You know you have arrived in Barcelona when from your room balcony you see the Montjuic Lighthouse.
The Montjuic Lighthouse (Far de Montjuic) is located part way up the Montjuic mountain which overlooks the harbour at Barcelona, Spain. This lighthouse, was built in 1925.
Sadly the lighthouse is now in semi operational mode due to some major remodeling done by the Port Authority of Barcelona which has created a political riff. Hence, it just sits there on top of the mountain.
But of course that is one of many sites to be seen in Barcelona.
We spent several days in Barcelona and as you can well guess I took numerous photos. To really appreciate a city and its people, I believe walking the streets by foot gives one tons of info. Therefore, our first goal was to walk around the areas close to our hotel and take in the sights.
Barcelona's main square and the city's epicenter is Plaça de Catalunya. This 12-acre (5-hectare) space is surrounded by imposing buildings, shopping centers and department stores and is decorated with statues of prominent Catalans.
"As well as serving as the most connected transit hub for Barcelona's metropolitan area, Catalonia Square is "the heart of the city" in a wider sense. Undoubtedly one of the busiest and vibrant locations, it acts as a starting point for Barcelona's main arteries, such as La Rambla, the Gràcia Boulevard, and the Angel's Gate ("Portal de l'Àngel"). It's also the connection point between the Old City and its gridded 19th-century extension known as Eixample, which is home to some of Europe's most exquisite architecture."
Leading off the square is LaS Ramblas, the most famous street in Barcelona.Las Ramblas is approximately .8 miles (1.2 kilometres) long with Port Vell (near the cruise port terminal) at the Southern most end and Plaça de Catalunya at the northern most end.Las Ramblas is primarily pedestrianized with only two narrow one-way traffic roads which run on either side of the central Ramblas Boulevard.
This street is packed with people,shops, flower stalls, restaurants, hotels cultural centers and street performers.
Royal Academy of Sciences and Arts
The Giants of Barcelona, when not out celebrating, reside at La Casa dels Entremesos an 18th century mansion. The origins of the gegants (giants) go all the way back to the Catholic Church’s efforts to spread the Bible stories with an illiterate public in the Middle Ages. This gave rise to theatrical representations and feast-days and incorporated dragons (representing evil), lions, eagles, and oxen.The Giants are approximately 13 feet tall and are made of papier-mache.
Every year in September Barcelona celebrates its birthday with a unique fiesta: Fiesta de la Merce. A mashup of crazy street celebrations lasting four days filled with singing, dancing, human towers and playing with fire. And of course: the Giants parade.
Half way down Barcelona's most famous street,one finds oneself in front of a one-of-a-kind museum which delves into the world of human sexuality and its representation in art, history, and culture. Presumambly there are 800 artifacts predominantly sourced from Rome and Greece residing within the walls of this museum. With the museum providing a comprehensive understanding of the rituals, religious beliefs, and leisurely aspects associated with eroticism.
Mind you, the line to get in was quite long for that reason, no X-rated photographs were taken.
'The House of Doctor Genové is a modernist building located at number 77 La Ramblas in Barcelona.
Commissioned by Dr. Genové, to dedicate the ground floor as a pharmacy and the floors as a laboratory, it was carried out by the architect Enric Sagnier in 1911, demonstrating great professionalism by achieving such a good result with the great narrowness of the façade. This one has a certain air of neo-gothicism. On the ground floor, the entrance to the pharmacy was made with a pointed arch whose keystone is a symbolic relief. What stands out most about the entire façade are the blue and gold mosaics made by Lluís Bru , which also frame another pointed arch on the third floor. The top of the building is made with an overhang decorated with the same type of ceramic."
Walking down La Rambla one is endlessly surprised with its array of eye candy. One of which is the Casa Bruno Cuadros, which used to be an umbrella shop of Barcelona in its time. Its style, similar to modernisme with its use of color and the delicate decorations.
"It was 1883 when the architect Josep Vilaseca undertook the refurbishment of the Casa Bruno Cuadros and the umbrella shop on the ground floor. It was just a few years before the 1888 Universal Exhibition and Barcelona was in the throes of expansion, with interesting buildings being built all over the city. The Catalan home-grown art-nouveau movement, modernisme, was gaining momentum and, with it, the taste for Oriental decorations. The Casa Bruno Cuadros of Barcelona, known by locals as the Casa dels Paraigües (House of Umbrellas) is an example."
The city of Barcelona is divided into 10 administrative districts and countless more neighbourhoods within its 39 square mile area. Each of these districts and neighborhoods have their own unique characterisitics.
The Ciutat Vella, literally ‘Old Town’ in Catalan, is the core of the city and comprises the ancient Barri Gotic (Gothic Quarter) as well as El Raval.
The Gothic quarter is an area teeming with alleyways and squares in the center of Barcelona, where the presence of palaces, houses and Gothic churches reveals the city's medieval past.
Cases dels Canonges
Plaça Reial "Royal Plaza" is a square in the Barri Gòtic district. The square is the site of the Hotel Roma Reial and is also known for its many outdoor venues. It is a popular meeting place during the summer, during the annual La Mercè festival in September when open-air concerts take place.
Palm trees in the middle of the square-only in Spain will you see palm trees in squares. 😉
Better known by his pen name Serafí Pitarra, Frederic Soler was a Catalan playwright who wrote over a hundred plays as well as several books of poetry. The white marble monument which was erected in his memory in 1906, stands directly opposite Barcelona’s oldest theatre, Teatre Principal.
Fortunately for us, when we were in Barcelona, the weather was perfect. But for those who were faced with the heat of summer, the Santa Mònica arts center offered itself as a climatic and cultural refuge for the neighborhood and people who use the center. An artistic installation by TAKK transformed the terrace of the center into a greener more comfortable space, and a refuge for birds and other species.
While walking down Las Ramblas it’s quite normal to see the head of a chef in a pizza, an angel, a man covered in scrap, a demoness from mythology, a moving skeleton on a bicycle, Galileo Galilei, or a man on a toilet, not to mention a levitating Satan, people coated in mud, a guy who has lost his head, a devil in the trunk, and the Grim Reaper.
The stretch being a touristic path is now Barcelona’s busking center as well. Human statues, who patiently transform themselves into mythical creatures or famous figures from history with the help of elaborate makeup and attire, spend hours frozen in place, or break the position to perform for and interact with the gathered crowds.
Las Ramblas is definitely an area in Barcelona that one has to experience at least once if not several times. There is so much to see and take in. This post covered only a small portion of what we experienced while walking the area and covered only half the length of the .8 miles of the street. As you already know....more to come.😊
Posts
Thanks for a great taste of Barca Camellia, somewhere I have managed to miss so far. Looks like there is an awful to see!
ReplyDeleteThanks Peter. It really is a magnificent city and one that has so much to offer.
Delete