Thursday, January 12, 2012

" Barcelona and Me "

Part II of our trip leads us to the Arc de Triomf structure, dated is what it looks like but interesting details once you look closely,
It is imposing just like I'd imagined.
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Barri Gothic area, literally beside the beautiful Barcelona Cathedral, which is a must visit.
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Tempting gift shops and whatnot along the streets of the Gothic quarter.
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I think this one is heading to Dali's petite museum.
Interesting find as well.
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One museum we almost wanted to skip because earlier that day, we went to Columbus' tower to view
its 360, but was dissapointed in its crammed and claustrophobic space.
But this newly renovated Palau Guell begs to differ.
Thankfully we both agreed to take a look inside and was the tour really worth it.
If only we weren't pressured for time, we could stay there for hours.
So much to see inside and what's more, you can take all the pictures you want without restrictions,
accompanied with an audio explanation in every room.
The entrance fee was 10 euros.
This is the exterior.
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and a shot of its interior.
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but the piece de resistance is at the top floor are
Gaudi's signature mosaic tiled works or
Trencadis which can be seen in the chimney tops.
really mind blowing, even the flooring is a bit wavy, you seem to be floating on top of the edifice.
the view is also breathtaking. ^0^
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We also went to the huge Arenas de BCN and thereby, stopping at Placa Espanya.
the structure is the biggest torre I've ever seen. ^-^
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Then, we were lured by this huge dome shaped structure ahead, we don't know what it was yet, but we went further,
and finally to MNAC museum.
Not what we had planned to visit, but sometimes its good to let your feet wander to where it leads you.
Again, the view of the Tibidabo and the city was picture perfect.
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On our last day, that was the 25th of Dec.
ALL the shops are literally closed because of the holiday, we were worried where to eat or what to see,
so, we walked around Universitat, Passeig de Gracia, the winding roads of Calle de...,
all the way to Eixample where Casa Batlo and the more Casas are located.
But the one thing I forgot to see was La pedrera's Casa Mila.
I thought, we already did but I got the Batlo and Mila all mixed into One. ^0^
Well, we did took a haste photo of it while in the bus, I was hoping to take a closer look into it though.
Oh well...
and no, we opted not to go inside Casa Batlo even when it's open on that day.
the entrance fee cost 18.15 euros.
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Most of the buildings here in BCN are interesting, something I don't see here everyday,
In fact, a lot of the locals are always looking at us when we were taking fotos,wondering
what in the world are they doing?! ^0^

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One middle aged man kept calling me "Nee-Hau" several times, he thought I was chinese. ^-
He said, go further up the street, " Hay una bonita Casa Alli. " - there's a nice house there.
I said to myself, this better be not a sick fat joke or else...
and he was right, it was indeed beautiful. ^-^


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and one thing that is clearly evident in all the shops are these loud Graffiti art.
even this tree wasn't spared.
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In the alleyways, you'd sure to find clothesline all in a row.
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Of course the trip wouldn't be complete without a few stranger shots.
I'm surprised to say that most Catalans are not camera shy, in fact, when they see your lens zooming their way,
they will give you their candid smile. ^-^

This is along Estacio de sants.
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and oh! I just like the symmetry in this foto, it took me 15shots to capture the unblurry one. i think there's also a hint of my reflection.
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and oh! i wish i could taste those tasty Paella, the smell coming from the pan will make you go hungry.
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although, we never tried the metro, we did take a few fotos inside.
not really inviting was all I could say, It was dark and dim, there were beggars and potential thieves.
If you've been to Singapore or elsewhere, you know what I mean.
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and wherever you go, you'd sure find one Pinoy in the city. ^0^
and the menu here says it all.
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lastly, the trip wouldn't be complete without meeting a fellow blogger from BCN daily foto.
Here's a foto of Rob, Mandy and Me outside the bar.
Thanks for giving us a quick tour, a taste of the catalan's Sangria and your warmest welcome, despite your busy schedule.
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and to Albert, a dear friend of Pepperoni, who treated us with warm teas and delectable brownies at Caj Chai.
It took us awhile to find the place, because even the locals have a hard time remembering the narrow streets. ^0^
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so ends the BCN tour here.
I will be posting more of the trip on my other blog, Mon Journal de Voyage which I hope you could take a visit.
and Next stop, On va a Paris. ^0^

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7 comments:

  1. Arabesque what a wonderful set of images! I am so glad you liked Barcelona. It is such a great place.

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  2. Nice shots. Love the architecture in Barcelona. I haven't been in over 20 years.

    I just remember my friend Carmen pointing out how crowded the buses were. Like we were in India.

    We didn't use the subway, either. Now I know why. About the only place I didn't use the subway while I was in Europe.

    I remember this one time Carmen parked in a public garage. It was pretty dark. I didn't really like that feeling much. Carmen didn't seem to be too uneasy about the place, so I just followed her lead.

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  3. bcn is an outdoor museum. you just wouldn't get bored.

    if i had to move to europe, it had to be in bcn. i simply fell in love with this city.

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  4. You really made a max of the few days you had there!

    Although I'm not French (but almost feel like it), I feel ashamed by the decription you give (on your previous post) of the French visa procedure! Happy you made it anyhow!

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  5. Gosh Arabesque what a fun trip you had, thanks so much for the pictorial tour! It must have been great to catch up with Rob and Mandy. Barcelona looks like a fabulous place to visit.

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  6. I love Spain but have never been there! Thanks for sharing all the photos, Arabesque! Sounds like an absolutely wonderful trip :D

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thanks for sharing your thoughts! :)

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