The day before, I was disappointed to find that the beautiful old Sant Antoni Market building was closed for renovations. But the merchants have set up in a temporary location nearby and we enjoy a hearty breakfast of crusty breakfast baguettes with asparagus, cheese, onions and eggplant, with delicious coffee. This is the heart of a busy neighbourhood with few tourists and very little English spoken. It’s a great spot for people watching.
But we still have a city to explore - so we take a rambling route with a detour past the Mercat Santa Caterina with its colourful roof, to hop back onto the bus. The tour takes us to the beach where we take a bit of time before heading north. The waterfront is a model restoration project. It’s bustling with people strolling, beaching, eating and generally having fun. The stunning Golden Fish by Frank O Gehry that dominates the view, is one of the many public art pieces that are a legacy of the 1992 Olympics.
Our next stop is at the Basilica of Sagrada Familia; Gaudi’s stunning unfinished landmark. Its towering spires are jaw-droppingly awesome; as is the crowd of people lining up around the block to get inside. We both agree to skip the inside and just enjoy the sculpted detail of the exterior. It’s fascinating to watch the workmen and the tall cranes, still toiling to complete the masterpiece, envisioned by Gaudi and continued by a private foundation with a goal of completion in 2026, the centennial of Gaudi’s death. (He was run over by a tram, as we are told many times in our travels.)
The bus drops as at the bottom of the Parc Guell which is situated at a lofty elevation above the city. By chance we bump into Will Shank, who was one of the organizers of the Conference in Valencia. he points us to a shop where, before starting the climb to the park, we we stock up on sandwiches and drinks for a picnic lunch. In a shady spot we eat our lunch and are entertained by a group of buskers playing ska music with energy and humour. Another Gaudi legacy, Parc Guell was designed to be a housing development, but only a handful of houses were built before it became a public space, much enjoyed by locals and tourists alike. Its a very unusual park, from its entrance with the mosaic dragon to the hyperstyle columns and vast open court, colourful ceramic benches and support pillars that look like fossilized tree trunks to windy paths and shady corners. There is a sweeping view of Barcelona laid out before us from up here.
Afterwards, a slow meander through narrow streets, parks and courtyards, past the University gets us back to the hotel. And then a quick ride on the metro to IMT Bikes for the start of our next adventure.
Our next stop is at the Basilica of Sagrada Familia; Gaudi’s stunning unfinished landmark. Its towering spires are jaw-droppingly awesome; as is the crowd of people lining up around the block to get inside. We both agree to skip the inside and just enjoy the sculpted detail of the exterior. It’s fascinating to watch the workmen and the tall cranes, still toiling to complete the masterpiece, envisioned by Gaudi and continued by a private foundation with a goal of completion in 2026, the centennial of Gaudi’s death. (He was run over by a tram, as we are told many times in our travels.)
The bus drops as at the bottom of the Parc Guell which is situated at a lofty elevation above the city. By chance we bump into Will Shank, who was one of the organizers of the Conference in Valencia. he points us to a shop where, before starting the climb to the park, we we stock up on sandwiches and drinks for a picnic lunch. In a shady spot we eat our lunch and are entertained by a group of buskers playing ska music with energy and humour. Another Gaudi legacy, Parc Guell was designed to be a housing development, but only a handful of houses were built before it became a public space, much enjoyed by locals and tourists alike. Its a very unusual park, from its entrance with the mosaic dragon to the hyperstyle columns and vast open court, colourful ceramic benches and support pillars that look like fossilized tree trunks to windy paths and shady corners. There is a sweeping view of Barcelona laid out before us from up here.
Afterwards, a slow meander through narrow streets, parks and courtyards, past the University gets us back to the hotel. And then a quick ride on the metro to IMT Bikes for the start of our next adventure.
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