First stop was heading up the hill to Monjuic, where there is a gorgeous castle. I love castles :) I wish I was a princess and lived in one. Apparently shaking Prince William's hand was not a done deal for becoming a princess and I will have to look up Prince Harry in the phone book when I get to London.
To get to the castle you need to take metro to Monjuic, then a tram ride part way up the hill, then pay 9.80 Euro to take a cable car (funicular) to the top of ther mountain (and back). You get some amazing views over the park on the way up and great views of the city and waterfront from the top.
The park on the way up (very brown comped to the green parks we are used to in NZ)
Entrance to the castle
The garden out the front
On the second level of the castle
A view of Sagrada Familia from the castle. Shows how HUGE it is and imagine how much bigger it will be 70m higher again once completed.
Overlooking Barcelona with the Catalunya flag in the background.
The courtyard with places to eat and buy souvineers
The beginning of the 'artistic' shots :)
The next stop was the Cathedral. We didn't go inside. Being Easter Sunday it was packed with people wanting to go into the church for the service. We didn't get to go in before we left either as it was only open at certain times and only for the church services. We took a walk around the old city, discovering musicians at many corners. Every street has hidden treasures and you can see some below.
(Speaking of Easter, I miss Easter Eggs!)
A view of the castle from behind part of the remaining wall
You can see how big it is compared to the people below. They were waiting to go in to a church service.
These people were dancing as part of the Easter celebrations. The band was on the steps in front of the cathedral.
We ventured through the streets of the old city snapping artistic photos where we could. Then we got a little lost looking for the Santa Maria del Mar, the Church of the Lady of the Sea. Got a nice view of other parts of the city though. Finally we found it and we're rewarded with some beautiful architecture and artworks. See for yourself
Sticking out from a building
Part of the roof in the courtyard beside the old palace
Tangelo trees growing in a courtyard by the palace.
I seem to have a collection of different light fittings from around Barcelona.
Photos of the Santa Maria del Mar
The large 10m diameter Rose window
From the outside
Outside we found the three donkeys of the Barcelona Football Club.
We even found Smurfette on the walk. All shop doors are graffitied but I guess some have taken some time and had it professionally done.
Next up was finding the Arc de Triomf. Most of the buildings in Barcelona are of a similar height so they block your view. So like most things in Barcelona, you aim for it, walk around a corner and HELLO there it is.. There were a lot of dogs and rollerblars out. Not to mention a game of Ludo being played by some old men and lots of couples.
We decided to call it a night and head home. Can't actually remember what I had for tea that night. Must have been tired...
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Location:Barcelona, Spain
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