SPAIN: Barcelona

BARCELONA – The Catalan Capital

(pronounced – “Bar-thelona”)

Population:  Approx. 1.624 million

Area: 32,107 km2

Communications Tower at
Olympic Park, Barcelona

On 3^rd August, 2012 our journey from Marrakech to Barcelona would mean we’d have to go through Passport checks and security (again) and this would be conducted in Casablanca en route to Spain.  What we didn’t expect was the number of people at the checkpoint in the airport.  We thought perhaps there were at least 3-4 plane loads of people queued with only 2 security gates open – just ridiculous!  We were mindful of the time we had to transfer to our waiting plane and security but because most of the people were dressed in long dresses, djalabels and headdress, thorough searches and pat-downs were being carried out.  There were babies crying, people sniffling and shuffling and 2 Aussies who just disembarked from the Air Maroc plane that had done the screaming wheelie on the tarmac.  We were at the back of the queue when someone in their right mind opened another line.  Security was just as thorough with us as they were the crying babies.  The reason?  Yesterday the Spanish police had arrested 3 terror suspects in Cadiz, southern Spain.  That explained everything.  We made our connector but with only minutes to spare.

Again like on most of our adventures there were usually unexpected events.  On this occasion it happened on our arrival into Barcelona’s El Prat airport to find that the train drivers were on strike and on a go slow.  We were catching the Airport express train into Barcelona Sants station.  Having just missed the previous train by about 2 minutes we had to wait another hour for the next.  Again this is where the queues just kept building up with planes arriving one after another.  



Sitting back enjoying the Classical music
in the Barcelona Metro



Unlike this first experience with Barcelona trains, were found we would come to enjoy getting around the city on this mode of travel. Even just sitting in the subways was pleasant i.e. Classical music is played over speakers in the under-ground stations! 

We had heard of the high crime rate in Barcelona i.e. pick-pockets, con artists and scammers in the railway stations, on the beaches and Las Ramblas, one of the main tree-lined promenades in Barcelona.  Thankfully we didn’t become victims but we did see some situations where it was blatantly obvious it was a scam, the theft was in progress and in one situation it was obvious credit card theft was going on via Skype.  All will be revealed in another story or blog later, because as we found these stories could make another chapter in our travels.

But here is a good site that puts out all the warnings, tips and tricks about what these robbers do and are capable of.  http://bobarno.com/thiefhunters/2012/03/robbed-in-barcelona/  It is an eye opener.  Was I getting paranoid?  Yes, you bet I was and I’ve now developed a bad case of RSI from clutching my bag so hard that the fingernail marks are still visible.

Barcelona Sants Estacio

Barcelona Sants Train station (Estacio Sants) was just as we’d imagined.  Like most European train stations, it serviced the Long distance, Regional and for the classical music lovers, the Subway, but not as confusing. It was just about finding the right train system to use ie Renfe, ADIF, Metro.  But they were all just as busy (me clutching bag even tighter). There was also a bus station outside and this is where we got lost – on the outside – looking for our accommodation.  We’d checked Google, that didn’t work, re-checked Google again, that still didn’t work, and here we are just looking around for some sort of direction when the bleeding obvious hit us. As if in a sign of prayer We looked UP.  There it was in bright blue neon lights - “Expo Hotel” – about a 100 metre walk from Barcelona Sants.  It worked in Morocco with the mosques and it worked in Barcelona too!  (LOL !!)  The rooftop pool awaited us, as was the downstairs supermarket and bakery….and tapas bars in central Barcelona.

We started the next day with the Hop-on, Hop-off double decker bus tour around the city, checked out the highlights and picked out where we wanted to spend more time during our stay for the next 4 days.  Barcelona offers so much to see and do and we soon found that 4 days was just not enough. 

We also found out about the Catalonian region, its history and culture and its wealth, the seeking of independence from Spain…and the Austerity measures – which was the reason for reason behind the striking train drivers actions to thwart off any reduction in their pay packets.  Catalonians believe their taxes, the highest in Spain, and their contributions to the Central Government, props up the rest of the country and Catalonia should not be penalised for the country’s economic woes. They believe they get nothing in return from the government.  As a result demonstrations are taking place and the support for independence is growing.  As travellers this was very evident to us because everywhere we would look Catalonians flags, not Spanish, were flying from buildings, balconies and anywhere that they would be noticed.

