The Barc Parks

Yes I know above doesn't necessarily actually rhyme because the c in Barcelona is not a "k" sound.  But when you read it really fast you can't tell.  And seeing as it's been three weeks since I've even written about Barcelona chances are you forgot what this post was supposed to be about so you read it as a rhyme anyway.
So here goes my last Barkelona Post.  And this one is all about parks and outdoor type things.

On Sunday(as in like five weeks ago) we visited the Parc de la Ciutadella…a really cool park in the center of the city.We had read that Sunday was the day to go to see vendors and performers galore (but I think we saw one...sort of...) 

so we stopped at a local supermarket and picked up some crackers, meat, and cheese and went for a nice picnic…

(nina is covering her feet because she suffers from podiaphobia)

We enjoyed a lazy afternoon of just sitting around munching with the occasional cat nap thrown in.  When we were done lazing around, we walked around the park taking pictures. park with just about everything – a Natural History Museum…

a Zoo…

With an awesome mascot btw...

A palace type thing of some sort...

Some art...

A giant mammoth (which was in no way close to the vicinity of the natural history museum)...

and an Aquarium with a really cool fountain in front.  Nina says the fountain was her favorite thing.  It was pretty awesome…

But even better was climbing up all the stairs on the side and taking pictures from the backside...

After a good couple hours we left the oasis of the city and headed back into tourist mode…we had two museums to visit and were on a mission!

On Monday, we headed to Montjuic – the forest on the outskirts of the city.  We took the tram up with the intention of hopping on the skyway to find the palace in the sky.  But after we found out the skyway (the only way to get there) cost twice as much as entrance into the palace itself, we skipped it and headed towards the Olympic Stadium instead.  On the way were some gorgeous photo gardens that we wandered through in the attempt to find food.  We never did… Finally we arrived at the Olympic Museum…which was closed due to refurbishment...so here's the outside...

But there café was open and at that point, it’s really all we cared about.  So after  quick hot dog, and a couple pictures of posters, we headed across the street to the stadium.  No as you know, I love the Olympics.  And I think I’ve decided to make it my life’s goal to visit every single one.  Yep…decided that right now.  So I’ve got three down…and way too many to go.  Anyway, we wandered around the stadium, pausing in the front for some pictures of the stadium, and the surrounding sights…

We even got to go in, even though there wasn’t much to see since most of it was closed off…

And finally we went around the corner to see the torch…

After the Stadium we headed to Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya.  This building was GORGEOUS!

It housed an art museum (also closed…ugh) but it didn’t matter because the outside is where it’s at.  From here you can see all of Barcelona, and we had fun switching to the big lens on my camera and taking photos…

Then we had a quick break where we enjoyed a “clara cerveza" (beer with frozen lemonade…delicious!) And then made the trek down the numerous stairs, pausing at every level to get yet another photo of the continuing fountain.  This fountain goes off at night in a big light show, but of course (because this is our luck) it wasn’t going to go off that night due to cleaning.  Anyway, we’ve seen the Disneyworld and the Bellagio ones...

Once we got back down to city level, we saw advertisements for a big Harley Convention.  Which I guess explains what we saw the morning before for twenty minutes…

Our last day we had a half day before we had to get ready to fly to Malaga, so we saved what was supposed to be the best for last – Gaudi’s Casa Mila and Parc Guell. Casa Mila is the apartment in which there are no straight lines…at all.  The inside of the apartment is cool enough, and the attic area was a fun wander, but the real amazing part is the roof…absolutely breath taking.  No really…it took my breath for a few seconds.  Again, fun views of the city were also had, but this time with interesting shapes to frame it…

Another of Gaudi’s masterpieces, (because really, how can you name just one?) Park Guell, was commissioned by a guy named Eusebi Guell, one of Gaudi’s biggest patrons.  The park is a natural park with hiking trails and views of the city.  But in the center is a very large…er…decoration thing going on.  Sure that’s what we’ll call it.  Gaudi basically decorated a forest.  There’s mosaic tiles everywhere, pillars decorated with stones, stones made into pillars, and a very large entrance façade with the famous mosaic-ed “gecko.”  My aunt just got a bottle opener of it :-D

There was lots and LOTS to discover which made leaving the park till the last day a HUGE mistake.  By this time, we were tired and worn out from walking, and even our best shoes weren’t doing anything to quell the aching pains in our feet.  But we did enjoy a quick catnap on what is said to be the longest bench in the world…

We still saw most of the “decorated” park, but I know there was much more to be seen even though as soon as we found an exit with a bus heading in our direction, we hopped on that thing and sped back towards civilization and a very aggravating flight down South.

