We were taking Don and Jennifer to the Cathedral, followed by a walk down La Ramblas. Having done both twice already this trip, I decided to go sans camera and just play tour guide.
It's funny, third time through the Cathedral (to be clear, this is the old Cathedral in the old city, NOT Sagrada Familia) and Carol and I are still noticing new things about it. Don and Jennifer enjoyed it. Carol and I spent more time at each chapel.
We then headed up to Cortes de Ingles. It's the big department store in Spain, sort of a cross between Target and Nordstrom's, except they sell wine and beer as well. Torie first introduced us to it Cordoba last year (she had gone several times in Sevilla). We took Don and Jennifer up to the cafeteria for a rest after the Cathedral and before Las Ramblas.
Don met chocolate churros for the first time. They also enjoyed the vantage point of the city views. It's hard to think of a city with as many panoramic views available from relatively easy to get to places. Think about it -- Park Guell, Yves' house, the rooftop bar at The Majestic Hotel, Montjuic, Cortes de Ingles, the Castle, Palau Guell rooftop, Casa Battlo rooftop, La Pedrera rooftop, just to name a few we have been to already. There's even more, of course, including the various church towers.
After showing them around Placa Catalunya, we started our ramble down the Las Ramblas. There is something quite different about Las Ramblas than expected. Guidebooks bemoan the transformation of Las Ramblas from a street of local shops selling flowers and pets (among other sections) to a street of souvenir shops, tapas bars, pickpockets, street shows, beggars, and throngs of tourists. Even with the earned cynicism toward Las Ramblas, there is something fun about it.
No, it's not my favorite place in Barcelona. Not even close to the top of the list. But if you are well-versed in what to see on the street, and just off of it, it is quite an interesting place to stroll. There's multiple fountains, a Roman necropolis, the astonishing market, an old Church, the Chinese lantern, a Gaudi house, and, of course, waiting at the bottom, Christopher Columbus. The people watching is fun, and if you take the right precautions, you will be safe from pickpockets.
With that perspective on the place, and a few good places to stop. I enjoy Las Ramblas. It's not the best thing to do in Barcelona, but if you have the time, it can be quite enjoyable.
We stopped at La Boqueria market for a walkabout. We had been here once before with Don and Jennifer (and Yves). We could not find a table/stools at the different restaurants (it was a long-shot on a Saturday), and they wanted to sit down. So, we did not graze. Instead, we stopped in a restaurant just across the alley and had a good tapas lunch.
We did take the Palau Guell tour again for the third time, as Don and Jennifer have become quite the Gaudi fans. Think of Dr. Seuss's creations come to life. That's the genius of Gaudi. Of his seven UNESCO World Heritage sites, we've been to six. Carol and I did not use the audio guides this time. Instead we wandered from room to room, taking selfies, discovering carvings and art we had not noticed in our prior devotion to the audio guides.
(Audio guides are definitely worth it if you want to learn quite a bit about a place, but they tend to make me focus on what they are talking about, rather than the whole room.)
We did take a number of selfies that we would not have if we were using the audio guides. So those are below.
And of course, we were once again blown away by a Gaudi rooftop.
So, with a Gaudi-esque whimsy, here's some selfies from Palau Guell:
Exquisitely carved duck selfie.
On the back patio.
A non-selfie selfie.
Selfie in the Room of Visitors
Two couple selfie, Visitors Room
Selfie in the Central Hall
Selfie with fireplace art.
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