Turn
around day in Barcelona no sail in photos this morning. Holland America
arranged for a shuttle bus for Intransit passengers…outside the terminal we
boarded the Intransit bus and then we were asked to get off the bus as the
driver was assigned somewhere else…we waited for a while and no sign of a
replacement bus, so we hired a taxi to take us to La Sagrada Familia (Basilica
of the Holy Family). This taxi ride lasted until outside the port where he
dropped us at a taxi stand and we had to hire a second cab to take us to the Basilica.
We started our walkabout in Barcelona at La Sagrada Familia. Up close, Gaudi's
grand Gothic masterpiece is truly awe-inspiring. The colossal basilica appears
to emerge from the ground, reaching ever higher as far as the eye can see. When
its spires are finished it will be the tallest church building in the world,
and hardly resembles any religious structure you’ll have seen in your life.
Antonio Gaudi is evident everywhere you turn in this city. Leaving the basilica
we headed towards Gracia Avenue…Hugging the corner of Gràcia Avenue ("Passeig
de Grácia"), the curvy Casa Milà is yet another creation by Antoni Gaudí.
Known as Barcelona's most fashionable boulevard Gracie is home to many high-end
prestigious designer stores. Delightful for strollers, this avenue has
beautiful wrought-iron street lamps and one can also notice the greenish-gray
pavement tiles designed by Antoni Gaudi, depicting abstract sea creatures which
add a great deal of uniqueness to the area. The avenue is lined with beautiful
buildings and one we admired was Casa Batilo. This icon was the idea of textile
industrialist Josep Batlló commissioned Gaudí to design this home after seeing
what Gaudí had done with Park Guell. Influenced by nature, Casa Batlló has no
straight lines (because they don’t exist in nature, said Gaudí). Next, we made
our way to Plaça de Catalunya. This is the best meeting point in the city. It’s
right at the bottom of the posh Passeig de Gràcia and at the top of Las Ramblas
and offers some great views. We stopped at the Apple Store on the Square and
did some updates on our phones…we never miss a chance to visit an Apple Store. Sadly,
I couldn’t come up with something I desperately needed… It houses some of the
city’s most iconic attractions, spanning a mile in length. When wandering down
this iconic boulevard, you’ll pass numerous street performers, all out to
impress with their unique costumes. Barcelona’s most famous street—a nearly one-mile
pedestrianized boulevard from Plaça Cataluyna to Port Vell—is still the
strolling route for the city's visitors and there were thousands of visitors
today. We made a stop at the iconic and very crowded La Boqueria Market,
Barcelona’s key market. It provides a wide variety of fresh fruit,
vegetables, fish and meats and has many places to grab a bite to eat. Next,
we did a self-guided tour of Palau Guell…The palace is just off the bustling La
Rambla, Antoni Gaudi's inaugural masterpiece in Barcelona swiftly propelled him
to international acclaim for his remarkable and innovative architecture.
Constructed in 1889 for the magnate Eusebi Güell, who became Gaudi's lifelong
patron, the building stands out for its unconventional approach of showcasing
iron supports as decorative elements, with intricately shaped and twisted
columns, arches, and ceilings that would come to define Gaudi's future
creations, culminating in a whimsical array of tiled chimneys on the roof
terrace. We ended our tour at the Columbus Monument. This moment stands at the
base of La Rambla, symbolizing the Catalans' recognition of Christopher
Columbus. It was very busy in Barcelona and seems to get even busier every time
we visit…plus there were five ships in port today! I decided to go out when we sailed away for a
few more photos… never enough! Tomorrow, Villefranche-sur-Mer, France...
