Barcelona, part II - La Seu continued

I was rereading my first Barcelona entry and it really makes me look rather bad now. I have no idea how I managed to remember so much and go into so much detail. I wish I could just say that this is another photo article because it sort of is. It's short, because the next entry has me going to another place and meeting some people, and I want to theme that instead of chopping it up as I have done for other entries.

Anyway - and writing all this makes me guilty, because now I have to add I remember in front of every sentence, instead of just plunging brazenly into the action - I remember wandering around Ciutat Vella (see, THIS is why I have to get them all out as soon as possible.!). I'm going to admit at this point that I had to go back and search for my itinerary to include some of the names of the places jog my bad memory, and when I found what I think I was looking for, I was rather surprised. Who knew that I've come such a long way in planning..! My later itineraries are methodological, standardised and chronologically ordered. This first itinerary, where it all started, was a hodge-podge to say the least. No wonder I couldn't find it. I've included some of it below, formatting and all. It's very colourful.

Ciutat Vella Barcelona's old town, including the pseudo-medieval Barri Gotic, La Rambla, El Raval, and El Born (also known as La Ribera):La Ribera:
1. Palace of Catalan Music (Palau de la Musica Catalana) (admission 15 euros) Metro: Lines 1 and 4. Urquinaona station - Buses: Lines 17, 19, 40 and 452. St. Mary of the Sea Cathedral (Iglesia de Santa Maria del Mar) (admission free) three minute walk from Jaume I Metro Station (Yellow Line)3. Carrer Montcada Metro: L4 stop Jaume I.| Bus: 17, 39, 45, 51, 120 and V17.4. Passeig del Born Bus: 17, 39, 45, 51, 120 and V17,  Metro: L4 Jaume IEl Raval:
1. La Rambla (plaça catalunya metro station), walk straight down to Placa Reial2. Drassanes metro Drassanes (M: L3), admission 5 eurosBarri Gotic:1. Cathedral of Santa Eulalia / La Seu (admission 5 euros) Line 4 of the Barcelona metro and get off at the Jaume I station. Bus routes include 17, 40, and 45.2. Palace Guell(might not be open)(admission 5 euros)  Liceu, line 3 metro, 14, 59, 91, 120 buses.Plaça Reial(next to La Rambla)

Actually, this has helped quite a bit, and I know where I'm standing now. The basic layout of Barcelona is that it's divided into 4 quarters: Ciutat Vella, the Gothic quarter (where we're located now), and where I spent most of my time. Then Eixample, the Modernist quarter, noted for its art nouveau buildings, most famous of which is the renowned Sagrada Familia. Then the Sants-Montjuïc, of which I most vividly remember the Castle Montjuic, Placa Espanya and Font Majica, and Gràcia, where my hostel was located, which was formerly an independent town that joined the city in the 20th century. Its description was "Narrow streets and a cosmopolitan and young atmosphere with not too many tourists."

Writing all of this has jogged quite a bit of my memory, and now I'm good to go. All right.

Well, I basically just wandered around Jaume I and Catalunya. The weather was scorchingly hot. Barcelona is nothing if not terrifically photogenic. Actually - and I don't know if this is nostalgia speaking, or the fact that it's been almost a year since I went - looking at these photos now, Barcelona seems to be a rather beautiful city. Certainly not as bad as I remember it. I like Gothic buildings, with their spindly spires and dark majesty.

Actually, yes I do think I remember what I didn't like - the weather, and the unbearable amount of tourists milling around. If Dresden, say, had been this hot, I probably wouldn't have liked it much either. O Dresden!

Still, these pictures recall the Mediterranean sultriness of Barcelona - the palm trees, the idyllic sun and blue skies, and yes the tourists.

I got around fairly easily thanks to my Hola BON card, and of course I have no idea what I ate for dinner when I got back, which I do remember was rather early since the sun was getting to me. I basically lived off unhealthy microwave dinners since the food in Barcelona was surprisingly and annoyingly expensive. I did eventually eat out with some of the roommates, but the restaurant tried to rip us off and as a result left me with a very bad impression of Iberian restaurants in general. I spent a LOT of time on the metro, which was my main means of transport. The Barcelonan metro names were all so beautiful, too - Lesseps, Passeig de Gracia, Catalunya. I mainly used the green line and, to a lesser extent, the red, blue and yellow line. The stations I visited most were - well, obviously Lesseps (where the hostel was), Passeig de Gracia, Catalunya, Liceu, Drassanes, Parallel and Espanya. I visited the Passeig de Gracia about 4 times a day because it was where I had to transfer for almost every place I wanted to go. It was huge and required lots of walking, and reminded me of the long slog I had to take at London's Green Park  station, whenever I wanted to change from Jubilee line to Picadilly. Urgh, doesn't really bear thinking about.

I have no idea why this picture was so fuzzy, but if it comes to metro stations they all looked the same, and I have a better picture of Sagrada Familia that I shall include later.

As for the rest, photos galore!