The Prosaic Traveller
Hanging out with my Nikon…with an occasional detour
Barcelona, Spain (6) – Temple Expiatori del Sagrat Cor
Located at the highest point on Mount Tibidabo, this church was viewable from our hotel room. Curious as to what it was, and as per our usual fascination with high places, we ventured to this area. Also known as the Temple of Tibidabo, this Catholic Church is dedicated to John Bosco. Work started in 1902 by Enric Sagnier and completed in 1961 by his son Josep Sagnier. The interesting aspect about this area was that it is also home to an amusement park, complete with a ferris wheel and roller coaster.
Interior photos are only of the lower level crypt.
The entrance to the lower level crypt. A stairway around the back of this takes you to the main chapel.
Heading back down to the village to catch the funicular, we discover the roller coaster that was not viewable from the church area
Barcelona, Spain (5) – Olympic Park
In 1992, Barcelona was host to the Summer Olympics. Built on Montjuic Mountain, it overlooks the city. The site was much smaller than what I was expecting. However, a very pleasant visit as we took the time to watch the sunset with the locals.
Olympic Stadium
Palau Sant Jordi held the indoor sporting events such as gymnastics and volleyball finals
Palau Sant Jordi (l) and the telecommunications tower (r)
Tennis Courts
Ball Diamond
…and there is the sunset
Barcelona, Spain (4) – Castell de Montjuic
When we stopped to take a look at our surroundings from the Ferry Terminal, we saw a hill in the distance and as per usual, we make it our mission to conquer it. Unfortunately there was a lack of street signage so we relied our phone map to find our way. Equivalent to about 50 floors, we weaved our to the top and discover an interesting historical site. Not a castle, as the title states, this a military fortress that dates back to the 1600s.
We could have taken the gondola but we always find that part of the fun in reaching a destination, is how you get there.
From the ferry terminal, we see the hill
External Surroundings and Gardens
Sea-Facing Wall
Interior of the Fortress
The Terrace and Watchtower
From the hill, we see the Ferry Terminal that started this whole thing
Barcelona, Spain (3) – Las Ramblas
We start our 1.2 km walk down Las Ramblas at the northern point of Placa de Catalunya and end at Mirador de Colom at the southern point. I’m assuming that being February, there wasn’t much happening along this supposedly famous boulevard. Crowds and crowds of people was the only thing we experienced. Maybe my expectations were too high. However, I did enjoy watching the children with the pigeons.
Placa de Catalunya
Some sights along the way
Vendors
Mirador de Colom and Museu Maritim de Barcelona
Barcelona, Spain (2) – Parc Guell
Carrying on the Gaudi architecture, we visit Parc Guell. After a slow climb up Carmel Hill, we find the public park in the residential neighborhood of La Salut. It wasn’t until after we departed the park, we discovered an outdoor escalator that would have saved us from climbing the equivalent of 40 stories.
We found the park interesting with unusual landscaping. However, we shouldn’t have been surprised with Gaudi. As per our usual style, we opted to stay outside the pay area to avoid the crowds.
Turo de les Tres Creuse – located just south edge of the park. It is the highest point of the park. Due to the discovery of prehistoric remains, Gaudi built a monument instead of a planned chapel.
Some areas were under renovations which gave us limited access
The avoided pay area. Everyone jostling for a view.
Background music during the visit
More background music
Gaudi House Museum
Casa Marti Trias
The view from a residential area
Barcelona, Spain (1) – La Sagrada Familia
Either you hate it or you love it. I’m stuck in the middle…I can’t say I hate it but I can’t say I love it.
So many detailed creations, it would take all day to see it all. Hopefully, I captured enough photos to appreciate the workmanship. I recommend to take the time to look at each photo to see all the detail. It wasn’t until I started sorting through the pictures before I realized how intricate it was.
Construction started in 1882 and anticipate the completion by 2026, 100 years after the architect’s death. Gaudi’s architectural plans, which were partially destroyed in the Spanish Civil War, are being redrawn, using today’s technology.
With the long line-up to get in, we decided to stay external.
Alicante, Spain (4) – From the Beach to the Station
As we make our way back to the train station from the beach, I captured a few photos of how lovely this place is.
Eateries on the edge of the beach
A large plaza outside of the Casino. Casa Carbonell in the background left (a historical residential landmark). We make our way to the end of the plaza where we find Explandada de Espana.
Explandada de Espana, a large walkway along the Mediterranean
The curved tiles on the Explanada gives an illusion that you are not walking on a flat surface
Moving away from the coastline we come across Av. Federico Soto, a pedestrian boulevard that runs North/South from the beach to the inner city
Even the garbage containers are pretty