But we were keen to see the places listed below, but we saw much more.



Sagrada Familia
(still under construction)



  *   Sagrada Familia and other Gaudi architecture and buildings ie the Casa Batllo ( Link)  

  *   Walk along Las Ramblas to the marina

  *   Plaza Real

  *   Walk the streets of the Eixample district

  *   See the Ancient Roman Walls and towers around old Barcelona

  *   Caixa Forum (Link)

  *   Barcelona Football Club

  *   The Gothic Cathedral

  *  Visit Port Vell Barcelonna’s largest leisure areas with floating boardwalks, marina, cafes, cinemas & aquarium



The Colom near Barcelona
Waterfront



  *   Walk around the Colom and along Rambla del Ravel

  *   Walk the narrow streets and laneways in Eixample

* Barceloneta Beach where Tony swam in the Mediterranean

* Walk through Montjuic Gardens set up in 1929 for an Expo & revamped for 1992 Olympics. Just beautiful. (Link)

* See the Torre Agbar on Avinguda Diagonal (gateway to technology area)



Baceloneta Beach with World Trade
 Centre in background

Historic Eixample District





Typical weekend at Port Vell Marina
and floating Gangway



Torre Agbar



We agreed on seeing all of these but each of us had our own special places we wanted to see. 

 Diving Platform with views over Barcelona

For Tony it was seeing the Olympic Park and Stadium (Olympic games of 1992) where he recalls watching the games on TV and the Platform Diving Pool with the city of Barcelona in the background. 

It was these games that American Greg Louganis hit his head on the diving board, causing concussion, but continued aiming to win a 3^rd gold medal, but didn’t.  However, TJ was interested in the "walk of fame" plaques outside the stadium. 

We spent a lot of time in and near Olympic Park making our way down through the gardens and eventually hiking down the mountain to Port Vell through the Miramar lookout and to the marina for much needed refreshments. 



Walk of Fame and Olympic Flame tower
outside Juan Antonio Samaranch stadium



Michael Johnson Plaque- US Sprinter, 4 Gold Medals
current world record holder of World and Olympic
400mtr sprint title


 



For me it was seeing the Bull Ring in the heart of Barcelona where (as a young traveller - back in the day) went to a bullfight where the Matador was still able to kill the animal (just gruesome), but I was curious to see what had become of it.  Nothing lasts forever – the Bull ring, Plaza de Torros, has been transformed into a modern, trendy, up-market shopping centre called “Las Arenas” and the last bull fight in this particular arena was held at the end of 1977.  Bullfighting continued in Barcelona until a ruling was made in July 2010 to ban the practice to take effect on 1 January this year however, bull fighting continues in other parts of Spain.

Las Arenas Shopping Centre
formerly Plaza De Torros



Resident protests about tourist buses
stopping at Sagrada Familia

After we had set our sights on these attractions we caught trains and buses, or just walked to where we needed to be.  The weather was kind to us.  However in this northern hemisphere summer some of the highest temperatures have been recorded resulting in wild fires near the southern French border, droughts and heat waves in Europe.  

We’d be heading to Perpignan in the direction of Figueres on the Spain/France border and at the base of the Pyranees Mountains. Still travelling on the RENFE system but this time on an ADIF train with speeds up to around 200 kms per hour we’d have to make a change to the SCNF (France) line. 

We weren’t particularly in a hurry to leave Spain but we had been told that Perpignan is more like Catalonia than France.  We should fit in nicely then and the only difference people will call me Madame instead of Senora.  

During the train trip we saw the devastation of the wild fires, charred olive groves, scorched vineywards and it stretched for miles and miles.  It is not something Spain needs now. 

This was our 3^rd visit into Spain in as many months (ie. from France, from Portugal, from Morocco).  Anyone would think that we are liking the place, in fact we are loving the country.  Maybe, just maybe in the future we could make it a 4^th visit.  LOL. 

Til next time….. about our adventures in Perpignan and beyond.

Tony and Liz

View of Barcelona from Olympic Park









Sign post marking the outline of the
Roman walls



TJ trekking Olympic Park ( Perpignan is in the other direction !! )