Finally you know all about our trip to Barcelona.  And later (who knows…maybe even tomorrow...gasp!) you’ll hear all about Malaga!

Word of the Day: parc - park (Catalan)

Museums...information for the people who didn't pay attention in school

So like I said…today is all about Barcelona Museums…and oh man did we hit them all!!

Ok actually…we could have hit a LOT more.  By could have, I mean there are a million bazillion different museums in Barcelona.  By could have I do not mean that we had the time, energy, or funds to visit them all.  Because we didn’t…mainly the energy.  You get museum’d out.  But we still visited a bunch…

Picasso Museum

The one I was looking forward to the most…and the biggest disappointment.  I liked his works, but I’m all about the “popular” Picasso works…and by that I mean his cubism, nose where an ear should be and triangle boobs under the eyes.  I LOVE that.  But this museum was all about his early work…drawings, blue period, and “realistic” pieces.  There was one room with some cubism, but it was seven different versions of the same painting.  Don’t get me wrong, I still loved the museum, I just wish there had been more.  Plus we got in on Sunday after 3:00 so it cost us $free.99.  And the building itself was BEAUTIFUL.

Textile Museum

Again free admission on Sunday, and right across the street form the Picasso, we ventured into a tiny three room exhibit.  Not much to actually see, although there was a constant reel of fashion videos from all eras dating back to the 1920s.  And there was a really cool display of fashion magazines.  Apparently there was another floor in another entrance which involved actually “costumes” from the 18^th century and earlier (which is what I wanted to see) but we somehow missed it.  Ah well.

Chocolate Museum

Um…yea…three rooms about chocolate…need I say more?  Ok I will...There was the history of chocolate, how you make chocolate, and chocolate sculptures.  And your ticket was a chocolate bar.  And in the end a café with sweet treats including liquid chocolate.  Not hot chocolate…just liquid drinkable heaven.  Definitely one of my favorites.

Casa Mila Apartment

The inside of the famous building built by Gaudi was a walk through of a typical apartment of the time.  Or as typical as you can get without having a single wall be straight.  It was pretty cute and filled with many old-fashioned little knick-knacks, appliances, and details.  We also went up to the famous roof, which is much cooler, but I’ll talk about that in another post.

Olympic Stadium Museum

It was closed for refurbishing.  We ate in the café though which was opened…we were starving.

Futbol Club of Barcelona Museum - Camp Nou Experience

We sprung for the full treatment at this museum/stadium.  And oh man was it worth it.

Probably my favorite museum and I’m not even a follower of football (besides my current World Cup obsession.)  So it’s safe to say that it was definitely my sister’s favorite.  The whole thin was organized so well you were sure to catch everything.  First there was a room filled with all the trophies the team has one (including the six trophies possibly able to win, all won by the football club last year…the only team ever to have done so), a history/display of their uniforms over the years, and this amazing interactive wall with a timeline and you could touch it and pull up videos, pictures, etc.  Super cool...

Then you’re led to the upper level of the stadium to view the field, which was pretty amazing...

Then you get to go down where you can see the press room, the locker room (including the therapist station…hot tub!), a chapel (blessed by the pope), and go onto the field.  Well not onto the field, but onto the sidelines...

And you can sit in the SUPER boujie players’ seats.  We’re talking cushioned, reclinable, fancy-ness...

And after that there are all sorts of rooms with videos, interactive walls, a room about football club spirit, and a couple other fun things.

Then…there’s the store.  The largest FCB store in Spain, it is two floors of anything and everything you’ve ever wanted FCB wise.  Jerseys (with players or your names on them), shoes, pencils, shot glasses, boxers, flags, scarves, dog sweaters…you name it.  It was super cool...

And since the World Cup is going on, Nina and I enjoyed finding our respective teams among all the Spain paraphernalia.

Well…six museums in four days is not a bad track record.  This doesn’t include all the various other things we read/visited surrounding other works of art/tourist attractions.  And I guess I’ll just have to visit the other ones when I go back. :-D

Word of the Day: museu - museum (Catalan)