We arrived in Barcelona Aeroport and were greeted by great weather and the summer “heat” averaging 17°C at noon. After living in Denmark’s freezer environment and arriving from the windy London city, Barcelona’s weather served as a reminder as to how hot and humid Singapore’s 30°C is like. At the next train stop after the Aeroport, the “heat” got unbearable and I removed all but my T-shirt and jeans, and I knew the “complaining” was only just beginning.
The train ticket from the airport to downtown (or where my hostel is in La Ramblas) costs 2.40€, and we guys got off at Sants-Estacio to hop onto the metro line towards Catalunya. Daren and I split up from the other 4 guys to head towards our hostel at Centre Ramblas (along L’Hospital), while the other 4 guys headed to pick up their keys in a different direction as they weren’t able to book my hostel due to low availability by the time they made up their minds.
After check-in and locking up my backpack in the hostel, I headed out to tour the vicinity by myself before I was supposed to meet the other guys, LC, YH, SY, and YS. Daren had already said his goodbyes at the hostel after we checked-in and from there and then, it was clear what sort of holiday he laid out for himself.
From the main walking/tourist/shopping street of La Ramblas I walked down towards the port, Port Vell, where the sea and harbour was. Passing through La Ramblas provided some insight into the lifestyle of the Spanish, as well as the activities they enjoy in Barcelona. With day temperatures averaging 17°C or 18°C, it’s not hard to see why people love alfresco or terrace dining. Streets were lined with numerous restaurants/cafes with waiters awaiting your company. Moreover, every 20m I walked I saw buskers and artistes surrounded by Spanish and tourists alike, eager to see what they worthy talents they showcased. Barcelona is really a tourist magnet, as I’ll re-emphasize again later, and I’ll also highlight the difference between Barcelona and Madrid.
Just before reaching Port Vell, I passed the National Monument, which I later found out from my Spanish friend was a statue of Christopher Columbus, the well-known explorer in the previous century. Armed with a map, I walked past Barceloneta station without knowing the other guys’ accommodation was nearby, and forgot to check out the famous beach, which was a stone’s throw away too. I had initially assumed the map indicated the distant nature of the beach, when in fact I was getting warmer.
The guys messaged me saying they were going to take a quick nap and meet me 3 hours later at 5pm at La Ramblas, and with that update, I decided to venture out of what most people would think is un-walk-able. I passed by:
Palau de la Musica Catalana, Arc de Triomf, Palau de Justica,
Parcde Cascada Mamuth, Museu de Zoologica Historia Natural, Placa de Toros Monumental,
amidst many more beautiful structures around the city.
With so much of the city yet to be unraveled, I pressed on towards La Sagrada Familia, the incredible 100-year old church that’s still being built. I didn’t enter the church that day because I knew the other 4 guys, together with Edelene & Jennifer (2 Singaporean friends on exchange in Newcastle but arriving from Rome on their month-long Easter trip), and Qiuchan & Min Ding (another 2 Singaporean friends on exchange in Leeds but arriving from somewhere also on their month-long Easter trip) would want to pay La Sagrada Familia a visit too. More on that in Day 2.
I rushed back on foot several kilometers through the neat streets of Barcelona to La Ramblas where the prominent Hard Rock Café is to meet the guys, but after one text message and one hour of waiting, I figured they must have overslept and decided I wasn’t that all worth linking up with. No matter, I headed down another shopping street, this time with more familiar brands (and of course familiar prices) and witnessed for myself how big Zara was (for those who haven’t yet noticed, you will later, that I take pictures of Zara not because I am obsessed with their stuff, but it serves as an easy form of store size comparison between countries). From the outside, I saw 2 stores, just 20m apart, each one a “towering” 4 storeys high. I checked out both stores and spent the next hour or so browsing only their clothes but buying for myself one pair of Bermudas that was reasonably priced to replace one I had back home (24.90€, pretty much what you expect to pay in Singapore, perhaps less by a bit).
Oh yeah, and to cousin Maryann, it would have been hard to keep it any of a surprise if I didn’t tell you I remembered your “instruction”, yet if I did decide to pretend it was a slip of my mind, then it would have warranted a shriek from you. So anyway, the point is I bought a top for you, but if the size is wrong, too bad, I’ll just have to give it to someone else. Heh. Really what.
