Spain pt.1 - Barcelona, sights

What started out as an invite by Nunie to Barcelona, ended up with a mini Team Malat reunion, an excursion to Madrid, and another Fei Zhai target in Phing. The brilliant 8-team consists of: myself, CM, Joseph, Phing, Roy, Simon, Doggie WH and his target HL. Manc Piccadilly - Arriva 700 - Liverpool John Lennon - ryanair - Barcelona Girona, and hualah.. the Nebraskans were waiting for us. Just feels good to see them, and of course me & Simon get to crapalot throughout the trip. By the time we trekked to Centric Point Hostel and checked into separate dorms (mine was a 12-bed, 18eu), it was midnight, just right for a tapas supper with german beer. I could nvr rmb the name of drinks I had. It was decided unofficially then, that Phing would be tour leader, with me chipping in suggestions, since we're the only ones that bother to do any research beforehand.

Team Malat reunion@Montjuic; the 8-crew@St. Sebastian Beach

Funny enough, we both got up late the next day, me because my mobile clock was still UK time. However, I still had a headstart, visiting the quirky buildings nearby - Casa Lleo Morera, Casa Amattler, Gaudi's Casa Battlo, and Fundacio Tapies. The hostel's location was excellant, on Passieg de Gracia, with a metro station right outside, and 10mins walk to city centre Placa de Catalunya. Transportation was delightfully cheap, a 10-trip metro pass cost only 6.65eu, and can be shared.

Modernist architecture: Casa Lleo Morera (1905 by Lluís Domènech i Montaner); Casa Amattler (1900 by Puig i Cadafalch); Fundacio Tapies (1885 by Montaner)

Montjuic was the first stop, a hilltop park located in the SW region. No less of complaints, but our troupe led by the two flip-flop wearing leaders, still trekked up to Castell de Montjuic. Lovely overview of the city and ports, the MU fan also posed with cannons eerily similiar to Arsenal's logo. Then again, he was posing with everything and anything, earning the nickname 'Photoboy', still unbeknownst to him hehe. Coming downhill in a tourisy tram which sounded like its wheels would fall off any moment, we hopped off at Placa d'Espanya. 7 cameras powered up = photostops at the monumental Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, a pair of bell towers modelled after Venice's St. Mark's, and the circular Placa de Toros. Since I wasn't too keen to try bull's testicles, we didn't watch any bullfights (toros) during this trip.

CW from top left: Malats@Castell de Montjuic; posing Phing; Roy the Gunner; city view w/ Simon; towers & toros; Catalonian Art Museum

Getting off the metro stop Drassanes ("dockyard"), we were greeted by the Monument a Colom, a statue of Columbus covered with pigeon shit. It's even worse than Nelson's Column in London's Trafalgar Sq, too bad couldn't get a good shot because of the afternoon sun. This is where the 'happening' boulevard Las Ramblas starts, lined with news kiosks, street artists and cafes. For lunch, I had a falafel whilst the others had a bite at ol'Mac. It was a pleasant surprise that Barca had many gelaterias, so an ice-cream a day was a staple. This was what was most enjoyable about Barcelona - one can just stroll around the streets, plenty to see, feeling pleasant and mighty happy, gelato in hand. Just like a stroll through Covent Gardens with Ben's Cookies, or SS2 Pasar Malam with Deep Fried Sotong. However, we did miss some sights in Las Ramblas - Mercat de la Boqueria (wet market) sau tong already, and Gaudi's Placa Reial was being renovated.

Scenes along Las Ramblas

Next is the adjointing Barri Gotic ("Gothic Quarter"), where the 'old' Barcelona started off. Full of tight alleys, gothic buildings and wide plazas, it was a wonderful maze indeed. The buildings encircle the outstanding Cathedral, a church that ranks up there among the best I've seen around the world. Serene tiny garden, high gothic arches, glittering statues and alters every 10 steps - simply blew me away. We then chilled to a street performing couple's (guitar & accordian) sensual tunes, getting a relaxed half-hour's rest.

(top) Me and my deranged buddy; (bottom) Cathedral interior

Onwards to La Ribera, also a medieval area, was the elegant Basilica de Santa Maria del Mar, with the most impressive stained glass collection I've seen in a while. Thank the summer sun, but we still had time to have a go at the Museu Picasso. Similiar to Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum, it houses a comprehensive collection of Picasso's work, arranged in a chronological layout, although none of his most famous works were there. A good hour was spent there charting Picasso's revolutionary shift towards the contempory, although there were plenty laughs too, courtesy of Joseph. His 'l**j***' comment about an obscene sketch of a waiter flashing his birdie at a couple sure left us in stitches. Still, that pic was nothing compared to Dali's fascination with depicting female genitalia as lobsters, evident in London's Dali Universe. More Picasso is still to come later in the trip, so any artistic commentary will be left till then.

CW from top left: chillin'; The Lazy Tour; duh roadsign; cheeky posse; a post office that looks like a senate

Apparently it was some Catalonian holiday, and there were small street parties happening as we headed towards La Barceloneta for dinner. People dressed as vikings weilding huge plastic axes and dancing sure was amusing indeed. After getting lost trying to find a restaurant recommended by Lonely Planet (the add was correct!), we settled in a roadside restaurant amongst many, thanks to the waiter's welcoming cheeky grin. Sangria, mussels, sashimi-like salad, grilled cuttlefish, fried baby octopus, paella, and me&Phing's extremely-salty-cod. A fulfilling fest ends with a walk, a metro, and Simon tumbling into bed and snoring immediately. I'm still amazed at the ground we covered in one day, very accomodating entourage indeed haha.