Un Fin de Semana en Barcelona

It's early on Saturday evening, and we've been in Barcelona since Thursday afternoon. I'm sitting with my laptop on the balcony of our accommodation, El Balcon del Born, trying to get started with this blog post but struggling to decide where to begin - Barcelona is such a wonderful destination that offers more or less everything. So I'm not going to write about all we've done during our visit, I don't have enough time, but I'll do my best to provide a flavour of the city as Juliet, Hannah and I have experienced it these past few days.

I'll start with our accommodation and its location. El Balcon is a newly renovated guest house in the atmospheric old part of the city with its narrow streets flanked by high buildings. It's the latest venture of Pablo, who has been involved in various forms of property development for over ten years now. In fact it's a large apartment in the district of Born in the kind of old block featuring the kind of rather dingy hallway, stairwell and landings that feature in films of a certain vintage. Inside the apartment, though, it is clean and light due to the traditional long windowed doors that lead onto the small balconies of each of the five high ceilinged bedrooms and the dining area.

Juliet outside the front door of the apartments including 'El Balcon'

Pablo is a friendly, helpful and informative host whose company we have enjoyed at breakfast each morning during our stay. The area has a great buzz to it, especially in the evening when the numerous visitors to its lively and distinctive cafes, bars and restaurants really bring the place to life.

Further balconies in the Born district

We learned from Pablo that the neighbourhood is popular with artists and it certainly has a bohemian feel to it. The streets are a hive of activity well into the early hours, and although not raucous, the high spirited atmosphere would probably steer me away from recommending El Balcon to a light sleeper. 

Many seemingly 'regular' streets are suddenly enlivened by the imagination of Gaudi and his fellow Modernistas.

After arriving mid-afternoon on Thursday we took an open-top bus tour around the city to help orientate ourselves in preparation for subsequent exploration. The tour took some time, as Barcelona is larger than I had imagined it, and with a range of architecture even more eclectic than I had been led to expect. Whilst the often outlandishly playful creations of Antoni Gaudi particularly caught the eye, striking and imaginative structures conceived across the years right up to the present boldly demand attention too and undoubtedly will continue to do so into the future. Barcelona feels like a city exploring and expressing its individuality.

The staggering creation that is La Sagrada Familia

It was Gaudi's unfinished masterpiece and perhaps Barcelona's most iconic landmark, La Sagrada Familia', however ,that provided the nearest thing to a disappointment I experienced all weekend. Don't get me wrong, the beauty and sheer audacity of the Cathedral, which was only half-finished when Gaudi died in 1926 and has continued to take shape intermittently in the ensuing decades, is extraordinary. And I suppose its status as a work in progress forms part of its fascination. However, when we emerged from the metro to take a closer look on Friday morning, it felt very closed in by the surrounding buildings and a clear view was hard to obtain through the numerous cranes and extensive scaffolding. In addition the seething mass of tourists snaking around it, of which we of course were a part, and moody overcast conditions, seemed only to add to the lack of a view of the monument in its full glory. We were able to gain better sense of its scale and magnificence the following day from a higher, more distant viewpoint although even this perspective did not fully shake off the impression of a building site. Pablo informed us later that there are plans to demolish some of the nearby buildings to provide the new Cathedral with the surrounding space it deserves. I say 'bring it on!' Having been in the centre of the city during the day, he also remarked that he couldn't remember having seen quite so many people crowding the streets for a long, long time. 

La Sagrada Familia viewed from Montjuic.

It was similarly busy later in the day when we visited the fascinating Gaudi designed Park Guell, created in 1900 when the wealthy Count Eusebi Guell bought a tree-covered hillside just outside the city and commissioned Gudi to conjure up a miniature city for the rich in landscaped surroundings. 

The chocolate box appeal of Park Guell

The effect is a mix of Disneyland and the Chelsea Flower Show with the added bonus of panoramic views across Barcelona. A strange place, but enchanting and in places beautiful nevertheless.

The Bond-esque Montjuic cable car.

An abiding memory of our visit will I'm sure be the stunning views across the city from the cable car to Castell de Montjuic. Our ascent happily coincided with the sunshine finally emerging after a day and a half of overcast conditions. Close to the boarding point for the cable car, part way up the hill are many of the venues for the 1992 Olympic Games including the Estadi Olimpic itself.

No ticket needed to enter this Olympic Stadium!

The stadium, which was originally opened in 1929 and completely overhauled for the 1992 Games, is free to enter and once inside I found myself conjuring up a vivid memory of Linford Christie's gold medal winning performance in the 100 metres whilst I struggled to believe that 19 years ago had really passed since it happened. This was also the stadium where injured British athlete Derek Redmond showed true Olympic spirit to limp across the finishing line of the 400 metres final in considerable pain supported by his Dad, another one of those etched in the memory sporting moments.  My memory was jogged further by the spectacularly located municipal swimming baths across the road, host to the 1992 diving events, which produced such stunning images of airborne competitors against the backdrop of the city skyline. The whole Olympic area felt very special in contrast to the rather grey and anonymous exterior of the Camp Nou across the City. With more time at our disposal I would love to have taken a look inside as part of the 'Camp Nou Experience' as I am sure I would have been wowed, as many have been before me, by the magnificence of the arean from within. Pride in the recent achievements of FC Barcelona was evident all around; in the ubiquitous flags and towels draped over balconies, the famous blue and red stripes worn by countless boys and girls and the enormous billboard posters welcoming the City's conquering heroes home.

Time for a beer on the beach.

In a similar way to the regeneration currently taking place in East London, parts of Barcelona benefitted greatly from the massive investment in facilities and infrastructure required to host the 1992 Olympics. A big winner in this process was the area now boasting the Port Olimpic Marina and the series of beautiful beaches, each with their own tasteful cafes, restaurants, and other public conveniences, stretching into the distance to the northeast of the Marina. Prior to 1992, Pablo informed us, this district was home to crumbling, rat-infested factories. Now it is the perfect place to relax, grab some rays and put your feet up after enjoying the many pleasures of the city. I've been fortunate to spend time in many European cities over the years, all with their own character and highlights, but for me, on top of everything else the city has to offer Barcelona's beaches would probably tip the balance in its favour if I was pressed to name my most loved. On top of which, the public transport system is comprehensive, reliable and cheap with taxi fares very affordable too.

Not that it's without its problems, however. The camp of protestors occupying the Placa de Catalunya, for example, were a timely reminded of the financial challenges facing Spain, and its young people in particular. They also acted as a prompt for me to reflect that in difficult economic conditions across the world, I am very fortunate to be able to afford to enjoy the personal enrichment that international travel brings with it. A major part of this comes from the people and the culture encountered on a trip to somewhere like Barcelona. There is a real elegance and bearing in the people of Barcelona, a self-confidence that makes it seems as though the city is home to an above average quota of beautiful people - women in particular from my perspective.

The different approach to eating was something I enjoyed too with for many the main meal being taken in the middle of the day and evenings out revolving around the much less formal and highly social eating experience of tapas.

Tapas - the 'pick 'n' mix' approach to dining out in Barcelona.

Our  short stay in Barcelona was little more than a 'getting to know you' one. We feel that we now know our way around, but that we really must return before too long to explore in much greater depth the many delights the city has to offer.

As we waited to board our flight home, we commented on how even the departure lounge, which includes an spacious and futuristic outdoor space, was the epitome of style. Excepcional!

Muchas Gracias Barcelona!