BEAUTIFUL BARCELONA | DREAM TRIP PART I

19 Comments45th Anniversary Trip, Life, Memoir, Photography, Travel

Gone Cruisin' 45th anniversary trip

In 2013, we embarked on an incredible journey to mark our 40th anniversary.
Five years later, wanderlust struck again!
This is a continuing series. Come along for the ride, will you?

Sept. 7 to 9, 2018

Barcelona, Spain map
Mapswire (CC BY 4.0)

Well I’ve Never Been To Spain
But I Kinda Like The Music
                      – Three Dog Night

Not entirely true; I did visit The Canary Islands and Spanish Sahara way back in 1967 but have never been to the Spanish mainland before. It was everything I had dreamt of (since childhood) and so much more! Still on the bucket list is the rest of this beautiful country.

Viva Españia!

flag of spain, Beautiful Barcelona!

Barcelona, the capital of Spain’s Catalonia region, is known for its art and architecture. It has two official languages: Catalan and Castilian Spanish. They are distinctly different, but most people here speak both.

Hosting the Summer Olympics in 1992 brought about positive changes to this industrial city, making Barcelona the 12th most popular destination in the world and the 5th in Europe.

Breathtaking vistas, immaculate streetscapes, epicurean delights and historical landmarks all come together to provide visitors with an unforgettable experience!

Check out the size of those glasses. Loved the sangria!
Photo taken at Las Ramblas, Barcelona’s “main drag.”

Beautiful Barcelona - guide book and refreshments at Las Ramblas
Can’t wait to get started!

First impressions of Barcelona:
[click on images to open in separate window]

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More than any other, Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926)a practitioner of “Modernisme,” left his mark on the city. His most famous buildings have been deemed UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Park Güell was originally meant to be a housing development, envisioned by Count Eusebi Güell, after whom it was named. He commissioned Gaudí to design it, and they both moved into existing houses there, but the endeavour failed. It is now a popular tourist attraction.

Click on images to open in a separate window.

La Sagrada Familía Basilico is Gaudi’s most famous edifice. Formally known as “Basilica I Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada” (Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family), construction began in 1882 with a different architect, who resigned a year later.

Gaudí took over and devoted the remainder of his life to the project. At the time of his death, when a streetcar ran him down (in 1926), less than a quarter of the project had been completed. His remains are buried in the crypt.

Click on images to open in a separate window.

Relying solely on private donations, Sagrada Familia’s construction progressed slowly and was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War, only to resume intermittently in the 1950s.

Advancements in technologies have improved the process, and construction passed the midpoint in 2010. The anticipated completion of the building is 2026—the centenary of Gaudí’s death.

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More Barcelona street scenes:
[click on images to open in separate window]

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Lastly, speaking of liking the music, we attended a fabulous exhibition of Spanish culture and folklore at Tablao Flamenco Cordobés, including delicious tapas and flowing Cava (Spain’s equivalent to French champagne).

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Except where noted, photos and video
©Debbie D. & thedogladysden.com

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So, have you ever been to Spain?
Do you kind of like the music?

Looking forward to your comments!
Debbie's signature

NEXT CHAPTER:
THE CRUISING LIFE | DREAM TRIP PART II
Cruise ship

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19 thoughts on “BEAUTIFUL BARCELONA | DREAM TRIP PART I

  1. Hey Girl,
    I’m finally getting over here! What a way to kick off your trip! So much incredible architecture. I LOVE the Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family. It is stunning! And extremely visually interesting and compelling. Very fitting that Gaudi is buried in the crypt there. What an unfortunate death. How old was he when he died?
    I also really dig “El Drac”! That is very cool. I couldn’t quite decide after looking at it for a while: is that his tail behind him?

    What a juxtaposition in your photo “old meshes with new”! There is certainly some fabulous current architecture but there is nothing like the old European architecture. That would probably be my favorite aspect of Euro travel.

    Love that you included Three Dog Night’s “Never Been to Spain”. I love that song!

    That was cool that you saw that flamenco performance. I’m curious: what do you think of the flamenco dance? I know flamenco is comprised of various elements but specifically what do you think of the dance aspect? Like it, don’t like it?

    And thanks for including one of my favorite Three Dog Night songs!

    Have a great weekend. Will look forward to your next installment: the Cruising Life. Yay!

    Michele at Angels Bark

  2. Debbie,

    The structures are most interesting in Barcelona. The stone tunnel archway is really cool but what I loved the best is La Sagrada Familía Basilico. The detail in architecture is pAwesome. The statues carved in the side of this building are incredible. This had to be amazing to see! Thanks for sharing and I can’t wait to see more! 😉

  3. The architecture of the church is absolutely brilliant… Beautiful and so artistically made. Loved this tour of Spain and enjoyed reading the stories behind the places.

    1. And to think, this is only one city in Spain! I want to go back and spend a month touring the rest of the country. 😀 I’m glad you enjoyed this glimpse of Barcelona. Thanks for coming by!

  4. Wow!! Spain has been on my Travel list for some time now and I think I sort of travelled in slow mo through your pics. What gorgeous photographs you have taken of this trip Debbie. Thanks for sharing

  5. I loved my visit to Spain. I would like to go back and see Sagrada Familia which I missed when I was there. Not much of an attraction in 1969. Looking forward to the rest of your adventure.

    1. I loved Barcelona and would like to someday do a longer tour of Spain, including other cities. Yes, I guess the basilica wasn’t so impressive 60 years ago. We didn’t have time to tour the inside, but the exterior alone is amazing!