Many of Barcelona's top tourist attractions are buildings created by Gaudi, a famous architect in Barcelona, a bit over 100 years ago. His work is inspired very much by nature, both in form and in structure, and was way ahead of its time.
We started by visiting Gaudi’s Crypt, some way out of the city. We had to catch three different trains to get there. Being a Sunday, and us being new to the Barcelona train system, we made some poor choices and ended up spending an hour more travelling than needed. Along the way we encountered a station very deep underground, which had seven tall escalators zigzagging back and forth to take us up to the top.
Once we arrived at our intended destination, we had to walk up a short hill. Gaudi’s Crypt is a small church created by Gaudi but is not where he is buried. It is set on a hillside overlooking Barcelona, with many parks and walkways surrounding. A very interesting church in Guadi's unique style of which we expect to see more of on our tours.
When we arrived, it was late on a Sunday morning and we learned this is an active church. Also in Catalonia we learned they have a tradition the week before Easter and here we saw it in progress. People all carry decorative sticks, and bash them on the ground until the stick breaks while chanting together. It was very interesting to sit and watch, very peaceful in the morning sun, but it did mean we didn’t go inside the church.
After this we returned back to the railway station and on the way I noticed a sort of castle on the hillside. We saw an old gate, covered in graffiti. Could this lead to the castle? I walked through the bush for only a couple of minutes, which was littered with all sorts of filth, and did come across the castle. The bottom isn’t well kept, but the top which is visible from afar looks much nicer.
We caught the train back into the city and aimed to go on a boat ride. We had to walk through big crowds, with many dodgey people around we had to hold on tight to our belongings.
There are many people selling cheap goods which are laid out on the ground. We understand this is illegal but this is not a deterrent. The goods are laid out on a white sheet with a draw string around it. The first sign of police, the vendors pull the string, put the bag of goods over their shoulder, and run!
Eventually we found our boat. Here we had a 90 minute ride out along the coast, seeing all the beaches and admiring the city of Barcelona with the hills behind. It was a beautiful day out on the water and a chance to soak up some Mediterranean sun. The last past of the tour went into the wharf area where many cruise chips and oil tankers were berthed. We also saw many super-yachts being constructed, in dry docks and some covered in scaffolding.
Once we returned to shore, it was lunchtime. There was a nearby shopping centre on the waterfront, a very stylish building, so we decided to go there to find food.
Around 10000 other people apparently had the same idea. The options were mostly basic with Starbucks, Subway, McDonalds and some Spanish equivalents, so we want to McDonalds. It was extremely busy and while we found a nice table outside easily enough, it took about 15 minutes to get some food.
By now it was mid afternoon. We wandered back in the direction we had come from, finding the metro, on to our next attraction.
There is a Gaudi 4D experience, which I assumed would be very touristy and a waste of time, but for a laugh we decided to go have a look. This required a train ride, then a "15 minute walk" according to Google Maps. Actually it was 15 minutes walking slightly uphill, then 10 minutes walking up a steep hill to a visitors centre. Here we booked our tickets and had to wait about 10 minutes until the next show.
While waiting around, I noticed others booking tickets for a guided tour through Park Guell and decided to inquire. It turns out, tickets to the park are usually sold out way in advance. All the people turning up already had purchased online, and were just fronting up for actual tickets and a tour. I asked whether there were any spare tickets. I was told to check again soon, as they were near closing time and there may be a cancellation and a spare ticket for tomorrow.
We went and did our Gaudi 4D Experience, it's like a cinema where the seats move in all directions, and it sprays cold air on you, and you wear 3D glasses and also is in surround sound. So a bit like a roller-coaster ride. It was a bit of harmless fun, but we learned nothing about Gaudi or his architecture so left a little disappointed.
My disappointment turned to joy as a ticket opened up for the park guided tour in the morning. Helen opted for a sleep in, so I purchased one ticket and left in anticipation of an exciting morning ahead.
We caught a bus back into the city centre then a short 10 minute walk later we were in the hotel. By now it was getting late so we wandered around the block looking for dinner. We found a lovely little Italian restaurant, was busy and that's always a good sign. They were happy to fit us in and we enjoyed a most lovely meal with amazing pizza and other sides. A perfect way to end a full day.
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