This is the first official day of our tour and we meet in the lobby at 8.30am to receive our audio devices that will allow us to tune into the various tour guides over the duration of the next 14 days.
The group is gathering to collect their audio equipment
Today we start with a walking tour of the old part of Barcelona, within close proximity to our hotel. To keep it manageable, they have split the group into two groups of 20, each with their own guide. The audio system works very well, allowing you to stray off a bit but still get the commentary.
The walk is initially down La Rambla in the direction of the sea, passing the biggest market in Barcelona, La Boqueria. Each of the districts in Barcelona has their own fresh food market with fantastic selections of fresh produce. Sadly, we have Coles and Woolies.
We hope to come back later this afternoon for a good look around.
Our guide soon turns left and takes us off La Rambla and into the Gothic section of Barcelona.
Our guide working hard
There are old buildings everwhere, and the usual bit of artistic wall art, but the focus of this visit is to see the Cathedral.
A novel way to decorate your rolladoor
The Cathedral and surrounds is truly imposing. There are many religious buildings in the complex surrounding the Cathedral, including the building that served the Spanish Inquisition.
The Cathedral Main Entrance
Not surprisingly, the cathedral is massive in size. It was not possible to it in the camera frame. Inside, it was equally impressive. The cathedral was constructed from the 13th to 15th centuries, with the principal work done in the 14th century. The cloister, which encloses the Well of the Geese was completed in 1448.
In the same area is a decorative fountain with a Statue of St George slaying a dragon.
Entering the Church, from the cloister, the first thing you see is the imposing organ.
The internal scale of the Church is impressive
The Choir stalls are a highlight
Externally, the cathedral is well known for it's gargoyles, all in the form of animals.
Unicorn Gargoyle
The walk continued through the old area with many buildings pointed out along the way. Eventually we ended up in a large square where the buildings of the centre of government are located.
Town Hall
Next we met up with our tour bus, down near the port area, where our walk finished. The next part of out tour is a bus trip to Montjuic . It is a hill in the centre of Barcelona, near the port area and was the site of the Barcelona Olympics in 1992. There is cable car access to Montjuic from the seaside, and great views over the city from the lookouts.
View of the marina and port area
Looking toward the City
Driving back down to the city takes us past many of the venues for the 1992 Olympics, most of which are located on Montjuic. At the base of the hill are the buildings which signify the other great event in Barcelona's modern history, the 1929 World Trade Fair.
Our last stop on this mornings tour is the highlight, a visit to Gaudi's unfinished project, Sagrada Familia. Construction started in 1882 and is still under way, after Gaudi's death in 1926. Lack of funds slowed progress for many years, but the difficulty in building this design is probably the main reason for the time it has taken. With lots of funds available now, the target is to complete it by 2026, but there is not a strong belief this date will be met. I t is truly a remarkable piece of architecture.
Segrada Familiia still being built
The complexity of the column supports is amazing, this structure, unlike previous churches is supported by columns, not buttressed walls.
Large areas of glazing dominate the walls providing great natural lighting
Intricate cravings depict different parts of biblical history
We arrived back at the hotel at just after 1pm. Lunch was next on the agenda and we decided to go to a famous tapas restaurant (recommended by Mike Wesslink, and also our tour guide), Cuidad Condal.
It was very busy, but we were lucky to get a table without having to wait too long (the locals eat later than us). The food was excellent !!!
Some of the tapas we had, we had eaten the rest before I thought to take a photo
Very satisfied with our lunch, washed down with a very nice local white wine, we headed back towards our hotel with the intention of checking out the La Boqueria market in a bit more depth.
How sad it is that we have to shop at Coles and Woolies when you see what is available here at fresh food markets that are readily available in most areas. The food quality is outstanding.
Great fresh fruit
Being a pig in Spain is quite hazardous
The butchers have very good meat
Amazing variety of seafood
We eventually headed back to the hotel for a rest, having spent a good hour wandering around the market. As well as all of the produce stalls, there were small restaurants scattered throughout the market selling great food made from fresh ingredients sourced next door, and of course there were wine merchants, and beer seems to be served everywhere.
We are quickly adapting to Spanish customs, and didn't even think about dinner till after 7pm. Once motivated to leave our room and head back into the streets, we decided to go to St Katherines Market for dinner. The walk takes us along the route we covered this morning, past the Cathedral. To our amazement, the area around the church is the venue for festival of some sort, and there are a series of local dance performers waiting to perform traditional dances. Also, the lighting is so much better for photography so here os a shot of the Cathedral taken at 9.30 pm, on our way back from dinner.
The restaurant at Saint Katherine's market was very modern and served good food. It was extremely popular with the locals.
Tomorrow we are heading off on our tour into the Basque Country. We leave at 8 am which I think is very civilised.
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