It's hard not to fall in love with Barcelona, a city with a blend of vibrancy, tradition and modernism.
We decided to do what we often do in a new city, take a hop-on, hop-off bus. There is quite an extensive network of these in Barcelona, along with the underground metro and regular buses. Barcelona is a beautiful city with some of the most unique, "out there" modern architecture but hasn't lost its old-world charm. Barcelona used to be a Roman town, so it has retained a lot of history.
Driving around and walking around, we were struck by how stylish it is with upmarket shops, cultural areas, restaurants, tapas bars, and tree-lined boulevards, which are a pleasure to walk along. What we also noticed is the cleanliness of the city. At the start of their day, shopkeepers sweep the sidewalks in front of the shops—quite contrasting to places like Rome. Barcelona sits between the mountains to the west and along the Mediterranean to the east and is blessed with beautiful sandy beaches.
Port Vell area has numerous restaurants and is an entertainment area. We had a chance to have lunch there with great views of the harbour and saw a massive catamaran from Valencia docking. Las Ramblas, which starts from there, is a long pedestrian mall with shops and restaurants and is a shopper's delight.
One of the stunning signs of modern architecture is the unusual Water Corporation building in the shape of a bullet.
Barcelona's energy projects a cosmopolitan city on the move. At midnight cafes and restaurants are still open, and the jazz and blues scene starts at 11:30 pm. People are everywhere in the city, even at night–people don't rush off to the suburbs.
One of the highlights of Barcelona is the Sagrada Familia––a unique church designed by Antoni Gaudi. It has a look that some would call grotesque.
Construction started in 1882 and is due to be completed in 2026. The outside is a mostly overdone Gothic, while inside, it has massive columns to simulate a forest and great big stained glass windows. It is quite a gigantic size, making it one of the world's largest churches and the tallest overall height. There is even a balcony that holds 1000 singers. Ultimately it will have 18 towers. Like it or not, it is something to see in Barcelona.
Overlooking the city is Mt Tibidabo. You can take the bus or tram up to the top, and once there, you have panoramic views of the city and its surroundings.
Something you must not miss in Barcelona is the magical Fountain Of Montjuic. Here they hold two-and-a-half-hour concerts which are free you are treated to a spectacular light, colour and water show, which alone is worth the cost of coming to this great city. The show occurs four days a week during the summer months.
We had Tapas––as you do when in Spain––at an outdoor restaurant and watched the lively city in action; cars, bicycles, motorbikes and pedestrians of all ages while waiting for the show to begin.
At 9:00 pm, the fountain erupted in a remarkable display synchronized to music, initially classical, then rock interspersed with classical. As the evening wore on, the colours ranged from pale pink to blues, reds and yellows. The show went on till 11:30 with periodic interruptions in the music. Several thousand people were watching the spectacle, including young children, and everyone was well-behaved, with no alcohol allowed.
Barcelona is one of our favourite cities in Europe. The energy and atmosphere are inspiring.