Ok - we again hit the jackpot with our accommodation. Centrally located and a 2 bedroom apartment - with separate lounge and kitchen and balcony - really quiet. Could have accommodated a few more people and had a party ! Not more than 10 minutes walk to all the main areas and the beach and 2 blocks from the closest Metro. A good address to remember.
Final analysis - Barcelona is definitely the top city in Europe for us ...of the ones we have been lucky enough to visit. A great combination of old and new, big boulevards, amazing architecture, quirky art and people, lots of parks, cycle tracks and exercise areas and great beaches and waterfront ! Plus masses of entertainment, huge selection of restaurants and wonderful coffee culture. Awesome ! What did surprise us, are the huge number of beggars and also the huge focus of the locals on security - although we did not experience or see anything. We loved the fact, that bicycles, skateboards and rollerblades rule in this city and there are special lanes on the roads for them and they are allowed in the parks and squares and on sidewalks.
The quirky modernista architecture of Gaudi and his contemporaries definately lends this city a special flair. It is just so different and over the top, that one can look at it over and over again. His unfinished masterpiece the basilica Sagrada Familia (Sacred Family) is quite overwhelming. It offers magnificent views during the day and under the spotlights at night. Unfortunately the queues to visit it were around the block, so we li ited ourselves to the outside views.
There is also a large variety of modern architecture which is really different and amazing ! One is not overwhelmed by ugly buildings ...but the eye is drawn to so many original and well designed structures. The whole waterfront and beach-side residential areas are a remnant of the Olympic Games of 92, which seems to have been very well planned to add great value to the city and its inhabitants.
We hired bicycles and tried out the bike routes - great fun, especially .along the beach front. Deciding to do the Guell Park - another Gaudi masterpiece - was a bit challenging though - as it lies against one of the steepest hills in the city and is jam- packed with tourists ( of which there is no shortage in this city - especially of the Russian variety). We felt like our day of cycling in San Francisco - finding the steepest hills to ride up and down. Great fun cycling in a bike friendly city though - although all the lanes and traffic lights and signals also takes a bit of getting used to.
One of the highlights was the water and light display of the fountains at Montjuic - really huge ! This is an area that was developed for the Expo of 1929 and then upgraded for the 1992 Olympic Games. Absolutely sensational. The fact that the Gay Pride Festival was taking place at the foot of the waterfountains made the scene even more colourful - on so many different levels.
A lot of thought has gone into the town planning of this city - over the last 200 years already. The foresight of the townplanners of so long ago can only be marvelled at. This is what makes Barcelona such a livable city now - which even in the centre of town has a feeling of spaciousness.
We have found that the biggest entertainment in Barcelona is just to find a bench (of which there are also many) and watch the people. Initially we were rather surprised to see so many gay couples - both male and female - but after landing in the middle of the Gay Pride festival which is taking place over 4 days this weekend - well, that explained a lot !!
A day on the beach was also in order to give Clint an opportunity to admire the Spanish beauties and for me to appreciate the many great bodies on show. Must say - definately a feast for the eyes - if you manage to look past all the rather large, out of shape, white beached whale look alikes from the island across the channel and northern Europe ( of which there are also more than enough!).
We didn't visit too many of the older buildings - except the cathedral and the Basilica of Pi - which are both beautiful gothic structures in the old gothic quarter of the city. Here we again enjoyed the many narrow lanes and the feel of the city during the middle ages.
Again - only touched the surface and feel that we definately need to come back here some time. And the shopping here is just amazing ...and that coming from me ...the last of the great shoppers !!! Managed to assist the Spanish economy a bit by making several stops on the Rambla.
Well - here we are at the end of our time in Spain. Amazing country ...still so much to discover here. We have had only positive experiences - everyone has been extremely helpful, have always been willing to assist (usually without even being asked - just seeing the confusion on our end !) even with minimal english and our minimal spanish ! And that whilst being flooded with masses of tourists ! It will take us a while to get out of Spanish time ...going to bed at 02h00 and only getting up at about 10h00 - dinner not before 21h30 ...easy life to get used to. Shops seem to be open until all hours of the night, but don't try to do anything between 14h00 and 17h00 - that is siesta time !
And now off to some relaxing family time to recover from all this hard-core sightseeing !!
Adios Espanya !