Until coming to Barcelona, Rome was my most favourite city in the world to visit – now the “Eternal City” has a serious rival. My earliest recollections of Barcelona were associated with the 1992 Olympic Games, in particular the lighting of the cauldron with a flaming arrow, but that was from a filtered electronic distance. Of course, one repeatedly sees a few select pictures of the city over time – almost always the same ones such as the unfinished Sagrada Familia that begs the question how is it possible that construction can be so slow? Does Spain have more labour strife than anywhere else in the world? Is the project mired in either scandal or WorkSafe occupational issues? And then you hear from others about the wonders Barcelona has to offer and learn it is a major cruise ship destination…thus, for me, it just became a matter of time (and an economical cruise package) before I would experience Barcelona first-hand.
Within the first two days in Barcelona, I was taken with the architectural beauty of the city; similar to Rome, there is much variation in styles that reflect the different time periods and stages of development. A major difference is Rome’s legacy as an ancient civilization, whereby the antiquity of BCE structures intermingle with the Gothic, Renaissance, and more modern epochs. And, with the exception of cathedrals, another difference is the scale of some structures – as construction engineering advanced and economics became more of a factor, many basic architectural projects evolved, becoming more refined and compact. Cathedrals, as a symbol of historic Catholic power and dominance, are universally huge wherever one goes. In the residential quarters, density and sustainability also evolved as important factors in urban development. Of course, lack of a public transportation system meant walkable distances to markets and such were top of mind, as was defence from invaders such that a lot had to be packed within the city fortifications. As a port city, this was critical for Barcelona, that had a main walled city and hilltop military installations. But what resulted is a very walkable and pedestrian-friendly old city core for the modern invaders (tourists) and, from the looks of it, for the permanent residents.
The timing of our visit coincided with New Years that meant the first day of 2025 would likely be quiet and few services open. We already knew that the Hop On/Hop Off bus would be on holiday, as were most of the main public venues. So, with this in mind, New Year’s Eve day started with an exploration of the L’Iexample district to wander through one of the barrios that, coincidentally, the “gay village”. For the size of the city, I was quite surprised there was not the signage and flags one sees in Canada – it was quite a discreet presence to Davie Street in Vancouver or Church Street in Toronto. Catalonia has historically been quite liberal and progressive compared to much of the rest of Spain, so it may well be that being loudly out and visible isn’t regarded as necessary. In our hotel’s area on the La Rambla pedestrian walk, the presence of 2SLGBTQ+ individuals is obvious and seemingly part of the status quo…as, in my mind, it should be. But also, despite the strong Catholic past and ruthlessness of Isabella and Ferdinand’s reign (the Inquisition period), Spain became quite secular under Franco’s Fascist regime and was one of the first countries to legislate same-sex marriage. The last half of December 31 was spent getting the most milage from our Hop On/Hop Off ticket and scoping out areas for our next wanderings.
New Year’s Eve was a quiet affair for us, as it usually is – dinner out (well, no choice this year, being away and all), a glass of bubbly to salute the end of 2024, and then early to bed. There was a bit of revelry on the streets, from what I recall, and I did awaken to the sounds of fireworks at midnight as 2025 rolled in. But after all the walking, exploring, and tapas I was really starting to unwind and pretty much zonked out…sleeping in until 6:30 a.m. (what decadence!). Knowing that there would be limited services New Year’s Day and that, from our reconnaissance, we wanted to return to the top of Montjuïc to see the Olympic Park and other sites in daylight it was off by cab to our destination. And what a vista awaited us – the Olympic Plaza and original structures of the 1992 Olympiad overlooks both the old city of Barcelona and the urban sprawl to the south and west. Depending on the source you refer to, the metropolitan area has between 3.5 – 5 million people so the footprint of Barcelona is quite large. From our vantage point we had a commanding view of the Mediterranean waters (Balearic Sea is technically the body of water immediately off the coast) and the port, plus the whole of Barcelona. It was easy to understand how this terrain was a strategic military stronghold, especially with the cliffs on the waterside. As for the Olympic stadium, the iconic cauldron stood proudly aloft like an eternal beacon pointing over the old city.
The good thing about cabbing to Montjuïc was the leisurely downhill stroll to build momentum to get steps and kilometres in. We had done this route on the bus at night, so not calory burning and now it was quite a different perspective at ground level in daylight. Surprisingly, being relatively early and New Year’s Day, there were quite a few people out and about – cyclists, runners, dog walkers, and even family units. Oh, and the clean-up crews removing the evidence of NYE’s debauchery from the various plazas along our route. We went down past the grand National Palace to the Arena, the old bullring that was converted to a multilevel shopping centre with a circular viewing platform at the top. After another light tapas lunch it was off again, meandering through various neighborhoods on the way back to the hotel. There was a notably strong police presence carrying over from the day before, so security seemed to be at a high level. In my time in both Madrid and Barcelona I always felt safe, even in the huge crowds in the Placa de Catalunya and on La Rambla. I imagine there is a strong correlation with this to the visibility of the police, but I am not sure if this is a regular thing here or specifically connected to NYE and the holidays.
One of the biggest treats was venturing out later on New Year’s Day to discover the Gothic quarter. The high narrow alleyways and maze of side streets was absolutely incredible; there was something new to see literally around each corner – a medieval sculpture, a fountain, an ornate gateway, or a hidden courtyard. It reminded me of the medieval parts of Rome, Florence, Venice, and Verona…or even the Marais in Paris. I don’t know what it is, but there is something so intriguing about wandering through places like this that I could walk for hours. So many little boutiques and eateries tucked away in recesses and, even though I am a bit claustrophobic in tight spaces, it felt so comfortable – like the city was giving me a hug. And on this particular day, this was not where most of the tourists were; there was hardly anyone at all on the side streets as dusk started to settle in.
The old Gothic cathedral was particularly impressive, the spires accentuated by the golden setting sun. And there was just something so magical taking in the view and sharing the experience with the other awestruck people in the square. We had been told that the old city walls had been taken out, but one discovery we had was part of an exterior wall with a corner tower and ramp - the next day, on the way to the cruise terminal, we would see another long segment of the original fortress wall with several towers. And scattered within the Gothic quarter were several other towers, some part of churches and others that reminded me of the sort you see in Bologna.
And, so, the last full day of adventure in Barcelona was coming to a close and almost time to say good-bye…at least for now. The next leg of the journey will be the cruise to the Canary Islands, Morocco, and southern Spain. Since the ship returns to Barcelona, we will have another few days to take in more that the city has to offer. Top of the list will be a booked tour of the Sagrada Familia that should be quite the experience. In the meantime, I think I have a little homework to do – some more reading about Barcelona and its history with a view to determining what other delights need to be explored.
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