Rather spontaneously, we decided to visit our sailing friends Jim and Rosie of SY Avalon in Barcelona for a week during the Easter holidays.  We had a fantastic time with them and are amazed at their level of fitness as we were walking the city for miles on end! So much so that Erwin's planned outing to a night club with Jim never came to fruition!

Here are some of our impressions:

  

This is SY Avalon, the boat in which Jim & Rosie circumnavigated the world for 8 years and which was now berthed in the centre of Barcelona with everything in walking distance.

 

 

 





 

 

 

Our hosts Rosie and Jim, here inside Avalon, picked us up from the bus station and had the first surprise for us:

We were not to stay with them on Avalon but they had actually arranged for us to stay on another boat. It was just a couple of berths away from Avalon and is called Sparrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is Sparrow, which belongs to an American family who decided to rent an apartment for a while.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Breakfast on Sparrow

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Going up Montjuic in a Gondola. Montjuic is a hill that features a large number of sights and attractions, most of them originating from two major events that took place here: the 1929 International Exhibition and the 1992 Olympics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

At  Montjuic Castle








 

 

Alexander and I went to see Casa Batllo, one of the famous houses designed by Antonio Gaudi.


Listening to the audio tape....

















On that day, we also visited La Sagrada Familia, which is probably the most famous building designed by Antonio Gaudi. Construction of the Cathedral started in 1882 and it is expected to take another 30 - 80 years until the building is finished depending on the money coming in as it is entirely financed by donations. Very impressive and very different to other Cathedrals.

Alexander wants to go back in 30 years, in 2038, to see how they have progressed with the construction.










 

The cultural highlight for Alexander was, of course, Camp Nou. It is the home ground of Barcelona FC or more lovingly called Barca and also has a Museum about the Club.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While Erwin and Alexander did the football stadium, Rosie and I went shopping. Then we all met at a Restaurant to enjoy a "Menu del dia".

This is a fantastic lunch offer (if you know where to go - which we did as Jim & Rosie had found the best places) for an affordable 10 Euros or so and  includes a three-course-meal, 1/4 litre of wine and a basket of bread.

 

 

 

 Because this is such good value, we actually had a menu del dia almost every day and loved it.  

 

The Picasso Museum in Barcelona is in the heart of the old city on the Carrer Moncada and since its recent expansion now sprawls over a row of five Gothic palaces once - in late medieval times - home to Barcelona's aristocrats. It shows works of Picasso from his childhood throughout his life which gave a fascinating insight into the development of Picasso's thinking. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Saturday we walked the Las Ramblas together with many other people and enjoyed  all the different street entertainment: 

Los Gigantes

The Giants parade is a very popular event for the whole family. Huge giants with effigies of kings, queens and nobles march through the streets of Barcelona. These huge figures tower above the crowds and spin around and around so the crowds can see them in all their glory. The Parade is often accompanied by small percussion groups that beat out a rhythm on drums as the Giants go by.

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This view is from the gondola that goes from Barceloneta across the harbour to Montjuic. Avalon and Sparrow are one of the many sailing boats that one can see in the top left side of the picture.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Montjuïc is also home to the Anella Olímpica (Olympic Ring) which consists of a number of sports facilities built for the 1992 Olympics. At the center of the ring is the Olympic Stadium. Its exterior dates from 1929 but the interior of the stadium was completely rebuilt for the Olympics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Palau Nacional or National Palace is the central pavilion of the International Exhibition which nowadays hosts the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

At the center of a plaza in front of the Palau Nacional is the Font Màgica or Magic Fountain, also built in 1929. From here, you have a great view of the palace, especially at night when both the building and the fountain are illuminated and a light, music and water extravaganza is created.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Casa Milà, commonly known as La Pedrera is the largest civil building designed by Antoni Gaudi. The apartment block was constructed between 1906 and 1910. It was Gaudi's last work before devoting himself to the construction of the Sagrada Familia.









Planning another day....



with gigantic strawberries...








 

On our last day we went up by a funicular railway to mountain Tibidabo, which is the highest point of the city. At 512 meters it is the tallest mountain in the Sierra de Collserola. Rising sharply to the north-west, it affords spectacular views over the city and the surrounding coastline. 

There is an amusement park, a telecommunications tower and a catholic church, the Temple de Sagrat Cor, which Doris climbed all the way to the top.

The Amusement park is the oldest in Barcelona and retains most of the original rides, some of which date to the turn of the 20th century. Unfortunately for Alexander, because it was during the week, only a few rather uninteresting rides were operating.


 

 

 

 

There are spectacular views: 

 

If you look carefully in the back, you can see the snowcapped Pyrenees.






















The End