A weekend away – Barcelona!

There are times when I wonder… what to do next month, week, or… weekend? And ideas come along. This trip was planned well in advance though. I simply thought that weather would be miserable in UK in January, so a nice hideaway in Spain would be a solution. How wrong did it all go! I left a beautiful weather in Liverpool to be greeted by Rain and Wind in Barcelona. But no regrets! The capital of Catalonia is amazing no matter the weather. And I hope to prove it to you, dear reader! 🙂

I took a half day off on Friday only to rush out to the airport to catch the plane. I caught a delay instead… but better this than a cancellation!

Enjoy!

I left work earlier and rushed home to get my backpack and got on the bus. I was quite late but apparently I was the only one in rush!

I managed to get to the airport just in time. About 45 minutes before the gates were to get closed.

The weather was brilliant! Although I did not have to rush as there was a delay. 1h behind the scedule. Not a tragedy.

Ryanair plane landed, parked, people were rushed out and we were rushed in. Quite literally as we had to catch a landing slot in Barcelona.

Barcelona Metro system, I have to say it’s very simple and traveller-friendly. I had no trouble finding my way around. Although the metro reaches the airport, the T10 ticket (which I recommend – it allows you to travel 10 times on trams / metro / busses and costs 10 EUROs) does not work on that one, which I find very silly. Either way there is a bus stop outside TERMINAL 2 that would take you directly to Placa de Espana. Thats Bus nr 46.

I got to the hostel late in the evening. These look like massive doors but look closer. There is a tiny door on the left. Getting through the door when I arrived in the evening was painful. I stumbled and hit my head. Twice the fail!

I have to admit that I slept at different hostels, but not a single one was quite like this one. Right when I entered (the entrance door was so small that I hit my head…) I was greeted and grabbed to be shown what to do in Barcelona. Right when the guy finished, I was invited for a free Spanish dinner made by staff for the guests. It was a fun evening (mind you I checked in at 10pm…) The breakfast a day after was solid too – as you can see. Plenty of carbs 🙂

Once I ate the energy-packed breakfast I rushed out to start exploring the city. This is the first building I stumbled upon and man I loved it! Casa Batillo. It’s a beautiful bulding with amazing details. I thought that Gaudi’s work is kitchy but I was wrong. So wrong!

Just look at the details of this Casa. It does give a bit of an Alien-movie feeling, but it’s not overdone. Well done Gaudi!

Few steps away there is another Casa – I think this one is even more famous. Casa Mila. It’s not as colourful as the other one, but it’s more curved and somehow raw and elegant.

Close look at some details

I absolutely adore the details. But there is a very thin line between good taste and overdoing into a kitchy style. You be the judge.

That’s an alternative way to see the city! It looked riddiculous! So funny!

Something is being build here. Do you recognize it?

Taking a good picture without the cranes is close to impossible. So we will have to wait for few more years until the basilica is completed.

On of the side entrances from the bottom.

I first thought that this scupture of Jesus was unfinished. But it’s just a symbolic face of God.

Holy Family

CLose look at the details. This side shows the birth if Jesus. So many details that it is somehow little disturbing yet beautiful. Maybe because it’s not colorful.

Inside! Everything here is different. Even the altar is different. Gaudi’s immagination…

I could stare at the ceiling for hours. So much space and it’s not overwhelming at all! Very bright as well.

Close look at columns and lamps.

1st look at the inside of the Basilica and my breath was taken away. How the light played inside was unreal. White (creamy) collumns and walls and colorful stained glass windows.

Turn around the red side and you see a blue side. I was truly amazed.

Very symbolic.

Light!

It was difficult to catch the whole ceiling properly and I had a quite wide lens (16mm).

Above one of the side entrances.

Stained window details – on the otehr side.

stained window details.

This simply made my day! It’s not difficult to guess what country that lady was from 🙂

There is a rather deep and spacious crypt underneath the church. That’s also the place where Gaudi was burried in 1926. He was hit by a tram inn Barcelona and died 3 days after. Crowds and crowds waved him goodbye at his last journey to his greatest heritage.