Barcelona - Picture heavy

[MinteButtons]

A few weeks ago I went on my first trip abroad with school to Barcelona.
It was an art trip, so we visited some absolutely beautiful places.

Part 1
Travelling, Museo Teatro and Gerona

The first day started at lunch and was all travelling. We flew from Luton and I was shocked at how huge the planes were, though I was ecstatic to find out they sold Krispy Kremes.

The flight only took an hour and a half, and from the airport we drove to our hotel.
Ick. I didn't rate it highly, I would call it more of a hostel than a three star hotel. The rooms were small with scratchy sheets and the food was cold, but the rooms were cleaned regularly.

We crashed out, then got up at seven, probed the breakfast then got on the coach to travel to Museo Teatro.

When we arrived, we saw from the exterior that it wasn't going to be your average art gallery. Mind you, it is Salvador Dali!

We saw a very subtle shop on the walk to the entrance

The name Museo Teatro, is simply because the gallery used to be a theatre. The exterior walls were covered with clay bread rolls and the tops of the walls had giant eggs on them.

The front of the gallery.

It was wonderful, the gallery was built around a central courtyard, where there was a car that rained inside when you put a euro in, and sinks going around the top wall.

And a boat with raindrops hanging from it.

My favourite part was the goldwork.

There was a peephole in a room, where you looked through and you saw this

We had two and a half hours to go around the gallery, which was the perfect amount of time, as there is a lot to look at, and lots of different levels to get to.

We were given some time to get lunch, then it was back on the coach for the journey to Gerona.
It was about a hour and a half's drive from Figueres to Barcelona, but it was worth it.
Gerona is a beautiful city, with some lovely architecture. First we went for a walk around the streets.

Someone's got a load of socks!

Then we went for a walk around the city walls, and got some beautiful views of the city.

A few of the houses were decorated like this.

After a long walk, and a quick churro break we got on the coach to go back to the hotel.

Part 2
Parc Guell, Sagrada Familia, Montserrat and Casa de Gaudi

 

[MinteButtons]

Part 2
Parc Guell, Sagrada Familia, Montserrat and Casa de Gaudi

Right then, this was our busiest day with lots of time spent on the coach.
First we set off to Parc Guell and Casa de Gaudi.
They are on the same large lot of land, as it was designed by Antonio Gaudi as a housing development.
Unfortunately, it wasn't successful and Gaudi bought the show home to use as a house for him and his family, which is now a museum displaying a small amount of his work.

The exterior of his house.

There were some interesting designs inside, like this furniture and sculpture.

I was absolutely transfixed by a light shade and a wall of glass with a green light behind it.
What can I say, they were bright and caught my attention.

So ornate, it's beautiful.

And the slightly spooky wall of green light.

We didn't spend long in the house, as it was quite small and another party were coming in.
We walked the very very short distance to the park.
I thought the mosaic benches were pretty, apparently the shape of the seat was designed after a builder sat down in the wet cement, leaving a butt print.

We went down a level, through a well, it was meant to be a market.
Having a blonde moment here.......
Well, it was a building with a high roof held up by lots of stone columns.
Then we went down to see the mosaic lizard/gecko/dragon/frog.

In my opinion it's a lizard.
Oooh! And it's a fountain that's why it looks like it is drooling.

After a fairly short time, and stop at a overpriced snack booth we drove out to Gaudi's Cathedral.
When we got there we were told that we had a ticket to go up in a shuttle lift thing high up onto a platform, then we'd have to go down a spiral staircase.
Well, I chose not to, as I am petrified of heights, and when I get scared, my legs won't move and I root to the spot. That'd be fun for everyone behind me on the staircase!

I opted out and stayed down with another kid and a teacher, this meant I got more time to look round which was great as we only got to see a little bit as we only had an hour and a half.

It was BEAUTIFUL!
The front of the cathedral was about the good part's of Jesus's life, his birth mainly.
Then the back was mainly about his death.
One thing I loved, was that at the bottom of the pillars outside, there were big stone turtles!

The exterior was covered in loads of intricate carvings.

Full shot of the Cathedral's front.

It was very surreal how serene the cathedral was outside, compared to inside where there was loads of work going on.

Some MAHOOSIVE lights.

A beautiful stained glass window.

We then headed to the museum which had photos of the construction and planning images, mainly.

Showing the construction difference in nine years.

More construction photos.

A sketch of a design for the cathedral.

I'll do Part 3 sometime soon, that'll be Montserrat Monastery and the Picasso museum.[/b]

 

[MinteButtons]

Hurm, I've re-sized the humongous light shade picture and changed the link to that, but it doesn't seem to be working...

I'll try again.

If I can't sort it, sorry.

 

[Jake]

Did you encounter any pickpockets in Barcelona? Even I managed to get my wallet nicked on the metro, however I noticed as the guy was doing it and quickly grabbed it off him before he made his escape.

Also, what did you think to the inside of the Cathederal? I found it rather tacky!

 

[Mysterious Sue]

Hey Minty! I just love your picture of the river in Gerona - what funky housing!

Barcelona is a beautiful city - and I love the way that everything is so close together and you can see all the major landmarks from anywhere up high. Did you get a chance to see the chimneys on top of the Casa Milà? They are awesome.

