Barcelona, Spain.

4-30-16 BARCELONA, SPAIN: We arrived here this AM after the usual over-night bus ride on United. The flight was delayed for an hour because of computer problems, they re-booted the whole plane, but we got here on time somehow. I think they include extra time in the ETA’s anticipating delays and so as not to spoil their stats.

Barcelona is a clean, modern city with a spacious airport and a multi-lane highway into the city. The streets are clean, the traffic very orderly and I saw no signs of any financial distress. We are at the Hotel Majestic, but didn’t get a room until early afternoon. Tomorrow we board Nat Geo’s new ship, Orion, for a cruise of the western Mediterranean Islands.

This morning after brunch at a local caffé, we walked down to Plaça Catalunya and picked up La Rambla, a wide, tree-lined avenue with lots of shops and big crowds, and walked to Mercat de la Boqueria, a huge food market with dozens of stalls selling anything edible. You can eat in or take out, as it was mid-day, it was packed with shoppers and diners.


We passed the Gran Teatre del Liceu, the opera house, looked at Sta. Maria del Pi, and then walked Ferran, a pedestrian mall in the old city. We visited the Cathedral Barcelona. Then we walked back to the hotel for a room and a nap.

At five PM we walked east to see Sagrada Família, a Gaudí-designed basilica, a huge space, the stained glass windows are beautiful and the light from the windows colors the tree-like columns of the nave. It’s very bright inside from all the windows. The east face is traditional in its sculpture, but the west side is modern. There are huge cranes working on the exterior. I have said that, anytime we go to see a famous old building, it’s covered in scaffolding. I thought it was just our bad luck, but I have decided these buildings are always getting work done.

Antoni Gaudí was a Catalan architect, died in 1926, is famous for many buildings and sculptures in Barcelona. Classic case of ‘local boy makes good’.


Breakfast bistro, Il Caffé di Francesco.

Casa Battló Gaudí across the street.

Mercat de la Boqueria. Dozens of food stalls.

Residential street, every unit has a balcony.

Sagrada Família, east face portal.

Sagrada Família, three wise men....

Stained glass....

The stained glass lights up the tree-like columns.

Hotel Majestic as we returned from dinner.