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FAVOURITE PHOTO

BARCELONA, OUR LAST CITY OF AN AMAZING 6 WEEK TRIP -
OUR FIRST BIG OVERSEAS TRIP. 10 YEARS IN THE MAKING, SAVING,
PLANNING, LOTS OF GOOGLING, MAPPING, MORE GOOGLING FOR
OFF THE BEATEN PATH PLACES. EVERYTHING WORKED OUT WELL.

I HOPE YOU HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING ALONG BECAUSE I WANTED
TO SHARE WITH YOU SOME AWSOME ADVENTURES, FUNNY STORIES,
TONS OF FIRSTS FOR US, DIFFERENT LANDSCAPE, MOUNTAINS,
CANELS, ARCHITECTURE, CULTURE, FOOD. ....BEERS HAHA

AND GREAT MEMORIES OF MEET UPS ARRANGED THROUGH
VIRTUALTOURIST.COM WHICH IS SADLY NO LONGER HERE.
HOWEVER, I AM PRESERVING MANY VT MEMORIES HERE, MY NEW
HOME TRAVELLERSPOINT.

BARCELONA

IF IT WASN'T SUCH A BIG CITY WITH IT'S CROWDS, SCAMMERS,
PICKPOCKETS ETC... I WOULD HAVE REALLY ENJOYED THIS PLACE.
UNFORTUNATELY, EVER BEING VIGILENT AND GUARDED..... TOOK
SOME OF THE FUN OUT OF IT FOR ME.

DON'T GET ME WRONG. I DIDN'T DISLIKE BARCELONA AT ALL.
ON THE CONTRARY, I JUST LOVED THE GAUDI ARCHITECTURE
EVERYWHERE AND OTHER INTRICATE DESIGNED BUILDINGS.
BARCELONA IS A TOP DESTINATION IF YOU LOVE ARCHITECTURE.

NOT ONLY THAT, BUT THE HOP ON HOP OFF BUS ROUTES WERE
WELL THOUGHT OUT. YOU SIMPLY CANNOT VISIT BARCELONA
FOR THE FIRST TIME AND NOT DO THE TOURIST BUS. IT'S A
GREAT WAY TO GET YOU TO THE VARIOUS MAJOR SIGHTS.
HEY.... BARCELONA IS A BIG CITY!
JUST MAKE SURE YOU GET THERE EARLY TO AVOID THE LONG
LINES.

OK.... SO WE CAME FROM VALENCIA ON THE TRAIN TO BARCELONA.
THAT TRIP IN ITSELF IS WELL WORTH IT! THE TRAIN TRAVELLED FOR
A LOT OF THE WAY VERY CLOSE TO THE SHORE LINE SO WE GOT TO
SEE SOME LOVELY BEACHES ALONG THE WAY.

ARRIVING IN BARCA.... THE FIRST THING WE NOTICED WAS THE
BLACK AND YELLOW TAXI CABS WE JOINED THE LINE AND THERE
WAS AN OLD LONDON STYLE ONE COMING UP. I COUNTED THE
PEOPLE IN FRONT OF US..... HOPING TO GET THAT CAB!!
AND YES!! AWESOME!! WE DID!! LOL

LIKE PARIS, BARCELONA HAS EXPENSIVE ACCOMMODATION. I CHOSE A
QUAINT HOTEL RIGHT IN THE CENTRE OF TOWN, A MINUTE WALK FROM THE
CENTRE SQUARE - PLACA DE CATALUNYA. THAT WAS WHERE WE ALSO
BOOKED OUR HOP ON HOP OFF BUS.

HOTEL LLEO

I WOULD MOST CERTAINLY STAY HERE AGAIN. IT WAS VERY GOOD FOR
THE PRICE AND VERY CLEAN. FRIENDLY STAFF TOO. I COULDN'T HAVE
ASKED FOR MORE.

PLACA DE CATALUNYA

BEING CLOSE TO PLACA DE CATALUNYA, THE CENTRE SQUARE OF
BARCELONA AND WHERE THE FAMOUS LAS RAMBLAS STARTS,
WORKED OUT GREAT. WE COULD EXPLORE BEFORE THE CROWDS
INVADED.

I HAVE NEVER SEEN SO MANY PIGEONS!! I SUPPOSE THAT IS WHAT
TRAFALGAR SQUARE LOOKS LIKE LOL.
WE HAD FUN LAUGHING AT PEOPLE LAYING DOWN AND BEING
SWARMED BY PIGEONS! GEE!... LUCKILY THE ONLY DANGEROUS
THING ABOUT PIDGEONS IS SLOPPY BIRD POOP! HAHA
JUST KEEP YOUR EYES AND MOUTH SHUT LOL.

LES RAMBLAS

FAMOUS TOURIST STREET FULL OF QUAINT GIFT SHOPS, TAPPAS
BARS AND BUSKERS. UNFORTUATELY IT ALSO HAS PICKPOCKETS.
WE DIDN'T STAY AROUND TOO LONG.

GAUDI

ARCHITECTURE DESIGNED BY GAUDI IS WHAT BARCELONA IS
FAMOUS FOR.

WHEN GAUDI GRADUATED IN 1878 FROM BARCELONA'S SCHOOL OF
ARCHITECTURE, THE DIRECTOR ANNOUNCED: "GENTLEMEN, WE ARE
HERE TODAY IN THE PRESENCE OF EITHER A GENIUS OR A MADMAN."

GAUDI IS MOST CERTAINLY A GENIUS! HIS ARCHITECTURE IS SIMPLY
STUNNING!! HE WAS A NATURE LOVER AND A LOT OF HIS DESIGNS HAVE
OBVIOUSLY BEEN CONSTRUCTED WITH THAT IN MIND.

