If you haven’t traveled solo, you need to fix that. 

There are so many kind and wonderful people in this world that embrace you for who you are. 

Nothing like it. 

So let’s have some pictures then!

Actually this will be a three part adventure and you can virtually travel along if you choose 

The first day is always a wash after a long {12 plus goddamn hours} overnight flight so it was high past motherfucking time for some tapas and wine. After getting the keys to my rental, stocking up on food and drink supplies for the room, then showering and unpacking, I began wandering towards a tapas place that I had targeted weeks earlier when I just so happened to encounter this.

Holy shit that’s Palau Güell! One of Antoni Gaudi’s finest works! And it just so happened to be on my way for some sustenance. AND about a 5 minute walk from my room.

For more on the food and beverages consumed please refer back to the “Food Off” post I collaborated on along with fellow traveler RTD.

After dinner I headed back to my rental. Let’s check out the swanky digs.

This will indeed fucking do. Love the disco ball effect. Let’s get a look at the view from the balcony.

Oh.

Turns out my window opens on Plaça Reial, or “Royal Square.” This turned out to be, I think the word “problematic” is a soft sell here. Let’s go ahead and call it “fucked” instead.

Oh, here’s Plaça Reial in the daytime.

it’s a large square that is literally surrounded on all sides by restaurants, bars and clubs with a hotel thrown in for good measure.

It is fucking packed all day and it rages until 5:00 AM every morning.

But hey! Gaudi designed the lamp posts!

Fun aside: Just a few meters East is another Plaça.

Plaça de George Orwell! No shit.

I did later find and use a large stand up fan and the air conditioner on subsequent nights which produced enough white noise to help.

After the first night’s (lack of) sleep it was off on a walking tour of the Gothic Quarter and the City Center.

To be completely honest there are a lot of these photos where I could not tell you the subject. The trip was a few weeks ago and trust me, alcohol WAS freely consumed so my memory does not serve me proper justice.

How’s about a pictorial instead. There will be interjections when possible.

Here’s our walking group and guide.

We walked throughout the Gothic Quarter and visited many famous landmarks and I have the photos to prove it! 

The majority of these were simply took because I liked the architecture or the angle. We did walk on a gorgeous day and the sky will demonstrate that as we move along.

And I fucking love gargoyles.

This is original Roman brickwork and I believe it was a bridge over the original aqueduct.

This next one I do know.

That is “El món neix en cada besada” or “The World Comes To Life With Each Kiss.” A mural that debuted “in 2014 for the 300th anniversary of September 11, 1714, a day known as Catalonia Day.” According to an article on CNTraveler.com.

When you get close you will notice that the mural is made up of small photos of everyday life or things in and around Barcelona that people claimed brought them joy.

Here’s a sample.

Next we approached the outside of the original city wall.

If you notice the sidewalk arching up, that was where the original drawbridge was and you can tell from the stone on either side the age of the edifice. Cool shit.

The city was spectacularly clean by the way. So much in fact that you were always aware of the possibility of just washed and still wet surfaces.

Next stop, The Cathedral of Barcelona, or “The Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia.”

Fuck, I love that shot. Got a few more from various angles.

And around towards the side of the cathedral I found…

More Gargoyles! These are in place to assist with the draining of the cathedral roof when it rains.

That’s right. When it rains, these gargoyle’s spew water. I would have walked the mile plus from my room in the rain if I had the opportunity just to see that.

On the back wall of the cathedral there were rooms that a person more learned to the ways of cathedrals and catholicism would be able to describe better. Here’s an original “mailbox” or mail depository above one such room.

Our guide said that the birds carved above the mail slot were done “whimsically” as if they would be depositing birdshit on the mail. That’s the memory I’m going with.

We were told that this is the oldest palm tree in Barcelona.

The courtyard is gorgeous.

I love the light play in this next shot.

And the juxtaposition between old and new.

Onwards to Plaça del Rei or “King’s Square.”

We passed more architecture and narrow streets along the way.

There we are. The square is a 14th century structure that was basically the town square. It hosted markets, jousts, the more-than-periodic execution and all of the normal festivities. In fact the majority of the executions during the Spanish Inquisition took place right here.

Or so my guide told me. 

Here is a “fun with perspective” shot.

The angle for this comes with a story. I did not intentionally take this shot to get that whole “Which way is up” dynamic you see here. Rather, with my vertigo issue and the subsequent difficulty looking up at tall things, I simply had to grab hold of a wall to take the photo of the tower you see here. Without the wall I would fall unceremoniously on my ass.

The tower is known as Mirador del Rei Martí or “King Martin’s Watchtower” and was built in the 15th century. For the longest time this was the tallest tower in Barcelona and it is said that this is the very tower where Queen Isabella “Saw three ships come sailing in” when Columbus returned from the new world after poisoning, enslaving and basically completely fucking over every place he landed. 

Nice work, Chris!

Time to leave this veritable Disneyland of fun and frivolity and head back towards the Barri Gòtic.

We next encountered fully preserved Roman columns.

This is the remnants of the Temple of Augustus.

Another angle.

I refer to this next photo as “That square that I wandered through several times and there were protests there that one day” as I have no idea what its actual name was.

The protest was for equal pay and I think they were city workers. As I left the tour to go back to my room I got turned around by the twisting narrow streets and ended up walking right into a line of protesters that was, no shit, probably 3,000 people strong marching right up the street I was trying to walk down.

It was, “noisy” I guess would be the word.

This next one I do know.

That’s City Hall with both the Spanish and the Catalonian flags flying. Yes, separatism is still a very strong movement here and there were separatist flags everywhere.

At the edge of the Gothic Quarter and right near the city center, Barcelona basically turns into Rodeo Drive with ALL of the designer stores on the planet. The transition from the dark, narrow and ancient streets of the Quarter to this ultra-ritzy neighborhood is stunning. Plus there’s a fountain there.

Time to head down La Rambla back into the depths of the Gothic Quarter where I was staying.

There were FC Barca stores EVERYWHERE.

There was also a shitoload of construction going on La Rambla the entire trip.

Factor that along with the location of my room AND the fact that a major train station was about a block away, this was not exactly a tranquil trip.

BUT! It was fucking awesome.

Next time we’re going to take a closer look inside of one of Antoni Gaudi’s structures.

Until then…

Salud!