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Barcelona
is hip, vibrant, welcoming. The capital of Catalonia and one of the most
important ports in the Mediterranean, it's an eclectic mixture of Gothic, 'modernist'
and contemporary architectural treasures. Its
most famous landmark is the Sagrada
Familia cathedral, the
fairy-tale like building in the northern part of the city centre. Its creator,
Antoni Gaudi, commenced
work on it in 1882 and concentrated all his energies on it until his untimely
death in 1926, when he was run-over by a tram. The
SAGRADA FAMILIA is
still under construction and may take another 50 years to complete. You can visit
its interior and take a lift to the top of the building.  Left:
The Sagrada Familia - Barcelona
Gaudi
was born in Reus, in the province of Tarragona in 1852 and was the undoubted leader
of the 'modernist' movement that began in the second half of the 19th century.
If you want to see some of the most original buildings, which took the art nouveau
concept to new heights, head for the L'EIXAMPLE area, to the north-west of the
RAMBLAS in the BARRI GOTHIC area, a stone's throw from the port.
Above:
Las Ramblas - BarcelonaBelow
Left: The Port - Barcelona
The
Barri Gothic 'quartier' is the oldest part of the city; a mix of narrow streets
and beautiful squares and for lovers of Tapas bars, a paradise. The TAVERNA
DEL BISBE, close to the Gothic cathedral, serves wonderful grilled fish such
as calamars, which you can wash down with excellent Rioja. Hotel Jardi
is a 2-star hotel in this area, which is clean, welcoming and won't burn a hole
in your pocket. It's located in . Plaça Sant Josep Oriol 1, Barri Gòtic.
Left: Plaça Sant
Josep Oriol 1, Barri Gòtic.
Just
off the Ramblas in Placa Reial, is the TAXIDERMISTA an excellent
medium priced restaurant which serves a mix of Catalonian dishes and ones from
other European countries. It's one of the few restaurants outside of northern
Italy that prepares memorable risotto. GUELL
PARK (pictured
below)in the north ot the city has wonderful views of Barcelona and the sea
beyond. Another Gaudi masterpiece appeals to kids of all ages and, importantly,
includes the house where Gaudi lived for many years, replete with the original
furniture - also created by the master architect / designer. 
LA
BARCELONETA
at the sea was a shanty-beach before Barcelona was awarded the 1992 OLYMPIC
GAMES. It was part of the Olympic Port area for the watersport activities
of the Games and is close to the Olympic Village. There is a cluster of good,
medium priced tapas bars and restaurants on the beach, including AGUA, a neat
restaurant that serves delicious food. 
The
Twin towers of the 1992 Olympic Village L'ASCENSOR
(You acually walk through an old lift to enter the bar) the middle of the Barri
Gothic quarter is an intimate little bar, ideal for a nightcap to finish the day's
visits. L'EIXAMPLE,
north of the Barrio Gothic and west of LAS RAMBLAS, is the district where most
of the 'modernist' buildings of Gaudi and his contemporaries Puig and Domenech
i Montaner created their original buildings for their clients in the second part
of the 19th century. Definitely worth visiting. TOUR
AGBAR, designed by Jean
Nouvel, is a dramatic cigar-shaped skyscraper 142 metres high. It's covered by
60,000 pieces of coloured glass. (Pictured beow - view from Guell
Park) 
CATALAN
MUSIC MUSEUM (La Muisica)
is another superb piece of modernist architecture, created in the early 20th century
by Lluis Domenech i Montamer. (picured below) 
PLACA
REIAL,
close to the Ramblas, is elegant with its palm trees and elegant arcades.
CAMP
NOU is
home to the FC Barcelona club, currently the best in Spain and also in Europe.
Enjoy
your visit to Barcelona, Spain All
photos ©jml Property Services February 2006 ©
jml Property Services February 2006
See
also
A
Definition of Bed and Breakfast Accommodation in One Place May Not be the Same
as in Another The
Hideaway Spa Guest House Javea Costa Blanca Spain For
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