Saturday, May 7, 2011

Travelling Barcelona

First up I should say I knew absolutely nothing about Barcelona before this trip except the Olympic Games connection. We stayed for three days, and I'll show you all we got up to in two posts.

We stayed in the Montjuic neighbourhood of the city, and we really liked it. Not flashy or touristy, but close to the Metro and plenty of holiday apartments perfect for those with families (we like to have a kitchenette).

We arrived, got settled and immediately hit the streets - the Montjuic Fountain was only operating this one night of our visit and we didn't want to miss it. Boy am I glad we didn't, it was fantastic.

This was the view as we approached:

Magic1

The fountain is located on Queen Maria Cristina Avenue and that gorgeous building behind it is the National Art Museum of Catalonia.

Looking back along Maria Cristina you can see the fountain theme extended.

Magic2

I had no idea the fountain was so big - you can see some folks standing around the edges to get an idea of size.

Magic3

It was designed and built for the 1929 International Exposition and was a very ambitious project for the time.

Magic6

The water jets and coloured lights are coordinated to music and it's all very well done (the music was added in the 1980s). We particularly enjoyed Freddie Mercury's rousing 'Barcelona' (which he recorded with opera singer Montserrat Caballé for the '92 Barcelona Games) at the end of the session. Can't go wrong with Freddie.

Magic4

Twilight was well on the way by the time the final session finished, and we spent a bit more time wandering the grounds before getting the kids home to bed.

Magic8
Magic9
Full moon on the left there. 

The next morning we had our first failed attempt to get into the Sagrada Familia Cathedral. Silly me, who's Catholic and should've known better, forgot it was Palm Sunday thus the main part of the church (the impressive part) was closed for mass.

That afternoon we headed out to the recently opened Museum Blau, the new digs for Barcelona's Museum of Natural Science.

Blau1
Cool mirror tiles on Museum's exterior

The Museum was only partially open but there was plenty to look at including a pretty cool rock collection (lots of pretty crystals) and hundreds of animals (all stuffed and mounted and staring at you with their beady little glass eyes).  And bonus: because it was only partially open, entry was free (and will be 'til 30 Jun 2011).

Blau2

Although our kids enjoyed it I think it's better suited to children aged 8 and above.

Dinner that night was in a square we found off the famous tourist stretch of Las Ramblas (also famous for its pick-pockets).

Blau3

As it grew darker hawkers, musicians and various performers came out and tried to impress those dining around the square's perimeter. The police came twice and they would slink away, only to reappear 10 minutes after the coppers' departure. Some were good fun, some were annoying, but by the end of the meal we had hawker fatigue and stopped giving out coins after the third pass-around of the hat.

Blau4

Some travelling tips:

You can find the session timings for the Magic Fountain here.
The Museum Blau's website is here.
The Barcelona Metro was great. Very clear and easy to follow.
A word on safety in Barcelona: it is rife with pick-pockets and other 'scammers' - make sure you take appropriate precautions. I found this link useful.

Back soon with more on Barcelona (and that amazing Cathedral ceiling some of you asked about in the last post).

Have a great weekend!

9 comments:

Christine said...

cool photos and descriptions! I had a Queen song already rolling in my head when you made the Freddy mention. 2 funny....

Melissa said...

That fountain looks awesome! Great pictures & nicely narrated! Living in Europe, you must have a million pictures. I imagine there are so many beautiful things to capture everywhere you look. Thanks for sharing.

Susan said...

Kirsty, you take fabulous photos! We will be in Barcelona in a couple of months and these two place will need to go on my list! How did I miss that fountain last time! Wonderful!

Unknown said...

As always your photos are stunning.

michelle said...

i can't decide whether i like your travel posts, your craft posts, your family posts or your food posts better. they are all brilliant. gorgeous photography as usual. greta post. thanks

Marg said...

I agree with Michelle, your posts are always great.
I love to hear about your days and what you have been doing. OK that sounds kind of creepy, I'm not a stalker.
Great photos and thanks for the travelling tips too.

blandina said...

I am happy to get an account of your trip. Barcelona looks amazing, I have been there so many years ago. I also went to the Sagrada Familia, but did not notice the ceiling!I was 17 at the time, so maybe I am justified.
I like the geometrics in first photo, how the whites go from right to left and the reds from left to right.

Dianne said...

Wow! Barcelona is just beautiful and so are your photos Kristy - I love the twilight shots they are magical.

Maaike said...

You and your new lens are a great couple Kirsty! Amazing how pretty and good your pictures are, they look like postcards!
Have a lovely weekend,
Maaike

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