Saturday 19 September 2015
On this day our plan was to see the city on board the Bus Turistic. The bus is a hop on/hop off tour that takes three routes through the city and you can get off whenever you feel the need to see something in more detail. Our plan was to ride all three routes, getting off around Port Olympic for lunch, then finishing the tour back where we started near Tibidabo.
There are many buses and they run most of the day. It is a really great way to see the main sites of the city. You get headphones that you plug into a system on the bus which explains what you are seeing as you go along in lots of different languages. If you go, try to sit on the upper deck in the open air. You get much better views. The outside of the bus is decorated really cute, but when you're inside, you can't see anything.
We started on the blue route and there weren't very many people on board so we were able to each get separate seats on the upper level. Again, it was a beautiful day. It was a little windy up there, but we had sweaters and felt fine. Except for Lizzie. She had caught a cold. She bought a powder at the pharmacy that made her drowsy, so the first part of the tour wasn't all that fun for her. :( She sat inside the bus and dozed a little, poor thing.
We caught the bus at Avinguda Tibidabo. The bus went past a convent, a house where Gaudi built the gate and Camp Nou, the home of FC Barcelona, the futbol team. The stadium is huge - it seats nearly 100,000 people and is the largest soccer stadium in Europe. FCB is a big deal. We only drove by, we didn't get our. Here's a photo I took, but it in no way shows how enormous the place is:
Camp Nou |
Mom and I kept our eyes open for people from the upper deck leaving and as soon as we could, we went to the upper deck. Lizzie stayed below and rested, like I said. We got to have upper level seats when we got to the Port Vell area which was where Lizzie and I had walked on Thursday. Mom (and the tour guide voice) was telling me how much the port area had been improved because of the Olympics in 1992. In fact, the next area was Port Olimpic. That's where we got off the red route bus to get on the green route bus.
The green route is the shortest. It takes you by the beaches and the Poblenou area. Here are some photos of the area:
one of Barcelona's seven beaches |
Torre Agbar tower looks like a torpedo or a ? |
calamare |
After a satisfying and fantastic meal, we were ready to continue seeing the sights. We got back on the red line and was able to get upper level seats. (Hooray!) Lizzie was feeling better. The cold powder medicine she took was a miracle.
During this part of the trip, I basically just stuck my camera in the air and snapped away. I have lots of pics that are mostly sky, but here are some that I like:
la catedral |
gorgeous detail on a building |
I can't remember the name of this house, but it looks cool |
Casa Amatller and Casa Battlo |
La Pedrera |
lamp post |
The work of the architect Antoni Gaudi is a significant part of Barcelona. His creativity and vision is evident around the city. In fact, his masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia church, was the next thing we got to see.
the Passion side |
the Nativity side |
The bus can't take you all the way to Parc Guell, but it gets you to a place where you can walk about 20 minutes up the hill to get to it. Much more about Parc Guell on day 11. (Teaser!!)
We finished our tour back at Avinguda Tibidabo. I really enjoyed the Bus Turistic. I would certainly do it again. If you go, take the tour. It's a great way to see everything in a day.
We wanted to go up to Tibidabo that night, and the tramvia blau runs on Saturday. It used to run every day, but I guess it's getting old and they only run it on weekends. We had to wait for it, so we decided to walk through the gardens that Lizzie and I found on day 4. We found out the garden was called Jardines de la Tamarita.
jardines de la Tamarita |
selfie time! |
Soon we were on the tramvia blau headed to Tibidabo.
tramvia blau |
Tibidabo is unique. There's a huge church up there and an amusement park and fantastic views of the city. I used to love to go there and ride the rides and walk all around. Today though, I was just there for the views. And, as luck would have it, some churros!
the view from Tibidabo |
When we arrived up there, the sky was a little cloudy. There was no worry about rain, but the photos were kind of dark.
the church and the carousel |
the church at Tibidabo |
And over by Montserrat, the sun was starting to set.
sunset |
I don't have to say it, but I will: it was a spectacular day.
Next time...we're off to Platja d'Aro!
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2 comments:
I am so happy that both of you love my city as much as I do :)
Barcelona was the city that started the endless love I have for Gaudi and his work, fuelled my love for tapas and showed me that I was capable of organising a break away and navigating transport in another country.
I'm glad you enjoyed it too.
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