First, we explored Park Güell with its abundant gardens and tile sculptures. This is where Gaudí once lived, and you can see many of his works here.
“Wikipedia says that Park Güell (Catalan: Parc Güell, IPA: [ˈparg ˈɡweʎ]) is a garden complex with architectural elements situated on the hill of el Carmel in the Gràcia district of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It was designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí and built in the years 1900 to 1914. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Works of Antoni Gaudí".”
Park Güell
After touring this exquisite park, we ventured back into the center of Barcelona to see another Gaudí creation – Casa Milá. The particular architectural style of Gaudí is well admired by many.
Gaudí's Casa Milá
Literally down the street is the well known Casa Batlló – another Gaudí creation that resembles a house of bones from the outside. Gaudí’s architecture is unique and can be recognized by the people that live in Barcelona and many more.
Gaudí's Casa Batlló
Finally, at the end of a long weekend, we walked to the Columbus Monument at the other end of Las Ramblas. The statue of Christopher Columbus is famous for many reasons.
“Wikipedia says that it was constructed for the Exposición Universal de Barcelona (1888) and is located at the site where Columbus returned to Spain after his first voyage to the Americas.[1] The monument serves as a reminder that Barcelona is where Christopher Columbus reported to Queen Isabella and Ferdinand after Columbus' most famous trip.[2]”
The Columbus Monument
With Alphie!
On part of the Columbus Monument.
From there, we met the bus to go back to Valencia, where we arrived around 9 that night.
Today I leave for Morocco, so I'll be going to Africa!
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