The guys finally messaged to meet up at 8pm, along with our Spanish friend Frede who we met in DTU Campus Village before he finished his term and returned back to Barcelona. My other friend Sisqo (who we also met in DTU) lives right by La Sagrada Familia but was unfortunately out of town when we were there, as he was away in Milan. After walking about for 30minutes, we unknowingly walked back to where my hostel at L’Hospital was, and settled for some Spanish food by the corner of the building. With Frede’s help in translating the menu said, I ordered a Jamon and Queso (Ham and Cheese; 3.30€) sandwich so it would give some variety to what we all ordered. It was also the first time I finally tasted the famous Tortilla Espanola (a thick scrambled egg mixture with chunks of potato and semi-existent pieces of meat inside) which YS ordered. Frede left early since he had to help his friend early the next day, so we continued walking about La Ramblas, taking in the sights, sounds and smell of more food.
Barcelona Day 2
After a simple breakfast (when I say simple it really isn’t at all filling, with one muffin, one toast, and one bowl of cereal, and a drink or two), I headed off to walk around before meeting the other guys and “new” old friends at 11am outside Hard Rock Café. I passed by La Pedrera and Casa Batllo, both famous works of Antoni Gaudi, but decided not to spend money by paying the admission fee (plus the queue was quite long, so I wasn’t too enthusiastic). I walked back to meet the 4 guys, Edelene, Jennifer, Qiuchan and Min Ding (the latter two of whom I met in Denmark and Stockholm by without prior arrangement before meeting them for the “third” time here in Barcelona. And we would be meeting each other again in Madrid in a day’s time! Incredible.)
In addition, SY had taken the liberty of arranging for his friend whom he met in DTU, Sergi, to take us around town since he was back in Barcelona for Easter. Altogether, the 9 Singaporeans and 1 Spanish troupe headed towards La Sagrada Familia, but not before we grabbed lunch nearby.
We found a cheap buffet restaurant next to La Sagrada Familia, where you could grab a good variety of salad, pasta, pizza, fruits, ice cream, and even alcohol (yes beer was one of those drinks you could place your glass under the dispenser, so why not!) – all for just 8€. Two hours later, our company of new and good friends (especially the Leeds and Newcastle peeps who I bet had lots of stuff to share about their UK experience) left to enter the grand church / “tourist magnet” for a breathtaking tour.
Instead of the usual 8€, I produced my ISIC (International Student Identity Card) for a discounted admission rate of 5€. Other than taking lots of pictures (as usual), the experience of admiring the grandeur of the famous uncompleted church leaves you pining for more, and that was the impetus for queuing 45minutes to climb up the stairs of one of the 4 towers on the old façade. Speaking of facades, the church has 4 sides which each possess a distinct design and identity, namely Apse, Nativity, Passion and Glory Facade.
The climb up the 342 steps up the Temple Towers was incredibly taxing on the mind, no less on the legs. It wasn’t mental torture per se; rather the very idea of tripping over one of the steps could well bring you down the same route in a matter of seconds, bringing along with you everyone else waiting patiently along the narrow stairwell. By the end of the hour long climb & tour, I was remarkably impressed and humbled at how the experience could have left me fearing heights and having jittery legs on completion. Having skydived twice in my life and embracing extreme sports (well only those I can afford la), it’s not often I actually fear heights, but this! This!
If you want something to take your breath away, you have to pay La Sagrada Familia a visit, and bring company so you will have someone to grab on to anytime youfeel afraid.
Afterwards, we Sergi met up with his 2 high school friends who live in Barcelona, Clara and Claudia, and the now enhanced group of 11 headed to Park Guell next. As with most buildings in Barcelona, Park Guell housed several of Gaudi’s uniquely sculptured buildings. We also climbed to an open plateau near the peak of the hill to get another breathtaking view of the city of Barcelona. It’s true they say Barcelona has so much to offer, with the mountains, beach, city, and everything in clear view. I really must thank God for the good weather over the period we spent in Barcelona, without which any scenery/picture would have done injustice.
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