We gave ourselves less than 24 hours at the conclusion of our recent Costa Brava vacation to immerse in the vibrancy of Barcelona. That amount of time is grossly insufficient, but thankfully we have been to Barcelona before and could pick just a couple of specific targets to make even such a short stay worthwhile. In addition to reacquainting ourselves with Domènech and Gaudí, we enjoyed the nighttime performances of Font Màgica de Montjuïc (although in summer months the crowds here become nearly insufferable, this is still one of the top things to do in the Catalan capital) and strolled around Barri Gòtic.
Here are a few shots from that stroll.
First is the comparatively recent neo-Gothic façade of Catedral de la Santa Creu i Santa Eulàlia. Although the cathedral was mostly built in 13-15th centuries, the façade dates only from the late 19th.
At the corner of Placita de la Seu, where the cathedral stands, the building of the Catalan School of Architecture is decorated as a child’s drawing.
On Carrer de Santa Llúcia, a side view of the cathedral.
Pont del Bisbe – the Bishop’s Bridge – blends seamlessly into the Gothic surroundings, but it is in fact less than a hundred years old, constructued in 1928.
A fancily decorated mailbox on a pedestrian street.
The view along narrow Carrer dels Tres Llits, which comes out to Plaça Reial.
And here is the view of the square, a beautiful enclosed space designed in the 19th century
The entrance to the Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria from La Rambla.
A look to Plaça de Catalunya and beyond, to the domed corner of the Catalan Chamber of Commerce on Passeig de Gràcia, from the top end of La Rambla.
No matter how many times I come back to Barcelona, I always want to return again.