Sunday, April 30, 2023 – Day 130
Sagrada Familia
Today we had the good fortune to return to a city we have visited twice before and really enjoy, Barcelona, Spain. Barcelona is in a region called Catalonia. To the people living here they are Catalonians first and Spanish second. Catalonian is considered a nationality separate from Spanish, with its own language, Catalan. When I’ve heard our guides speak of this part of Spain, I think of the Canadians and the French Canadians living in the Quebec Province. They are Canadian, but they consider themselves Quebecois first. This may be an unfair comparison, but it’s what springs to my mind.
As we pull into port, we are docking at the same berth we’ve docked before, so we know our way around a bit. Which is good, as we decided to wander the streets and head into town for lunch at a favorite outdoor food market.
The grand promenade in Barcelona is Las Ramblas. It is a 3/4-mile-long walkway from the sea at Port Vell, with the monument of Christopher Columbus, to the Placa de Catalunya, at the city center.
The Las Ramblas walkway looks like waves in water. Which is appropriate as there is a stream running under the pavement. Long ago it carried river water and sewer water to the sea. They’ve modernized all that, but the river still follows its course, now underground.
As we walked along the Ramblas we saw lots of beautiful flower stalls.
The architecture in Barcelona is stunning. In walking the length of the Ramblas you can see all different styles and ages of buildings.
I love all the umbrellas decorating this building!
As we strolled up to the end of the Ramblas we came across some protestors. It was peaceful, but crowded, so we didn’t linger.
We arrived up at the Placa de Catalunya, one of the main city centers. There is a train station underground and lots of travelers with suitcases were emerging from the station and heading downhill toward the sea. I don’t know if they were headed for home, hotels or the ships in port. Lots of people were on the move.
Barcelona is a very busy cruise port. The day we were there we could see four other ships, all much larger than ours. We calculated that if the ships were at full capacity, together they could hold around 20,000 passengers & crew. We are very happy to be onboard our ‘small’ ship!
This is the outdoor market, La Boqueria. It was our target for lunch. We have fond memories of eating a delicious meal at this market with friends, huddling at a small table just under an awning during a rainstorm. We hoped to find the same vendor. Alas… the market is closed on Sundays! What a bummer!! We wondered longer and did some people watching, lunch would wait.
Back down at the Christopher Columbus Statue near the port.
Port Vell, with its modern sculpture. I think it’s supposed to be waves, but it kind of reminds me of Mickey Mouse ears. (Jeff isn’t angry or perplexed in this picture, I just caught him staring into the sun. (Sorry travel buddy!)
As we got ready to leave Barcelona a rainstorm was gathering.
Pulling away from the dock as the rain begins to fall. The tower in the center of the frame is the midpoint of a skyway transportation system. It had been running all day, but stopped when the storm came in. Good thing, quite a thunder and lightning storm rolled in.
We were sitting at our favorite table, in the picture below, and had to move back further under cover to stay dry. It was coming down in buckets! Rather quickly we decided to abandon our on-deck position. There was so much water rushing from one side of the deck to the other as the ship swayed, we thought it best to get inside and stay dry. Watching the lighting storm through the night was a treat, not something we see at home very often.
Our visit with our old friend, Barcelona, was a quick one. We got to relive some memories and kept it simple, not trying to revisit all the amazing sites to be seen. This is a beautiful city, full of quirky art, history and modern changes. I hope we get to visit her again one day.
The end of our trip is approaching so rapidly. Tomorrow is Cartegena, Spain, then on to Lisbon in Portugal. We can hardly wait to be home to see you and hear what’s been going on in your lives. One week to go!