Viva Barcelona! The 7 Wonders of Barcelona, Spain
Viva Barcelona! The 7 Wonders of Barcelona, Spain
Swept to great popularity when it hosted the greatest show on earth itself -- the 1992 Summer Olympic Games -- Barcelona is among Spain's most important commercial and historical centers. The city's name alone is enough to make one want to baila, and the thrills it offers, muy bien!
La Sagrada Familia. This dazzlingly beautiful and bizarre basilica along Calle Mallorca gets more than 2 million visitors every year. Amazing! What's even more remarkable is that ever since Antonio Gaudi began its construction in 1882, it still isn't finished today. Yes, that's 128 years and counting, and experts believe it would take around 30-80 more years to finish it. The best time to see the basilica is at night, when tourists say that it looks something like melting wax or columns of bones.
Fideua y jamnes ibrico. The Fideua is Barcelona's version of the famous paella except that it's made from noodles and not rice. With ingredients like shrimps, crawfish and chicken, plus sweet peppers and tomatoes, this will be a very delicious departure from the usual paella you'll eat in Spain. The mixture of seafood and chicken, people say, is out of this world! Meat-lovers meanwhile will enjoy the authentic Spanish ham, Jamnes Ibrico, made from the finest meat of the Black Iberian Pig or cerdo negra, which eats mainly fresh acorns and maize from the pastures of Salamanca, Ciudad Real, Cceres, Badajoz, Seville, Crdoba and Huelva. Vegetarians need not make a mental note.
Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria. Along La Ramblas is the largest market in Europe, a definite must-see in Barcelona. The fish and seafood section is right in the Isla del Pescado (Island of Fish), an impressive marble and steel venue that was given priority in the Boqueria's recent overhaul. There are so many seafood delicacies to choose from from giant tuna to prawns as big as bananas, live crawfishes, octopuses, and other marine goodies. Other stalls offer game (like ducks and deer, not ftbol, mind you) while some offer vegetables of every kind.
Montjuic. Barcelona is loco over its art and artists. With a great profusion of museums and art galleries, the city is truly an art lovers' paradise. For a natural artsy high, I suggest you ascend Montjuic. This vast hill in the middle of the metropolis is known for its world-class sports complex built for the 1992 Summer Olympic games. It also cradles two of the city's major art museums, one of which is the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, a colossal museum whose collection includes 10th-12th century Romanesque murals, sculptures and frescoes, 12th-15th century Gothic and Renaissance art pieces, and 15th-19th century Baroque works. The other museum is the Joan Miro Foundation, a contemporary-style building of immaculate white that houses the works of the great 20th century abstractionist Joan Miro. Make sure that you have time to enjoy a delicious lunch at the museum caf, and that you visit the sculpture display on the rooftop.
The Museu de l'Ertica de Barcelona. In front of the market in La Rambla is a huge tourist trap for the more open-minded tourist. For the more "conservative" folks, this could be an eye opener. The museum's most valued collections include stimulating illustrations of the Kama Sutra, some Chinese and Japanese erotic drawings, and a 1930s collection of photos depicting the brothels and habitus of Barcelona's red light district. If you don't mind walking into replicas of African phallic symbols, then a visit wouldn't hurt.
Passeig de Grcia. This houses some of the most expensive retail space in Spain. Along its wide octagon-tiled footpaths, the big names of fashion are housed in gorgeous 19th- and 20th-century buildings. Looking for Chanel and Max Mara? Next to them are Benetton, Zara and Diesel and lots more. Barcelona is well on its way to become a top fashion center, along with Paris and Milan.
Park Gell. You can opt to end your visit to Barcelona with a visit to another of Antonio Gaudi's works. Park Gell (pronounced as "way,") is Gaudi's most fanciful creation and originally planned to serve as a residential community. Today, however, the place is a public park where you can visit Gaudi's whimsical houses, archways and roads, as well as his famous mosaic of a lizard.
Barcelona is indeed a Catalonian wonder. And while it is known very well for its world-famous soccer club, FC Barcelona, I'm pretty sure you'll make other beautiful memories in the city other than watching ol'ftbol.
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