{"id":3687,"date":"2015-05-27T10:17:41","date_gmt":"2015-05-27T09:17:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.petersphotogallery.com\/rodneyandlaura\/?p=3687"},"modified":"2026-05-22T09:32:05","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T08:32:05","slug":"busy-bussing-around-barcelona","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.petersphotogallery.com\/rodneyandlaura\/2015\/05\/27\/busy-bussing-around-barcelona\/","title":{"rendered":"Busy Bussing Around Barcelona"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u2018So in the end, a line and colour are all that\u2019s needed to create a painting\u2019. Joan Miro<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Chimneys
Chimneys on Casa Mil\u00e0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Barcelona; it\u2019s a long time since we were last here; 1992 in fact.\u00a0Back then the city was readying itself for the Summer Olympics and the Sagrada Familia was still growing. Twenty-three years later, there we were, sitting at a bus stop near Gav\u00e0 and wondering how much the city might have changed. Apart from London, Bangkok and Singapore, there are not many cities around the world that we get to visit more than once. I guess there are so many cities in the world to see and we do often find that a repeat visit to somewhere can sometimes be disappointing.<\/p>\n

\"
Lunchtime<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

The bus shot down the freeway and had us in the centre of the city at the Pla\u00e7a Catalunya in forty minutes. We picked up a map and started our wanderings. The \u2018Wand of Narcism\u2019 (selfie stick) was everywhere, being sold and being used by the thousands and thousands of tourists. We heard languages from all over the world and thankfully there were restaurants selling food from all over the world. At 3pm we stumbled across a Japanese restaurant, just as we were thinking about lunch; perfect timing and perfect food. After eating everything that took our fancy, we continued on down the Carrer de la Marina. Gradually Antoni Gaudi\u2019s Sagrada Familia came in to view and my heart sank. Twenty-three years ago, I fell in love with the building and I said at that time \u201cLet\u2019s come back in twenty years\u2019 time and see if it\u2019s finished\u201d. It is not. It is now covered in scaffolding, there are cranes everywhere and lots of the pointy bits are covered in plastic. Kevin McCloud would not be impressed with the schedule, or the budget and the project would never make it to air on \u2018Grand Designs\u2019. It\u2019s a building site, like so much of Spain. I was so disappointed. We considered going inside again, but tickets to the two accessible towers were sold out for the day, so we passed on by. Maybe we will return in another\u00a0twenty years!<\/p>\n

\"The
The Sagrada Familia still growing….<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Vegetables
Vegetables on the Sagrada Familia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"
I don’t think it will ever be finished….<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Metro got us back down to the Pla\u00e7a Catalunya and from there we rambled down\u00a0La Rambla, a very busy lively place on a Sunday afternoon. On the waterfront, we sat for a while and gazed at all the yachts before following our noses through endless narrow lanes to the Cathedral. There was a service in progress and just as we entered a male chorister began to sing. His voice was wonderful and as I gazed up to the ceiling of the nave, his song seemed to travel around the arches. I think I\u2019ve said it before, but I do wish churches would have music playing within their walls; it always seems to make them more inspiring and brings them alive.<\/p>\n

At 8pm we caught the bus back to the campsite and reflected on what we had seen today and what to see next.<\/p>\n

\"Pla\u00e7a
Pla\u00e7a de la Boqueria on the Ramblas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"It
It seems I have my very own shop<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"
La Catedral<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Monday turned out to be a genuine \u2018Rodney Tour\u2019. We were at the campsite reception at 8am to buy tickets for the big red Bus Turistic, on the local bus at 8:20am, arrive Barcelona at 9am and start the walk up Passeig de Gr\u00e0cia. We stopped to gaze at Gaudi\u2019s amazing Casa Batil\u03cc and then continued at fast pace to Casa Mil\u00e0, La Pedrera. At 9:20am we purchased our tickets and started to tour this remarkable building.<\/p>\n

\"Casa
Casa Mil\u00e0 or La Pedrera<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"On
On the roof of Casa Mil\u00e0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"
Vents and chimneys on Casa Mil\u00e0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

And so our \u2018Rodney Tours\u2019 day continued. First the red bus, north, then west, then south and east. We travelled up and around Montju\u00efc, past art galleries, the Olympic site, the botanic gardens, down to the port and the World Trade Centre. We pointed up at the monument to Christopher Columbus who was pointing out to sea with his 0.6metre index finger; impressive! There were old warehouses now converted to restaurants and a museum and there was the new Port Ol\u00edmpic full of shiny yachts. Then we switched to the green bus which took us past the beaches, lots of new impressive buildings and parks and back in to the old town.<\/p>\n

\"Christopher
Christopher Columbus pointing the wrong way<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"The
‘The Face of Barcelona’ by Roy Lichtenstein<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

