After even a brief visit to the wonderful city of Barcelona, it is obvious why it has become the 10th most visited city in the world (according to Wikipedia) and why so many of its buildings have been deemed world heritage sites under the UNESCO convention.For me , it not only one of the most magnificent cities I have ever visited but one of the most fascinating as well.
One of the things that stuck out was, despite over seven million tourists visiting that city annually causing downtown to be always crowded, how clean and pristine and free moving the city remains unlike so many other large cities.
One reason for the lack of congestion is of course because so many citizens have seen the practicality of commuting on scooters and bicycles, although I did note that they do not seem to be requited to wear helmets and I did actually witness a young lady on the ground with her bicycle after apparently being hit off by a cab in downtown area.
However it is the architecture, the history and the proliferation of attractive sidewalk cafes that kept me in
absolute awe the entire time I was there.
 |
| The black Madonna |
Most of the architecture there is of course influenced Antoni Gaudà ( born in 1852) whose work is still admired and being studied by architects from all over the world as his style remains so unique and distinctive that it has been cherished and carefully maintained by all the governments that have had the opportunity to determine the fate of this Spain's second largest city.
On the nearby mountain of Montserrat too you find one of the cherished back Madonnas and the museums there are not only works of art in themselves but contain such important legacies relevant to the entire world, that we would all be so much poorer without a Barcelona as it is today.
What I found especially admirable too is how the old charm and modern development, including the Olympic village built in 1992, mesh without any era overwhelming or displacing the other and even the narrowness of the streets in the old parts of the have added a certain charm to what is otherwise a really very modern city where flats run up to the three million euro range and new large shopping malls are now the order of the day.
And when you have had an eyeful or have become a bit overwhelmed by the climate, the wide open Mediterranean sea and the numerous beaches within minutes from the downtown area, are there to cool one off quickly.
Barcelona has a location second to none which enhances the magnificence of that ancient city.
Unfortunately though, I was there the day Spain got a drubbing and was eliminated from the 2014 World Cup and that was only a few hours after the Barcelona Club had been introduced to us with much pride. So for the rest of my stay, the glum looks on the faces of the Spaniards were hide to mask!
Unfortunately though, I was there the day Spain got a drubbing and was eliminated from the 2014 World Cup and that was only a few hours after the Barcelona Club had been introduced to us with much pride. So for the rest of my stay, the glum looks on the faces of the Spaniards were hide to mask!
No comments:
Post a Comment