barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain and the main city of the Catalunya region of Spain. People here have a strong regional identity and speak Catalan first, Spanish second. Catalan seems to be a bit of a mix of Spanish and French. I was a bit surprised that English isn't spoken as frequently here as in other major tourist cities in Europe. Just remember... when you can't speak the language, a friendly nature and gestures allow you to communicate pretty well.
The 1992 Olympics were hosted here which really helped put Barcelona on the radar for tourism. I was really impressed by the fact that the Olympic facilities were put to good use by the people of the city... rather than fall into ruin as is so often seen when other places host the Olympic games.
Barcelona has a bit of everything: waterfront, old city, new city, and mountaintop views. The city is clean and full of life and beauty; I could easily picture myself living here. The picture below shows the sidewalk in the Eixample area of the city in front of Casa Batlló. The tiles are replicas of the Gaudí tiles found inside Casa Milà.
The 1992 Olympics were hosted here which really helped put Barcelona on the radar for tourism. I was really impressed by the fact that the Olympic facilities were put to good use by the people of the city... rather than fall into ruin as is so often seen when other places host the Olympic games.
Barcelona has a bit of everything: waterfront, old city, new city, and mountaintop views. The city is clean and full of life and beauty; I could easily picture myself living here. The picture below shows the sidewalk in the Eixample area of the city in front of Casa Batlló. The tiles are replicas of the Gaudí tiles found inside Casa Milà.
Gaudi's Parc Güell sits up on a hill and offers a beautiful view of the city framed by whimsical buildings and tiled benches. Off in the distance you can see the Barcelona waterfront.
The Eixample (pronounced eye-SHAM-plah) area of the city is the "new" part of the city where the streets are laid out in an easy to navigate grid fashion. The picture below shows how the corners are open... even the buildings are rounded, creating open intersections that practically beckon you to turn the corner and explore one street to the next.
Soccer (i.e. futbol) fans here root for the home team, FCB (Futbol Club Barcelona), simply called "Barça". The club is such a part of the city that the club's crest can be spotted in one of the cathedral's stained glass windows.
In the older part of the city, decorative tile work can be found on almost every corner. The picture below shows the largest tiled scene I found while walking the city. As you can see, the water spots and trough are not just decorative... they're still working and in use.
The Plaça de Catalunya is a main center that is located between the old city and the Eixample (new city). This is the spot where many buses stop; it was my airport shuttle drop off point and the place I caught the tour bus to Montserrat. Walking around by myself, I stumbled upon these street performers that were creating giant bubbles. The building in the background is El Corte Inglés, a main department store chain in Spain.
Little things to surprise and delight me seemed to be lurking around every corner in Barcelona. The statue below was definitely unexpected and I loved it. Whenever I see it the Supremes' "Stop! In the Name of Love" starts running through my head.