Renfe were right back on track though, with departure and arrival right on cue - well done! They showed a movie, but unfortunately for me while the original was in English, it had been dubbed to Catalan (the local language for Barcelona - don't whatever you do call them Spanish), and it had Spanish sub-titles, so I was out of luck - more time to watch the passing scenery. And what stunning scenery - with small villages, some with old ruins of fortresses overlooking them, rolling plains to mountains in the distance, and then finally the Mediterranean, which we skirted along for a while, with villages all decked out in white.
Barcelona is the capital city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, and the second largest city in the country, with a population of 1,620,943 within its administrative limits. The urban area of Barcelona extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of around 4.5 million, making it the sixth-most populous urban area in the European Union. About five million people live in the Barcelona metropolitan area. It is the largest metropolis on the Mediterranean Sea, located on the coast between the mouths of the rivers Llobregat and Besòs, and bounded to the west by the Serra de Collserola mountain range, the tallest peak of which is 512 metres (1,680 ft) high.
Founded as a Roman city, in the Middle Ages, Barcelona became the capital of the County of Barcelona. After merging with the Kingdom of Aragon, Barcelona continued to be an important city in the Crown of Aragon. Besieged several times during its history, Barcelona has a rich cultural heritage and is today an important cultural centre and a major tourist destination. Particularly renowned are the architectural works of Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i Montaner, which have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The headquarters of the Union for the Mediterranean is located in Barcelona. The city hosted the 1992
Summer Olympics as Kim well-knows.
However, with easy instructions, the apartment was found relatively easily, with only one change of line and a short walk from the nearest station.
After checking into the apartment, it was time for a walk. Nearby is the Arc de Triomf: an arch in the manner of a memorial or triumphal arch, built as the main access gate for the 1888 Barcelona World Fair. Located at the top of the Passeig de Lluís Companys, a wide promenade leading to the Ciutadella Park, the arch is built in reddish brickwork in the Neo-Mudéjar style, measures thirty meters tall and is abundantly decorated on all sides with stone carvings and ceramic tiles.
So, deciding to head into the city, which would also help get my bearings, I easily found the Cathedral (known as Le Seu, referring to the status of the church as the seat of the diocese), which sits in the heart of the Gothic Quarter. Interesting thing about the Cathedral is the opening times. It's free from 8am to 12:45pm, then shut for 15 minutes, when it re-opens at 1pm, and it costs 6 euros until 5pm, when it shuts for another 15 minutes, before opening a third time from 5:15pm until 7:30pm - again for free: the only thing I can put it down to is that they'd rather be having their siesta from 1pm-5pm, so if you want to see it then, well, you're just going to have to pay for it.
So, at 5:15pm, it was time to enter.
The first stone of the current church was laid in the 13th century, but it would last until the early 20th century before the cathedral was fully completed. The church is 93m/305ft long and 40m wide; built between 1386 and 1393 the octagonal bell towers reach a height of more than 50m while the spire of the central tower reaches a height of 70m or 230ft,
The church was named after Barcelona's co-patron saint Eulalia, a young virgin who, according to Catholic tradition, suffered martyrdom during Roman times in the city. One story says that she was exposed naked in the public square and a miraculous snowfall in mid-spring covered her nudity. The enraged Romans put her into a barrel with knives stuck into it and rolled it down a street (according to tradition, the one now called Baixada de Santa Eulàlia).
The Cathedral's official name - Catedral de la Santa Creu i Santa Eulalia - is Catalan for Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia. The interior consists of one wide nave illuminated by large, 15th century stained-glass windows. The nave is flanked by aisles with 28 side chapels. One of the highlights inside the cathedral is the crypt below the Capella Major (chancel) which contains the sarcophagus of Santa Eulalia. The cathedral has a secluded Gothic cloister where 13 white geese are kept, the number explained by the assertion that Eulalia was 13 when she was martyred.
The present Gothic cathedral was begun on the foundations of the previous churches on 1 May 1298; James II the Just was King of Aragon at the time, and Bernardo Pelegri was Bishop of Barcelona. The church was built from the east end towards the west end, with a simple west facade completed in 1417. The cloister was completed in 1448, making the total duration of construction 150 years. In the late 19th century, the neo-Gothic façade was constructed over the nondescript exterior that was common to Catalan churches. The roof is notable for its gargoyles, featuring a wide range of animals, both domestic and mythical.
- It is probably the liveliest of the Spanish cities I've visited, with quite a lot of coming and going - maybe it's the Mediterranean influence.
- Catalan is the favoured language here; most signs are tri-lingual with Catalan, Spanish and English (which is fortunate for me).
- More people speak English here than elsewhere in Spain.
- There are a lot more cigars smoked than elsewhere in Spain - I kid you not, they were everywhere, and by men (only men) of all ages.
- You need to watch your step because like the rest of the Iberian peninsula, the streets are not so much paved with gold as lined with dog-crap!
- Defiantly independent, Barcelona still remains Spanish to the core - sorry Barcelona, it's true, you really are Spanish, like it or not.