Weekend in Barcelona!
Ola! Been a long time since my last post. Yes! Katie and I were in
Barcelona for a weekend for my cousin Suvexa's (I know spelling is wrong, you name is too long) birthday.
First time in Spain and I have to say it won’t be my last.
2
days in Barcelona:
Day 1, Barcelona beach: Port Olimpic
Barcelona is famed for its beach (Port Olimpic) so we had to start from there by parasailing and segway riding. The weather was nice since we hardly get any sun here in London; the beach was crowded with locals and holidaymakers from everywhere in the world. To be honest, it was how I imagined Miami to be like, from what I have seen on TV. So much was happening in one place; people roller blading, cycling, segway’ing, jogging etc. I have to say folks in Barcelona are hooked on fitness or maybe it's just because of the beach.
After lunch, we set up our nest in the beach and there I was ready to jump into the water. I was swimming like a pro, floating like a fish, moving forward bit by bit, pushing my body from this vast sea like Kevin Costner from Waterworld (well that’s how I felt then lol).
Good atmosphere with the scorching sun; time for sunbathing. I put on the suntan lotion and there I was working on my tan. But... just like in every holiday, something has to go wrong. I forgot to apply the lotion onto my face!!!!. My bloody face!! Yes, at the end of my trip, my facial skin was peeling off, dreadful but exciting experience. (Note: don’t forget to use sunscreen on your face.)
Font
magica de Montjuïc (Magic Fountain of Montjuïc)
One of the best water fountain shows incorporated with lights and music situated below the National Art Museum of Catalonia. It's a repeating half-hour long show starting from 9pm ending at 11pm. It's advisable to arrive early for a better location as this does attract quite a crowd.
Day 2, Barcelona City: Poble Espanyol
This has to be an architectural heaven as various kinds of buildings are located in one place. While exploring every nook and corner I could find of this compact village,
it felt like I was in different cities. Sometimes it looked like Venice, then
suddenly on a different corner it looked like Greece, and up the stairs we reached
Rome. It’s like every corner has a portal to a different world.
And of course, sipping ice cold Estrella on a boiling day was just too damn good.
View of City of Barcelona from Poble Espanyol
En route to Montjuïc Castle
City of Barcelona from a cable car to Montjuïc Castle
To be honest, I am not fond of dangling inside a metal container that relies on one cable. The first time I ever rode a cable car was in Hong Kong when I
was kid, which I barely can remember and this is my second or probably last
time. But I have to say I did enjoy the
scenery until 2 other people decided to barge into our cable car while
returning from the castle. Seriously, I have a tendency of being loud so it was a bit awkward and
quiet when they invaded our car. Overall, it was an exciting ride but needs getting used to by myself.
Montjuïc Castle
Park Güell
This park in Carmel hill is a must see sight, designed by Antoni Gaudi, and just to take this picture above, we paid €7 each. Apparently the whole park is free except for the monumental zone where most of the tourists are attracted. Due to lack of time, we could not see the whole park. After observing, I have realized that people only see the monumental zone but it is highly recommended to see entire park where the hidden gems of Carmel hill lie.
Sagrada Familia
This is one of the most iconic structures in Barcelona, also by Gaudi. The construction began in 1882 and is still under construction to this day.
Tibidabo
It was late Sunday evening (the last night) and we had been curious about Tibidabo Church in the city. So, we decided to visit this last place. We opened our map and measured the distance; seemed close enough. Took a taxi and off we went!
Much to our surprise, it took longer than we expected. As
we reached to the top of the street, it was getting dark and the chances of getting a taxi
back were starting to look slim. We were in a difficult predicament on whether to return or
carry on to the top. I could see how concerned
Katie was but we decided to push forward in the end.
As we got closer to the peak we saw the statue of Jesus with
the same posture as the one in Brazil. Few people were
still hanging around the area, which made us at ease. Quickly took all the
pictures we needed or at least gathered as evidence of us being there. I had
to use the ladies' bathroom since I could not find men’s (I have to say they are
lot cleaner then men’s).
Within 5 minutes we were rushing back to the bus stop/taxi
rank. We were speed walking and upon seeing a taxi just pulling in parking
from a few meters away, I sprinted forward. Finally, everyone had their breaths back, especially Katie.
Although rushed, it was an experience we will remember.
Torre de Collserola
This was a short but an amazing trip. I will return to Barcelona in future for a detailed visit. There are so many places we missed since we were in such a tight schedule but the places we covered were just as exceptional.
Lastly, Thank you Suvexa! For inviting me to celebrate your birthday again. Last year in Rome, this year in Barcelona, hopefully next year
we will celebrate your birthday in different part of the world. HAPPY BIRTHDAY
AGAIN!
Feels like flying at once there but hey here's sun. Good work bro.
ReplyDeleteyea.. finally getting some burning sun followed by lightning rain.. lol
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