57. Barcelona - various people and places

Las Ramblas
Barcelona's most famous street, Las Ramblas connects the waterfront and Plaça de Catalunya. Rambla means "and" in Arabic, and centuries ago it was a sandy gully of a river. By 1366 it was a clogged up sewer known as the Cagallel (the turd-taker) clogged wiuith sand. At the end of the 18th century, trees were planted benches, street lights, kiosks and flower stalls added.

Most tourists head here early in their stay. I've got to say it doesn't especially thrill me; human statues mingle with pickpockets and vast crowds wandering aimlessly....

Below: Facade of a former umbrella shop along Las Ramblas (2006)

Below: 'Performance artists' stage a sit-down meal along Las Ramblas. They didn't seem to be making any point other than that they could do what they were doing. (2006)

Bus TurísticMany cities have hop-on /hop-off open-top tourist buses. Barcelona's is one of the best. It takes you to every tourist "hot-spot", is frequent and efficient; a great way to get an overview of the city and work out those places you'd like to explore further.
Below: The queue to get on the bus can become exteemely long at the main interchange in Plaça de Catalunya. My tip - avoid the crowds and get on near Barceloneta!



Modern Barcelona

Below: Tram tracks along (I think) Avda Diagonal in the university district

Below: Smart young things in Avda Diagonal
La Ribera - The maritime and business district of medieval Barcelona. Includes the Born, now gentrified and much renovated and heavily touristed.

Workers

Below: This is how Barcelona stays so clean - an army of street cleaners. The streets are washed and cleaned every night, and litter patrols are on duty all day

Below: One of the rubber baskets the street cleaners use, in the Born district
Below: Santa Caterina market


Below: the courtyard of the Picasso Museum in the Born
Below: Near Parc Ciutadella...what a strange place to stop for lunch!


The Barri Gòtic - Here are the main institutions of medieval BArcelona, overlaying the ruins of Roman Barcelona. In the 1870s, when the city extended outwards into the Eixample (Extension) a 14th century time environment was preserved. This area includes the cathedral, City Hall (Ajuntament) and Catalan regonal government (Generalitat)
Below: Cathedral walls
Below: I've forgotten what this building is
Below: hangin' around the cathedral
Below: The "Bridge of Sighs" a 1928 pastiche.
Below: I came across Eduardo busking in one of the streets near the cathedral. Yep, I bought his CD. He was very good. Montjuïc - the name is probably derived from Catalan word for Jewish (juïc). The medieval Jewish community buried their dead here. The cemetery was plundered and the stone reused after Ferdinand and Isabella expelled all Jews from Spain in 1492. Republicans were executed here by Franco's firing squade. In the 1940s thousands of immigrants from elsewhere in Spain settled here in makeshift shacks and shanties. Now it is a playground for Barcelona - home to museums, botanic gardens, the Olympic precinct.

Below: Access can be gained to Montjuïc from Plaça d'Espanya up a series of escalators.

Below: Looking past the Venetian-like towers towards Montjuïc and the National Museuem of Catalunyan Art. Below: The Olympic Stadium


Camp Nou - the home of Barcelona Football Club

Below: Why not buy a fridge in team colours?
Estació Barcelona-Sants

Below: taxis and motorbikes

L'Eixample

Below: Coke, coffee and tapas on Passeig de Gràcia near La Pedrera (see Gaudi entry)