Sagrada Familia
This was probably the site I was most excited about seeing in Barcelona. Though I don't think my expectations were artificially high, I was a little disappointed with the site. Much like Mont St. Michel, this was something better seen from afar. Currently there is a project under way to finish building the church with 2026 (100 year anniversary of Gaudi's death) being the year of completion. Scaffolding could take away from the most magnificent of facades and if it had been limited to this it would still probably have been fine. What pushed me on over the edge wasn't the crowds or the scaffolding but the entry fee. The fee by itself wasn't exactly exorbitant but when the entire interior of the church is covered in construction barriers and other materials, and the spectacle of interest is thus limited to architects, engineers, and contractors, then the fee becomes so. What made this even more disappointing is the fact that the "interior" construction was supposed to be completed and the current work was finishing the final four apostle towers. Perhaps it is unfair of me to complain since the finished product will (hopefully) be a wonder to see.
Park Guell
Park Guell, much like Sagrada Familia, is an amazing sight in its own right. Some of the allure is however lost when you are one amongst a thousand trying to see the famous sight. And as I said previously, maybe ten of those thousand weren't tourists. Crowded or not, it was a surreal park. I've never experienced an artist or architect that could create such a feel of another place or time yet still keep it so rooted in the reality of the present.
Morgane and I were staying on Rambla de Catalunya, two blocks north of Placa de Catalunya. This put us in the middle of the city and within easy distances of most of the major sights in Barcelona. Apart from the great location, the apartment itself was also very cool. The one drawback was that the foyer of the apartment building smelled like trash. But, when you have a rooftop terrace and a great room, it isn't much of a drawback at all.
La Rambla
There have been plenty of changes to this famous pedestrian thoroughfare over the years and its a far cry from the avenue Mr. Orwell walked along. As a history geek it was cool to stroll down Las Ramblas trying to imagine what it was like during the civil war--the flags of anarchists and communists hanging from buildings, the deterioration and militarization of the street (and city) as the anti-fascist forces devolved into internecine fighting, "Trotskyists" skulking about at night. Even with my overly excited imagination it was a task trying to visualize any of this when the avenue was crowded with people.
Barceloneta
There is a neighborhood that juts out into the sea, south and east of the Barrio Gotica and directly east of the old shipyards called Barceloneta. It was created in the 18th century as a replacement neighborhood for the one razed to make way for army barracks (now the sight of Ciutadella Park just north and east of the neighborhood. It is somewhat removed from the rest of the city and gives it the feel of almost being a separate civic entity. Morgane and I walked through the neighborhood on our first day in Barcelona and I was unable to find a neighborhood I liked more in the days that followed. Morgane is certain the Barceloneta neighborhood was the location used for "The Spanish Apartment" (L'Auberge Espagnol)--which, if you have any interest in Barcelona (or good movies) and don't mind subtitles, I highly recommend. It's been several years since I've seen it but, it was a cool film.
Last, but not least, the man who started it all:
Christopher Columbus. At the end of the Las Ramblas, where the avenue finally tumbles into the coast, there is an absolutely gargantuan statue honoring Columbus. To me it is a metaphor not only for the city but for Catalonia: large, proud, and accessible.
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