Barcelona, here we come!

Last time I was in Barcelona was in 1962 when three of my sorority sisters joined me on a three-month college graduation trip of most of Europe.  Barcelona was an industrial port-town where we visited a friend.  What a difference 51 years make!  From what I hear, it was the 1992 Olympics that boosted the image, economy and lifestyle of Barcelona, now the busiest tourist town in Spain.

As was the custom of the Explorer, we pulled into port early morning and spotted numerous friends and family members of the students and staff with banners welcoming us to civilization--European civilization, that is.  It took most of us an hour or two to say goodbye to those we would probably not see again...though we will keep in touch, thanks to the internet.

We bid goodbye to our ship in the Barcelona harbor from the Miramar look out point.

Topy and I had made reservations for two nights at a botique hotel downtown and made plans to meet up and tour the city with a few friends.  "It never rains in Barcelona" is a joke repeated by hotel managers, tour guides, merchants and bus drivers as they remind us to take our umbrellas (it rained several times a day).  

Barcelona is a scenic port city of 1.2 million residents with great architecture, good transportation system, numerous museums, an opera house and tourist-friendly promenades, shaded by sycamore trees.  There are 400,000 scooters registered here (second highest number after Rome)  Even though Spain is struggling with 25 % unemployment, Barcelona seems to be thriving thanks to the tourist trade (unemployment is around 10 % here). We were told to be watchful of purse snatchers and petty theft but did not encounter poverty.

A few of us shipmates took advantage of the 5-hour Barcelona highlights tour which included seeing the facades of several Gaudi Houses (famous modernist architect born in 1852 who died in 1926).  We also saw the Arc of Triumph, Old Port, Columbus Monument, World Trade Center, Miramar Lookout, Olympic Ring and visited Poble Espanyol (which is a miniature Spain, featuring the uniqueness of all the 16 regions).

   Barcelona has wide avenues with open spaces.  This is the Arch of Triumph.

Gaudi's  Holy Family church (Sagrada Familia) with a 60-meter high steeple (180 feet) is still work in progress. Gaudi was a meticulous architect who left behind plaster models of his vision, knowing it would take decades to complete the construction.  His mentor oil billionaire Guell financed the original project and 14 architects are working hard to finish it by 2026, the 100th anniversary of Gaudi's death.  About three millions visitors see this Gothic Catholic church that features three facades, representing Nativity, Passion and Glory and has 18 bell towers.  Sixteen columns holdup the dome (four are pink marble from Iran and Italy, four are gray volcanic bassard, four are granite and the final four are made of sand stone.  It can hold as many as 5,000 worshippers and 1,000 choir members. An individual visitor who wants to see the interior has to wait in line for several hours.  As part of a group we were ushered in through a different entrance. Entrance fee is nearly $20 which supports the renovation project.  Most of the church was destroyed during the Spanish Civil War between 1936-1939.

It's impossible to capture the immensity of Temple de La Sangrada Familia with my Cannon camera.  Cranes and protective canvases are inside and outside the church to be finished by 2026.

Barcelona's history starts with its Roman history around 15 BC.  The architecture remaining from the 9th through the 12th centuries is Romanesque, followed by the Gothic period which is at its best with Gaudi's creation above.  

There are so many wonderful walking tours, visits to museums, galleries, the opera and many theaters.  The Mercat Boqueria (market) along the Rambla avenue by the Opera House is treat for the senses whether you shop for groceries, chocolates or souvenirs. Restaurants serving ethnic foods from around the world are on every block. 

Barcelona was a great spot to end our four-month Semester at Sea voyage.  As I said goodbye to my roommate Topy Fiske and flew to Istanbul to visit with my daughter and her family, I had a sad nostalgic feeling.