Bella Barcelona - Part 5, Parks

This will be my last post about Barcelona...after all, we've been back almost two weeks. But the city had so many charms and was extremely photogenic, so I can't resist adding just one last post about a couple of the beautiful (and very expansive) open spaces. Here you'll see images of two very lovely parks.

The first is in the Parc de La Ciutadella, Barcelona's central park, located in lower Barcelona, near to the sea. It has a really fantastic fountain of monumental proportions, a zoo, a lake for boating and endless walking paths.

At the center of the park is the Catalan Parliament building, still used by the government.

At the other extreme of the city, in the Zona Alta, there is the Parc Güell. It is situated in the most northern part of Barcelona, which is more residential and quite steep. The park is a UNESCO world Heritage Site. You find there numerous shady walkways, sun-lite terraces, and plenty of Gaudi's organic mosaic creations. It is a very popular place for people to congregate. It is quite a hike to get from the metro, which leaves you out at the bottom of the hill, up through the precipitous streets leading to the Park, but it is well worth the effort, for the view points afford an incredible panorama of both the city and the sea beyond.

 

The park is named for Gaudí's patron Eusebio Güell, who encouraged and commissioned the architect to create some of his most dramatic buildings, including his fantastical church Sagranda Familia. Gaudí helped to develop the park. I think it's safe to say that it's truly unique.

Casa Museu Gaudí is located at the foot of the park. It was originally built in 1904, but Gaudí made it his home from 1906 until he died in 1926. The house was bought, restored and became a museum to honor Gaudí in 1963.

My next post will bring us back to France, where it is definitely spring!

Bella Barcelona - Part 1, Architecture

 

We have just returned from five days spent in Barcelona. It was our first visit to the city and only our second time in Spain. The stay was long enough to absorb the atmosphere and learn our way around. With the highly recommended Top 10 Barcelona by Eye-Witness, we were able to discover wonderful little corners, bustling markets, gorgeous architecture, must-not-miss sites and fabulous museums, not to mention some outstanding restaurants and cafes. We experienced all the four seasons in the brief time we were there. It rained, it shone and it even snowed while the temperatures varied wildly between about 35 - 75 degrees. We rented an apartment in the Poble Sec neighborhood just at the foot of Montjuic and a short walk to the Harbor and sea. 

I have so many nice photographs of Barcelona that I will post several blogs about the city. This post mostly focuses on the architecture and general ambiance of the city.

Barcelona, like many Spanish cities, has narrow shady streets (cool in the hot summer months) which open out onto large squares, where people congregate.

 

  

 

  

 

Barcelona is a city that has been greatly influenced by her native sons, particularly by the modernist architect Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926). His fantastical church, Sagranda Famillía which has been under construction since 1883 is not estimated to be completed until 2026.

 

Many of the buildings in Barcelona are extravagantly ornamented. Certainly Gaudi and those who came after him have lent much to the city's decoration, but Barcelona's history is long and many of its buildings have stood for hundreds of years. It seems always to have been a place of architectural taste and experimentation. It has often, throughout its history, been a very prosperous city.

 

 The harbor and Mediterranean Sea were just a short walk from our apartment. Our first day in town was clear, bright and warm. We had lunch next to the harbor and walked along the boardwalk afterwards.

Next post will feature Barcelona markets. I simply can't resist taking photos of food!