Discover Barcelona’s most iconic landmarks on a relaxing drive and a leisurely walk around this impressive city. You will pass the Columbus Monument and Port Vell, the seaside cultural and shopping complex. Admire the Arc de Triomf, a stately remnant from the 1888 World’s Fair. Take in the breathtaking Parc de la Ciutadella, once home to the garrison that protected the city. Next, you will alight from your motor coach and walk into the historic center, stopping to view the stunning neo-Gothic Barcelona Cathedral. The facade of this 14th-century marvel is adorned with many sculptures, including a wide range of animals and mythical gargoyles on its roof. After enjoying free time and an opportunity to take a short walk through the Gothic Quarter, you will return to the ship.
I have been to Europe on many occasions, but somehow, I never made it to Spain. I was therefore so excited that we would spend time in five Spanish ports on this cruise. First up was Barcelona, which I had heard so much about, and today Tim and I took the included tour so that we might get an overview of the city.
We passed the Columbus Monument, as well as Roy Lichtenstein’s “Cap de Barcelona” and “Gambrinus,” the lobster, by Xavier Mariscal, on our way to an area of the city that I knew nothing about – Vila Olímpica, or the Olympic Village.
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| Columbus, Lichtenstein, and a Lobster |
The selection of Barcelona to host the 1992 Olympic Games was the impetus for a major urban planning project that led to the revitalization of a derelict industrial area located along the coast. Leading architects were selected to design residential blocks to create an Olympic Village to house the athletes, and this area became a trendy neighborhood after the games were over.
In addition to a new residential district, Vila Olímpica included new beaches, a marina, spacious landscaped areas, and bars and restaurants. Two skyscrapers dominate the area, but my favorite feature was a giant sculptural goldfish designed by Frank Gehry that overlooks the sea. |
| Vila Olímpica |
We then began our drive to the historic core of Barcelona and the area that I most wanted to visit. On the way we saw two vastly different structures in the distance, both towering over the buildings below. The first was Torre Glòries, also known as Torre Agbar, a huge tower with a distinctive shape. Designed by Jean Nouvel to recall the shape of a geyser rising into the air, the tower has been variously called the suppository, the shell, or several more risqué names.
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| Torre Glòrie and La Sagrada Familia |
Although I may not have been familiar with Torre Glòries, I certainly recognized the second structure – Antonio Gaudí’s La Sagrada Familia, the most famous landmark in Barcelona and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We would visit this highlight in a short while.
Before that, however, we drove down the Passeig de Gràcia, one of the world’s most luxurious avenues and a major thoroughfare in Barcelona. In the early twentieth century, Passeig de Gràcia became the street of choice for the city’s bourgeoisie, and many built modernist mansions that were designed by the most famous Catalan architects of the day. Beautiful lamp posts with curvy mosaic benches, added in 1906, line the avenue and complement the architecture.
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| Passeig de Gràcia |
Today, Passeig de Gràcia is a perfect blend of Barcelona’s unique architectural heritage and high-end shopping. It was almost impossible to appreciate the beauty of Passeig de Gràcia from a motorcoach, however, since we were only able to catch quick glimpses of the buildings, many of which were obscured by trees. Next time, I hope to do a walking tour here.
We soon exited our motorcoach for a walking tour, and our first stop was La Sagrada Familia. This was the site that I most wanted to see in Barcelona, but I’ll just include one photograph now since I plan to devote a separate post just to this landmark. We spent time admiring the exterior today, and tomorrow we will return and visit the interior.
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| La Sagrada Familia |
We next made our way to Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, which contains the oldest parts of the city. This quarter includes remnants of the city’s Roman wall, several medieval landmarks, as well as more recent buildings from the last two centuries. Wandering though the picturesque, narrow streets and alleys was delightful, and it was fun to gaze into the windows of the many artisan shops.
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| The Streets of the Gothic Quarter and Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar in Barcelona |
On our walk, we passed the Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar in Barcelona, one of the most perfect examples of Catalan Gothic style architecture in the city, before finally arriving at the Barcelona Cathedral. Unlike Santa Maria del Mar, which was begun in 1329 and completed in only 55 years, the Barcelona Cathedral was built over six centuries, with work commencing in 1298. The main façade and bell tower were completed around 1890 and are neo-Gothic in style.
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| Barcelona Cathedral |
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| Tim and Sarah at the Barcelona Cathedral |
In front of the cathedral, we discovered the oldest, largest, and most traditional of the several Christmas markets in Barcelona, La Fira de Santa Llúcia. We had time to wander through the aisles, but I was not at all tempted to purchase anything. We did discover one of the strangest items in stall after stall – El Caganer, which literally means “the pooper." These bare-bottomed, pooping figurines are considered by many in Catalonia to be an essential feature of the traditional nativity scene. Pooping shepherds? Really? How bizarre!
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| Christmas Market |
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| Pooping Shepherds! |
On that note, it was time to reboard our bus and return to the ship. I would love to have remained in the city to continue exploring on my own, but I had to accept the fact that I was tired and needed to pace myself for the rest of the cruise.
After a quick nap, Tim and I finished our evening at the Chef’s Table, one of Viking’s specialty restaurants that offers a five-course degustation menu that rotates every few days. Tonight’s featured menu was Xiang, inspired by China’s Cantonese and Huaiyang cuisine. The “culinary journey” was outstanding, both the food and the experience itself.
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| Amuse Bouche, First Course, Granita, Main Course, Dessert |
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| The Menu with Descriptions of Our Five Courses Pictured Above |
Although Tim and I only rarely attend the evening entertainments, I made an exception for tonight’s destination performance. La Rumba Catalana was a special live music performance that highlighted the music, dance, and passion of Barcelona. It was quite a show!
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| La Rumba Catalana |
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