Boarding Pass: BCN
Photo map of Barcelona. Click on image for interactive map.
Barcelona had been camping out on my radar for a long time. I definitely wanted to go, and was just waiting for the right opportunity. In early December, my lucky day arrived. Flights were wide open both ways, so I checked the Barcelona weather. High of 60F and sunny every day on the doorstep of winter? Sold.
Barcelona means Gaudí, and Gaudí means Sagrada Familia, so I chose a hotel in Eixample near the iconic landmark. I knew this would place us in a central location, and at a prime point to take advantage of the robust metro system. We jumped on the train at the airport which took us directly to Passeig de Gracia station, about two blocks from our hotel. Having taken a redeye flight, we popped around the corner for lunch, then took a power siesta. As darkness fell, we ventured out for some casual photography and dinner.
Given that it was early December, the city was decorated for Christmas. We walked a few blocks and noticed a crowd, all of them looking across the street. Intrigued, we did likewise. We found ourselves face to façade with Casa Battló, one of Antoni Gaudí’s most famous buildings. The skeletal curved lines evoked alien faces. It was lit to the gawds with an amazing color-changing light display. Positioning myself between the heads of onlookers and living for my 24-105 mm zoom lens, I got some great unobstructed shots despite the crowd. Energized by my shots and the vibe of the people around me, I trotted off to Boro Bar for a delicious tapas dinner to celebrate.
Casa Battló works its weirdness.
The next day dawned brisk and bright, perfect for an early morning visit to nearby neighborhoods. We walked through the Gothic Quarter with its cathedrals and stone walls, then crossed the street into El Raval, which was the opposite. The multicultural influences of El Raval were evident in its people, restaurants, and art. Color and creativity lurked in every alleyway. I love to witness a distinctive district as it wakes up and begins its day, and El Raval rolled out of bed looking beautiful.
A morning market run in El Raval.
This productive morning was only the beginning of a very busy day. Some places of interest in Barcelona have timed entry, so we were on the clock. We walked all the way from Eixample to Park Güell and had time for a quick bite of lunch before we went in. It is a beautiful park celebrating Gaudí’s architecture, and it was PACKED with people on this beautiful afternoon. But a good photographer sees a challenge in any obstacle, so I made an effort to find unusual perspectives and celebrate the chaotic popularity of this fanciful, colorful place.
Above the fray at Park Güell.
When I bought the tickets for Park Güell online, I was given the option of an add-on to Tibidabo, an amusement park and overlook on a hill high above the city. Why not? So we jumped in a taxi and headed up there next. As we drove up the winding road to the mountain, it occurred to me that I didn’t see any transport options headed down. We were here now, so we decided just to figure it out later. I got some great panoramic views over the city, and then we approached the funicular that was included in our ticket. We glided past the point where we thought the funicular would stop, but were curious to see how this was going to shake out. As we exited at the bottom, we were greeted by a row of cafes overlooking the city; we were still at a decent altitude. Ready for a snack, we dipped into Mirablau restaurant, where we watched the sun set over the Mediterranean as we dug into delicious patatas bravas. We were now close enough to walk down the rest of the hill and catch the metro back to our hotel.
View from the top at Tibidabo.
The following morning would bring a landmark experience for me. Despite multiple visits to Europe, I had never touched the Mediterranean Sea. We plotted a course through the El Born and Barceloneta neighborhoods that would take us to the beach. El Born turned out to be our favorite area within Barcelona; it was the type of place you could see yourself living for a while. This is where those iconic alleyway shots are taken, and I took my share as well. I dipped my hand into the sea, then enjoyed the cheerful colors and lively energy of Barceloneta on the way back into the city center.
And then, the big finale: Sagrada Familia. We lunched nearby, then took our place in line. We don’t always go inside landmark buildings, but we would have missed most of the magic in this case. The exterior inspires awe; the interior transports to another dimension. I had timed our visit to be in the late afternoon in hopes of getting dramatic light through the windows. Success. My Rokinon 14mm lens was my savior, as the sheer vertical scale of this place was insane. At one point, I was taking shots progressively moving up a wall. As I reached the top, I bent slightly backward to frame it all. Suddenly, I saw it. When you looked straight up, this religious monument looked like a spaceship. It was almost like the gray spikes of the exterior were disguising an interstellar vehicle. All of the other Gaudí structures I had seen now made sense; there is a cohesive theme, and it is not of this world. Supernatural? Extradimensional? Extraterrestrial? I have my opinion, you can draw your own when you visit.
Go for lauch at Sagrada Familia.
In Barcelona, nothing is as it seems, but it is everything you hoped it would be. For this trip, I made more definite plans than usual, as entry times were defined and limited. Somehow, I still ended up with a constant parade of surprises. With such a highly anticipated and long-awaited trip, there is a risk of letdown if lofty expectations are not met. But in Barcelona? Ni en sueños.