My friends weren't so impressed with the over-reliance on Gaudi though, and spent the whole time we were there pointing at random objects:
'ahh a Gaudi bin'
'its a Gaudi plant pot' etc, etc :roll:

 

[MinteButtons]

Did you encounter any pickpockets in Barcelona? Even I managed to get my wallet nicked on the metro, however I noticed as the guy was doing it and quickly grabbed it off him before he made his escape.

Also, what did you think to the inside of the Cathederal? I found it rather tacky!

No, I didn't get anything stolen, even went we went to Las Ramblas, as it's meant to be hell for pickpockets there.
We didn't use public transport though, but we looked like obvious tourists, so I was very surprised no-one had anything stolen.

I liked it, I'd love to go back when they finally finish it, however it was a bit underwhelming after the outside.
I'd be good to compare them when it's finally finished.
Live with a quick trip, Tibidabo and PortAventure anyone? :wink:
16 years would give me enough time to save up the money.

 

[MinteButtons]

Hey Minty! I just love your picture of the river in Gerona - what funky housing!

Barcelona is a beautiful city - and I love the way that everything is so close together and you can see all the major landmarks from anywhere up high. Did you get a chance to see the chimneys on top of the Casa Milà? They are awesome.

My friends weren't so impressed with the over-reliance on Gaudi though, and spent the whole time we were there pointing at random objects:
'ahh a Gaudi bin'
'its a Gaudi plant pot' etc, etc :roll:

I've got to be honest, I didn't notice them as we only drove past, but after a bit of Googling, they are beautiful, I couldn't do anything like that with stone!

I did see a building, I'm guessing it was apartments that was almost completely covered with plants! There were trees, bushes and creepers growing all over the building.
Looked a little bit Dark Forest.....
I wouldn't wanna live there though, you wouldn't get much light in.

 

[MinteButtons]

Part 3
Montserrat and Picasso Museum

Montserrat means jagged or serrated mountain, I was looking forward to this, until we started driving up the mountain.
I am awful with heights, and I was sat by a window in a big coach going up a windy mountain road.
Blech, it was horrible and seemed to go on forever, we got out to find that the pathways had short rails with a view down the mountain.
I was really enjoying this!

Montserrat

We were given some time to get lunch from a buffet thing. I couldn't find much, as a vegetarian who has to rip all her food up in to little bits, but I had the best chocolate ring doughnut I've ever eaten!

Much better than Krispy Kremes!
I was lucky that I don't eat much, or Spain would have been hell.
Anyway, back on track.
We went outside to find a Californinan guy dressed as Mario, complete with oversized sneakers.
He was on a pilgrimage, we got some photos with hi while the teachers glared like he was pedobear and the childcatcher rolled in to one.

After a short walk, we arrived at the monastery. It wasn't that well thought out, taking a bunch of pepped up teenagers to a place where you have to be silent.
A bunch of people from our group were being ignorant and shouting to each other, very loudly. :roll:

Most of my pictures didn't come out well in the low light, but I got a few.

A lovely abstract glass window.

A marble carving on the side of the staircase.

The main reason most people visit Montserrat is to see the black virgin, a depiction of Mary, that was though to be an African-American depiction, but it had jus got really filthy from everyone issing it and touching it.
I wasn't really paying attention so I walked right past it, not noticing.

Nicked off google images.

One thing that made me laugh is that my friend tripped down some stairs, she said a priest came past and laughed at her!

We exited the inside part of the monastery, going out into a corridor of prayer candles well some kind of religious candle....
They were beautiful compared to the dull white candles in this country.

The courtyard part.

We got a cable car back down, which for a tin can down a mountain wasn't that bad.

We drove back to our hotel, prodded the dinner and went to sleep.
After packing and getting dressed in the dark because there was a powercut, we dragged our bags back down and loaded up the coach.

Sadly, we weren't allowed to take pictures in the Picasso museum, there were some great paintings but what I found more interesting was that on the wall near most paintings there were a couple of "planning" paintings. Basically the same but with a few subtle differences on each one.

About half way through, a guard came up to us and told us we had to be with a teacher which was a bit of a blow as we had to rush around the rest of the gallery as some people had legged it round and were bored.
:roll:

We walked back to the coach and drove to the airport, where we waited ages for check-in as only one desk was open and there were two flights being checked in.
I got to duty free and almost cried when I saw a meat free sandwich I could eat, I wolfed in down and went and stood in the boarding queue.

This flight was about oven an hour longer, we were flying further North from Barcelona but going to Liverpool, not Luton.
I enjoyed the flight, there was some fun turbulence and I got to sit by the wing.

It took quite a while to get through passport control, but it wasn't a very long journey back to school, from where I went home and wolfed down lots of chilli, as I hadn't had a proper meal in 3 days.

Bag dumped, into bed.

I've got to say, travelling was a whole new experience for me and I loved it.

 

[Mysterious Sue]

I've got to say, travelling was a whole new experience for me and I loved it.

Once you get the bug, there are too many places and so little time... :roll:

 

[Lofty]

Barcelona is a beautiful city. The architecture is astonishing.

Jake, it happened to my Dad, he near enough ended up fighting with the little moroccan man to get it back, it's really bad though, the people who bring the city down with crime actually have NOTHING to do with the city, or Spain for that fact, they're mostly Moroccan and/or Russian!

 

[Ian]

Lovely report.

*adds to list of places I want to visit*

 

[peep]

Very nice trip report. Lots of photos and just enough info, just the way I like a trip report

Sounds like you had a great time though.