Lovely room in the B&B that we rented; we were fortunate enough to get there safely after various delays with our flight because of the strikes in Nice. By the time we arrived we were both ready to collapse.
First stop on the following day was the Sagrada Familia, didn't manage to go in because the line was massive.
After about an hour of getting lost, we found the Gothic quarter where there're loads of old Roman pieces still standing.
Cool street art.
Eco-shop selling products entirely made up of recycled items!
Doggy at the window.
Found a cultural centre at one of the little alleys in the Gothic Quarter, this was a pleasant surprise.
There was a photography exhibit on domestic violence indoors.
We were starving at this point but made the bad decision to enter a random bar/pub that offered food. The paella was about the same price (slightly pricier) than what was offered at nice restaurants but it was sub-standard and the portion was measly. The pan looks pretty decent but it was actually really shallow, most of the other places had more than enough for 2 to share. Still, it was alright.
Went for gelato after the unsatisfying lunch.
Walked down the streets to explore, loads of touristy stuff which we didn't need, but it was lovely to just stroll.
Huge store selling leather goods of all colours, shapes, sizes.
Huge square in the middle of the city with fountains.
Casa Batllo, home of Gaudi. Intricately designed and slightly pricey to enter, worth the fee though.
View from the roof.
After this we went shopppping at Primark which was slightly disappointing compared to our experience in Frankfurt, but still good enough!
Chicken & maggie dinner for budget travellers :3
The next day we left bright and early to visit Monserrat mountain. Took an hour long train ride to get to the foot of the mountain where we took a cable car up!
The view was breathtaking.
Vendors selling local cheese, honey and other products. They were all really friendly and kept offering passerby samples and the like.
Walked up a trail to see the religious memorabilia, it was amazingly tranquil.
Took a break for our packed lunch!
There were so many things to visit; different trails, cathedrals, museums etc, but we had no time so we just walked around a lot and visited the basilica.
Finally got to the basilica where there were loads of tourist groups, which we were able to bypass thankfully.
The interior was nothing short of majestic.
By the time we got out of the basilica, it was time to leave the mountain (lest we missed the last train back to Barcelona).
Found a restaurant by the beach that my parents recommended and had amazing paella and razor clams. This was 100% worth it; comforting after an extremely long day.
Walking back to the train station to get back home, the sky was perfect.
Our first stop for the last day in Barcelona: Picasso Museum! Photography was not allowed in the museum but I took a few shots before I got chastised into knowledge, lol.
Exterior of the museum.
Scores of beautiful/artsy postcards at the museum store, I got 2 for myself!
Barcelona Cathedral, which we were not allowed to enter due to our sleeveless tops and shorts.
Lunchbox featured leftovers from our sumptuous meal the previous night :3
Stopped for icecream because we were ahead our schedule!
It was fantastic, but enough to cool us down nicely.
Scrambled like crazy trying to find the correct bus to the famous Park Guell (only 30mins leeway from the reservation time, if we passed that we would've wasted our money + been denied entrance). Was so relieved to finally find it!
Fortunately for us, the weather was perfect for photo taking - though this meant that it was sweltering.
Structures and buildings were all designed by Guadi.
Beautiful garden which was I was really excited about despite the heat.
The entire park was so beautiful and perfect looking, I felt like I was in some kind of artificial Neverland. It was almost too beautiful, hahaha.
Super excited for our last stop: Barcelona's Museum of Contemporary Art!
My favourite part; film of a couple having a "dialogue":
"But it's supposed to be a dialogue."
"One person staying silent can still be a dialogue. I get the impression that you want me to defend myself. Keep talking."
"I want to know what I've done. I even climb into bed with a strange woman to feel some warmth. They tell me they need to tend to the house, but call them if I need help. But I need you."
...
"At one time you appreciated what I did for you."
"I can't stand coercive force that pretends to be love."
"What do you mean coercive force?"
"I'm against all forms of blackmail."
"But we're in a marriage. If I perish here.."
"You're blackmailing me again."
"Don't be so sure of yourself!"
"Crying shows you have a lot of life left."
After an extremely satisfying museum visit, we strolled down the sunny streets for a bit before heading home to pack and have dinner because we had an early flight back to Sweden the next morning.
This was pretty cool.
Sunrise in Barcelona at 6am after another harrowing journey, too many mishaps regarding transportation in the month of June. Was just glad to be going home, but still, it was a pretty amazing trip :3
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