Barcelona

The Ramba of Barcelona. This street says it all for Barcelona. Perhaps the best pedestrian street in the world. Something is always happening here--rain or shine, night or day. Everybody is here--tourists in droves, but also folks obviously from Barcelona out for a stroll. This is not strictly a pedestrian mall--there is a street on either side of this large median, and shops line the streets. Cars don't really get in the way.


Street performance art is always happening along La Rambla, like this young woman dressed up as a sunflower. Sometimes it was "still art" like this one, other times it was a regular show.

Las Boquerias is the neighborhood market adjacent to La Rambla. Much like many of the covered markets we have seen, but a cut above because of all the traffic. Spices sold out of gunny sacks just like we see in the Guatemalan markets. Easy to spend a day in this market!

I think Paris is more walkable than Barcelona (but not by much), but Barcelona excells in architectural flourishes. If you can blow this picture up, you can see a lot of great detail on an otherwise mundane structure.

Barcelona is not known for its flamenco music--but it IS Spain--so Flamenco was there to be had and this was a great performance--very intense!


These little delicacies are called "montaditas". They are somewhat like Tapas, but usually on bread like a little sandwich. You take as many as you want, but you keep the toothpicks and thats how they charge you. A different kind of "fast food".


A typical narrow street in the old city (Barri Gotic). This one is mainly residential. The streets with stores in this part of the city were just a bit wider.





Even in the dense old city, there are little parks everywhere.


Here is dessert from one of our more memorable meals dining on Catalan cuisine. This is a different variety of Pain Chocolat that we had seen in France. This is a piece of bread (a baguette or pan frances) with a thick slice of dark chocolate just slightly warmed at melted, lightly doused with olive oil and a pinch or two of salt. Very different--but quite good!


The famous Sagrada Familia church--a growing masterpiece still under construction. Started by Antonio Gaudi almost 100 years ago. This is about the most impressive church I have ever seen. No pictures (of mine anyway) can do it justice.


This is the best I can do for the inside of this cathedral. These pillars are stone--not poured concrete. The play of light in this church is quite different from that of other cathedrals. There is a real sense of the divine here. Construction is starting to speed up, so perhaps they will finish it within a generation....


Another Catalan dining adventure--Black Rice (with lobster). A Catalan seafood tradition. Not black beans and rice--but BLACK RICE. The rice is colored and cooked in the black ink of the squid. Very unique!


My favorite plaza in a city of plazas--Plaza Real. Very simple--just the way it should be. All the elements are here--eyes on the plaza, pedestrian access and scale, surrounded by restaurants etc. Even on this cold and rainy day a fair amount of people enjoying the plaza.


Street with stores in the old city or Barri Gotic de Barcelona. It is rainy and cold--and still crowded! Thats what the right kind of city design does for you!


Outside of the old city, this is what a great deal of Barcelona looks like. Mid-rise living just about everywhere. Close packed--but all walkable with stores and restaurants nearby.

All of these dense neighborhoods appear to have little plazas and parks like these everywhere. Real gathering places!