Barcelona, Spain - Part 1

Since I was a little child I liked to read books and picture myself in places around the world. Different cultures and new places always fascinated me.. I liked to read about ppl who travelled to Morocco, Casablanca, India, Egypt, Africa, Europe or made road trips in the US.. Going to all of these places has been a life dream..
The other day a friend of mine told me about her upcoming trip to Barcelona, Spain. Made me remember my first trip abroad..
Barcelona t'estimo..Means "Barcelona, I love you" and whoever visits feels the urge to shout it.
My sweetest, most enjoyable travel adventure.
Land of Gaudi, Miro, Picasso, Dali. A city-jewel waiting to be discovered and adored..
I visited Barca for 4 days..very few for so many things to see. It was mid-October. The weather perfect for enjoying my trip.
Arrival at El Prat airport at almost 10 am. Great minimalistic decoration and very friendly employees.
I was staying at America hotel. Beautiful, spacious, clean rooms, in the centre of Barcelona, just a few minutes walk to Psg.De Gracia, the fashion shopping area. ;-) The cutest, friendliest guy at the reception, a pool on the roof top and a breakfast to die for!! lol

With a city map in hand and a lot of happy mood, I started my exploration in the streets of Barcelona. Destination: Placa Catalunya and the famous La Rambla, with 1.5 km length leading to the Port, where lies the 75 m statue of Christopher Columbus, showing..what else?? America.. Take the elevator and go up. The view is amazing.

Walking the Rambla you can see joglers, flamenco dancers, ppl who sell birds, bunnies, hamsters, flowers, souvenirs and just feel the noise of the city..cause the Rambla never sleeps.

Don't miss visiting the La Boqueria, a paradise to ur senses!!

Big public market, where u can find all kinds of fruit and vegetables and of course Jamon Cerrano!! (Hope I wrote that right..lol It's a kind of smoked ham, served raw in thin slices..sth like italian prosciutto) In the market, there is a little place that serves baby squids with garlic and basel...OMG...it's just a sin to ur mouth..I just don't remember the name of the place. Will check my notes and keep u posted.
In the side of La Rambla there is the gothic neighborhood, Barri Gotic, the oldest place of the city.

Small streets like labyrinths will travel u to the Middle Ages. You will see impressive buildings like the Parliament and the Cathedral. Coffee shops, restaurants, tapas bars and lots of socializing with ppl from all around the globe.
Next stop: La Sagrada Familia.

The Temple of the Holy Family is one of the largest and most impressive in the world, almost reaching perfection. An extraordinary project of Gaudi, who dedicated 16 yrs of his life to accomplish it. You can also take the elevator and go up the towers so that u can admire the view from above. It was too crowded when I visited, so skipped that part. :-/
Next: Casa Batlo, in Psg.De Gracia. Restored by Gaudi in 1905 consists one of the most representative samples of modernish in the city. Behaind its facade lies an architectural treasure...

To be continued....

xoxo
B.