48 Hours in Barcelona

On arrival at Barcelona International Airport, I caught the Aerobús to Plaça de Catalunya for €4.25 (single) and went to the Tourist Information on arrival for maps and information.

I started to walk to my hotel Montcada using my map, which I printed out via Google Maps before I left home. The map I had was useless, so I went back to my caveman, cub, scout days and used the sun to locate my hotel, as I knew where North, South was and where the sun should be. I came across The Cathedral of Santa Eulalia, as I think I was walking down Av Portal de l’Angel. I then noticed Starbucks coffee place on Via Laietana, which I saw on Google Street Maps a few days earlier and then I knew where the hotel was.

My room wasn’t read when I checked into reception. It would another hour before it was ready, so I was given another map and asked where the dodgy area’s are and the receptionist highlighted the area left of La Rambla, where she said, that’s where prostitutes’, hookers (she was trying to think of the word in English) gather at night, laughing as she said it. I too started smiling and then she said, take care of money and other valuables items, as there are pickpockets, especially on La Rambla. I thanked her as I took my map and headed back outside and I walked to Starbucks Coffee to get a hot sugary drink as I studied my map.

After my drink, I decided to take a wonder around The Cathedral of Santa Eulalia, and side streets before heading back to the hotel. Camera in hand I started to stroll towards the square and taking pictures of the Picasso paintings on the side of the building opposite the Cathedral. I carried on walking down Placa Nova next to the Cathedral under the archway on Carrer de Bisbe onto Placa de Sant Jaume and then turning left onto Carrer de Jaume I passing the metro on my left, and back to the hotel to check in.

After checking in and being given a glass of Cava I guess it was, I got into the lift to my room (607), which wasn’t a bad size room, the only window was not a good view as it was an internal room, not one of the rooms that overlooked Via Laietana or Ferran. Anyway not too disappointed as I was only there for 2 nights, I unpacked and went up the roof to get a birds eye view of the city and get my bearings. Wow, what a view of the city. The Waterfront, Montjuic and Sagrada Familia can be seen from up here.

That evening, I walked without my camera down Via Laietana to the Waterfront across Passeig de Colom onto Moll d’Espanya. It’s a sunny warm evening; people old and young are out enjoying the evening sunshine. Young people are heading to the Imax Cinema and Multi Cinema. I walk further towards Maremagnum. I take a seat overlooking the waterfront towards Torre Jaume I with the warm evening sun on my face and looking at the cable car passing between Torre Jaume I and Tiro Nacional and enjoying one of the floating human sculptures appearing to look towards the clear blue Spanish sky.

I headed back via Columbus column and up La Rambla passing the numerous stalls to Ferran, where I took a right back to the hotel, but via an Irish Pub, Temple Bar and Cappuccino coffee house for a very thick hot chocolate. When I got back to the hotel I went up to the roof terrace and took photos of the surrounding area using the night setting on the camera.