Okay, the word “gaudy” has only a coincidental relationship with Gaudí, but it’s a catchy blog title, and we spent the day in Barcelona exploring his works and a few other Barcelona landmarks.
It was an easy train trip on the R2 line from Sitges to Barcelona, and we decided that we prefer staying outside the major cities and will look for similar “trainable” stops from now on so we can avoid the stress and expense of the overly touristic city centers.
There is a big fútbol match today between Barcelona and Madrid, so the city had its share of fans wearing their team logos and breaking out into slightly inebriated fight songs on the streets, and the police had a huge presence, chasing away unauthorized sports memorabilia sellers on the sidewalks and patrolling the touristy areas.
We searched every corner of the Bocaria market for a food stall called El Quim that I heard was one of the best places to eat in Barcelona, but we couldn’t find it, so we settled on some croquetas and veggie wraps, which were actually quite good. We then had a great time people watching at a cafe on the Rambla, checked out the waterfront and cathedral and headed to La Sagrada Familia.
I wasn’t really prepared for this. I was expecting another touristy basilica, but maybe a bit more modern. I was really blown away with genuine awe when I stepped inside. I wonder if this is how people must have felt when visiting older basilicas when they were first built hundreds of years ago. I’m very glad we visited, though the audio guide wasn’t really necessary.
We then hopped on the train back to Sitges and picked up a baguette and made some homemade bocadillos, and are taking a power nap before maybe checking out a piano bar in town.
An update on our travel plans: since we spent more time than expected in Spain, we no longer have a lot of time left on our visa to visit Greece, so we are now thinking to adjust our route to move Greece (and maybe Turkey) to the fall, when the weather will be cooler, the tourists will be fewer, and our visas renewed. I haven’t figured out the exact plan yet, but it will give us more time to explore more of the Eastern European countries that aren’t in the Schengen visa zone, and possibly add Serbia and Ukraine to our country list.
Beautiful! Thanks for sharing. They would definitely be an awww moment for me
La Sagrada Familia is amazing! Doug & I were blown away by it when we visited 15 years ago. And your pictures are incredible, showing how much further the development has progressed since then. Thanks for sharing!
Gaudi has always been a fave. There is a gaudi-esque house in Beverly Hills. It is terrific as well. Major influence. Love all the blogs.
I have been so impressed by the interior pics of the basilica ….it left me speechless. I shared one of them on Facebook and I apologize for doing so w/o permission. I know I should have asked first. I was conflicted about it afterwards. Your writing and pictures always leave me wanting more. My wife Betty was in Spain and surrounding countries for 3 months in 1967. Her memories are revived when she reads your blog and sees the pictures. Her eyesight is severely diminished due to Macular and cataracts but she is able to make out much of the pictures when I enlarge them on my screen vs her Ipad. The gentleness of both your spirits comes thru in every blog and we love the sweet smiles of the two of you. Such a wonderful trip you are on. Cheers.
No problem sharing my photos, I appreciate anyone who shares them to please credit our blog, and I’m glad you are enjoying our posts and photos! Hope you can make it to Barcelona sometime to see the city
Thank you Joe. I’m glad you and Betty are enjoying the journey through our eyes and Tim’s writing. Our time in Spain will come to an end on Sunday as we pedal into France.