We got off our bottoms for a while and walked through the Barri G\u00f2tic area, before boarding the blue bus which took us through Eixample, round the Sagrada Familia and on through the Gr\u00e0cia district up to Parc G\u00fcell. We enjoyed a good long stroll around Mr Gaudi\u2019s gardens and took in the enormous view over Barcelona. The blue bus then took us further north and west, past palaces and monasteries, finally turning back east at Camp Nou, the Barcelona Football Club. A stroll through the Raval district completed our day in Barcelona, we did the lot; we covered so much. Just over twelve hours later, we caught the local 94 bus back to the campsite and planned what to see on Tuesday. So for such a full on day, I\u2019ll let the pictures tell more of the story\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n

\"The
The gatehouse at Parc G\u00fcell<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Gaudis
Gaudi’s rippling bench in Parc G\u00fcell<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"What
What to do with broken tiles in Parc G\u00fcell<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Underneath
Underneath the arches in Parc G\u00fcell<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Definitely
Definitely not for Real Madrid supporters!!!!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Monday had been filled with a lot of Gaudi, so for Tuesday we intended to pull in a few different artists connected with Barcelona. At Pla\u00e7a d\u2019Espanya we hopped on the red bus, up through Montju\u00efc and got off at the gleaming modern building that houses the Fundaci\u00f3 Joan Mir\u00f3. He\u2019s a fascinating artist who seems to have worked his way through many different styles and mediums in his lifetime, but in my eyes, he always seems to invoke happiness and a smile.<\/p>\n

\"On
On the rooftop of the Fundaci\u00f3 Joan Mir\u00f3<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"
Looking up to the Palau National from the Pla\u00e7a d\u2019Espanya<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"
Looking down from the Palau National to the Pla\u00e7a d\u2019Espanya and beyond<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

The red bus took us down to the waterfront where we ambled through the Barceloneta district with its old buildings and newly created beaches, to search out a bit of Frank Gehry. El Peix (The Fish) is 52metres long and was commissioned for the Olympic Village. It\u2019s a pretty impressive shiny sculpture, but close up I felt it needed a bit more work to tidy it up\u2026\u2026\u2026 in my opinion\u2026.!<\/p>\n

\"El
El Peix and Platja Somorrostro<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

After lunch, eaten in a caf\u00e9 right under El Peix, we travelled a couple more stops on the red bus and then strode through the Barri G\u00f2tic area to the Museu Picasso. It was 3:45pm and we queued for fifteen minutes; not too bad we thought. It turned out that if we bought the next tickets available, we would still have to wait forty-five minutes to enter. So we opted for 5:30pm tickets instead and wandered off to Desigual, a popular Spanish store that sells clothes that look like art.<\/p>\n

\"Mercat
Mercat de Santa Caterina in the La Ribera district<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Picasso Museum is spread out through four small Baroque and mediaeval palaces and a few of the rooms still have beautiful, decorative ceilings. Picasso\u2019s early work as a fourteen-year-old was very impressive, but the work he did in his twenties, left me thinking he had left his talent behind. I\u2019m fond of a lot of his Cubist works, but sadly there weren\u2019t really any of those in this museum. I guess those high priced and well know works are now spread all over the world. Art, it\u2019s a bit like wine; I\u2019m no expert, but I know what I like. Today left me cheering for Mr Mir\u00f3. Oh, and we did spend a bit of cash at the Desigual store.<\/p>\n

\"
I might cover our own house with black and white balls….<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Casa
Casa Batil\u03cc<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

And on the fourth day we rested. A chat and drinks with neighbours, some time spent horizontal and asleep on the beach, some reading and eating time.\u00a0 All is good with the world.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Barcelona
Barcelona bicycle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u2018So in the end, a line and colour are all that\u2019s needed to create a painting\u2019. Joan Miro   Barcelona; it\u2019s a long time since we were last here; 1992 in fact.\u00a0Back then the city was readying itself for the Summer Olympics and the Sagrada Familia was still growing. Twenty-three years later, there we were, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3697,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3687","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-europe"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.petersphotogallery.com\/rodneyandlaura\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3687","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.petersphotogallery.com\/rodneyandlaura\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.petersphotogallery.com\/rodneyandlaura\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petersphotogallery.com\/rodneyandlaura\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petersphotogallery.com\/rodneyandlaura\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3687"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.petersphotogallery.com\/rodneyandlaura\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3687\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8292,"href":"https:\/\/www.petersphotogallery.com\/rodneyandlaura\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3687\/revisions\/8292"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petersphotogallery.com\/rodneyandlaura\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3697"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.petersphotogallery.com\/rodneyandlaura\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3687"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petersphotogallery.com\/rodneyandlaura\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3687"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petersphotogallery.com\/rodneyandlaura\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3687"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}