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Barcelona - 2004 |
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The last side trip: I flew to Barcelona from Berlin. I'm starting to feel very good about my ability to get around by myself. I landed at the airport, took a bus to the subway,got off at the right stop and walked the last several blocks to my room. Yeah! Move over Rick Steves!
Barcelona grew on me. The area of town I was in was pretty funky, and noisy, not to mention HOT! But, once I learned my way around, I really got into this place!
I spent the first couple of days on my own, but then I hooked up with an American pianist(Michele Faber)and an ex-pat film maker friend of a friend ( Tom Sabine). Exploring on my own was fun, but these locals knew where the GREAT CHOW was, and I ate & drank my way thru my last day in town. Yippee!
Getting back to Berlin was a drill. The flight was delayed 8 hours. Barcelona airport is nice, but it wore thin after awhile. I eventually made it back to Berlin, my last few gigs, and the end of my trip.
At last came the day when, exhausted, but happy, I headed back to the US. Sorry to leave, but grateful for my new friends, new experiences and wonderful memories.
Other Pages:
PRAGUE : http://www.geocities.com/karengallinger/photopagePrague.html
VIENNA : http://www.geocities.com/karengallinger/photopageVienna.html
BERLIN : http://www.geocities.com/karengallinger/photopageBerlin.html
AMSTERDAM : http://www.geocities.com/karengallinger/photopageAmsterdam.html
(If the links don't work, cut and paste the address.)
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Barcelona is a seaport. The city is a real mish-mosh of divergent areas. Tiny winding streets in the Gothic Quarter, Modern Harbor, a few broad blvds. in the downtown section and LOTs of Amazing architecture. |
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This is the view from the balcony of my room. The landlady didn't speak a word of english, which made for some serious comedy at times! |
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For me , this town is all about GAUDI. ( OK, and food)He was a seriously wacky architect that lived at the turn of the century, but his buildings could give the psychodelic 60's a run for their money! The apartment building in the middle is one of his lovely buildings called the Batllo House. Franco let all these great buildings run down, but since his death, they have been reclaimed as the treasures they are. |
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The main boulevard for tourists is La Rambla. Lined with street performers, restaurants and shops, it's a great place to sit and watch the world go by. ( and believe me, it does...)
These folks are getting ready to do a Dali tableau. |
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Once inside the Park Guell main entrance this is the first thing you run into. The man loved mosaic and curving lines. |
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Park Guell is a rambling park with a number of interesting areas. Designed by Gaudi, this ginger bread looking critter is a side view of the entrance. |
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Close up of one of the Sagrada Towers. |
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This is a post card of Gaudi's last work, The Sagrada Familia. Tell me that's not an acid trip! Poor guy was hit by a tram and killed before he could finish it. It stood unfinished until Franco died, and is only now being finished. The dark part is Gaudi, the lighter part is a new, modernist add on. Kind of a strange blending, but somehow very Barcelona.
It's still not finished, but the public is allowed in parts of the building. I went up in one of those VERY tall, narrow towers. Skinny, winding stairs, barely wider than a person. Not bad for some one who is aftraid of heights and enclosed spaces. ( I stopped often and took lots of deep breaths...) What a view of the city! |
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