Barcelona - The City That Gaudi Built

Chrissy and I decided to take a trip to Europe.  Well, she decided she wanted to see Europe before we went anywhere else.  So, I was able to get a good deal on a Costa cruise around the Western Mediterranean.  As luck would have it, my left peroneal tendon decided to be a little bitchy and swell up just a day or so before time to leave.  Thankfully, I have my own CAM walker boot that I could put on because this is not a first-time occurrence.  We flew into Barcelona to catch the boat.  Wouldn't you know, my luggage enjoyed the layover in Heathrow a little much.  It caught a later flight from Heathrow to Barcelona, so we had to wait for it to catch up before we could head to the hotel.  We didn't need to catch the boat until afternoon, so we had the day to explore Barcelona.

We definitely went heavy on the Gaudi architecture for this day, including staying in the Hotel Gaudi, decorated in the style of Gaudi and right across from the Palau Guell, built by Gaudi.  Sunrise was beautiful.  It got a little uncomfortable when we realized the seagulls on the next roof were mating.  There was nothing really special about their premating ritual to tip us off until it was too late.  The deed was in process when we realized what was going on.  Scarred for life, I tell ya'!  Male seagulls are very loud.

After breakfast, we decided to take the hop on/hop off bus to see the sights.  The walk down to the Mirador de Colon (Christopher Columbus statue) wasn't easy with my CAM walking boot, and I was still having difficulty controlling the pain from the tendon, but I made it.  It was early, so the street performers hadn't set up yet, but there was excellent tree art on the way.  This was done just by selectively peeling off some of the bark on the tree.

We were early enough that we could walk around for a while (after sitting a bit), and I found an angle where the gargoyles at the top of a building looked like they were roosting on the tops of the trees.

Regardless of the issues surrounding Columbus and his part in the anihilation of the indigenous populations in the Americas, he is lauded as a hero in Spain, and the statue in his honor is definitely ornate and detailed.

When the HO/HO bus finally arrived, I was able to sit, for which my foot was incredibly grateful.  There is so much to see – even if you just limit it to Gaudi architecture – that it would take much more time than we had in Barcelona to see it all, So, Chrissy and I just stayed on the buses so we could get an overview and see what we want to focus on when the cruise boat returns to Barcelona and we have another day there.  My battery ran out in my camera, but I got pictures on my phone.  Unfortunately, without being able to stand and take shots, the bar from the bus is in almost every shot.  We did ultimately get to the front of the bus, where I was able to take my pictures out the front window.  Anyway, here are just a few shots from the HO/HO bus.

When we got back to the Columbus statue and began walking back up La Rambla to our hotel, the performers were back.  I needed a restroom, so we didn't spend time (and money) to get them to perform.  We just went to the hotel.

Instead of walking back down to catch the shuttle to the port, we decided to take a taxi to the boat because my foot was hurting.  We had gotten off the bus a few times during the day and walked to an out-of-the way tapas restaurant Chrissy found online, which didn't disappoint, as well as some other side trips, and we were worn out.  Still dealing with jet lag and everything else and knowing that we have another day in Barcelona when the ship comes back, we didn't walk back down.  We'll have more Barcelona another day, and I can play with the street performers then, but clearly, I don't think a week would be enough.