WHEN LOOKING AT HIS BUILDINGS THEY REMINDED ME OF LAVA CAVES.
IT IS NOT A SURPRISE TO LEARN THAT OTHER ARTISTS LIKE PICASSO AND
ORWELL THOUGHT THAT GAUDI'S DESIGNS WRE CR@P.
I THINK THEY WERE JUST JEALOUS OF HIS AMAZING TALENT.

GAUDI NEVER DESIGNED ON PAPER BUT CONSTRUCTED 3D MODELS TO
BUILD BY. SO IT IS NO SURPRISE THAT THE COUNCIL DID NOT APPROVE
OF MOST OF HIS WORKS AS HE WAS KNOWN FOR FLOUTING THE
BUILDING REGULATIONS WITH HIS EVOLVING ADDITIONS
HE JUST IGNORED THAT AND CONTINUED. I LIKE THE MAN'S STYLE

CASA BATLLO

OFTEN CALLED THE HOUSE OF BONES, CASA BATLLO WAS DESIGNED
BY GAUDI FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS BATLLO FAMILY.

THE DESIGN IS EQUATED TO A GIANT DRAGON WITH THE BASE
GRIDDED BY HUGE ABSTRACT BONES CROSSED BY WHAT LOOKS LIKE
PATTERNS THAT LOOK LIKE BLOOD VESSELS AND MUSCLE. THE ROOF
LOOKS LIKE THE SCALY COVER OF A BACK OF A GIANT DRAGON.
INGENIOUS NONETHELESS!! CASA BATLLO WAS MY FAVOURITE

CASA MILA

A RICH BUSINESSMAN LIKED THE CASA BATLLO SO MUCH THAT HE
HIRED GAUDI TO CONSTRUCT A BUILDING ON THE VACANT BLOCK
ACROSS THE STREET. THIS BUILDING TURNED OUT TO BE LESS
CONVENTIONAL THAN THE CASA BATLLO. EVERY ROOM IS IRREGULAR.
THE WALLS AND CEILINGS DIFFER FROM ONE ANOTHER. IN FACT THE
WHOLE BUILDING IN CONSTRUCTED ON PILLARS AND ARCHES TOGETHER
WITH THE USE OF STEEL.

PARC GUELL

I LOVED OUR VISIT HERE. THIS IS UNDOUBTEDLY AN AMAZING WORK OF
ART FROM THE BUILDINGS, TO THE INTRICATE TILE WORK, SO THE
ASTETICALLY PLEASING GARDENS - ALL WITH THE SPECIAL GAUDI
DESIGNOR TOUCH.

GAUDI WAS EMPLOYED BY GUELL, A WEALTHY BUSINESSMAN TO DESIGN
THIS PARK AS PART OF A NEW GARDEN SUBURB ON THE HILL DESCRIBED
AS 'THE TREELESS MOUNTAIN'.

AND WHAT A STUNNING CREATION THE PARK HAS UNUSUAL HOUSES,
ONE IN WHICH GAUDI LIVED, TASTEFULLY DESIGNED PILLARS THAT
BLEND INTO THE NATURAL SURROUNDINGS, LOVELY MOSAIC TILE WORK
AND AN AMAZING DRAGON MADE ENTIRELY OUT OF TILES.

I COULDN'T RESIST A VT FLAG PIC WITH AN ACCOMMODATING
BUSKER OUTSIDE

HOP ON HOP OFF BUS

AS SAID PREVIOUSLY, THERE'S NO BETTER WAY TO GET AROUND
BARCELONA BUT ON THE HOP ON HOP OFF TOURIST BUS. WE
ARRIVED AT THE PLACA DE CATALUNYA EARLY WHEN THE LINE
WAS NOT TOO LONG.

TIP, TRY TO GET A GOOD SPOT ON THE TOP DECK. ONCE YOU HAVE
ACHIEVED THAT..... STAY THERE. YOU CAN PLAN WHERE TO
GET OFF THE NEXT TIME AROUND.

WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME LOOKING UP! HAHA THERE ARE SO MANY
LOVELY BUILDINGS IN BARCA BESIDES THE GAUDI ONES.

BEAUTIFUL PORT AUTHORITY BUILDING

CRISTOPHER COLUMBUS STATUE

SAGRADA FAMMILIA

I AM NOT A REAL CHURCHY PERSON BUT I MUST SAY THIS
ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH DESIGNED BY GAUDI WAS QUITE
IMPRESSIVE.

LOOKING DOWN AT THE BUS SHELTER IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS THE
PLACE WHERE A LOT OF PEOPLE DISPOSE OF THEIR HEAD PHONES.
DIRTY LITTER BUGS!

TELEFERIC DE MONTJUIC

THIS IS WORTH GETTING OFF THE HOP ON HOP OFF BUS HERE.
THE VIEW OVER BARCELONA IS AWESOME!

THERE IS A HUGE CASTLE HERE AND A CABLE CAR THAT TAKES YOU
ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE PORT.

Barcelona Port

BACK IN THE CITY CENTRE, WE HAD A CHUCKLE AT THE
TAXIS TRYING TO COMPETE WITH THE TOURIST BUS

BEER O'CLOCK.... AND A GOOD RESTAURANT TIP.

CAFE CATALUNYA

MY FAVOURITE. NICE AND QUIET, CLEAN SURROUNDINGS,
ATTENTATIVE STAFF .... BUT NOT IN YOUR FACE.

SADLY OUR BIG 6 WEEK EUROPE AND MOROCCO HOLIDAY WAS AT AN END.

WE FLEW HOME VIA MILAN AND SINGAPORE.

MILAN..... LAKES OF NORTH ITALY.... AND VENICE....

NOW THERE'S A PLACE TO COME BACK TO NEXT TIME....