Barcelona, a football heaven on The Mediterranean Sea!

9 August 2010. I arrived in Barcelona Nord Station after 8 hours of road trip by taking a night bus (ALSA) from Madrid. It was still early in the morning that I decided to stroll around Arc de Triomf located not that far from the bus station. This triumphal arch is bit different from the well-known one in Paris. The design was affected by Moorish architecture. The reddish brickworks dominate this arch. As you enter the gate, you will find a long and wide pavement with a lot of park benches along its right and left side. This morning, I saw people here doing some activities like biking and running while some of them were just walking to breathe the fresh morning air. 

Arc de Triomf - Playa de Barceloneta

Lying along the Mediterranean Sea, make Barcelona famous with its beach. Playa de Barceloneta is one of them. To get there, I simply took the metro near Arc de Triomf and got off at Barceloneta metro station. As I expected, only few people were there. It was very quiet. Moreover, the summer sun was still friendly. That’s why going to the beach in the morning was a good idea, at least for me. I was not so impressed with the beach. It’s clean, but it’s not a typical white-sand beach. I can say the Dream Land beach in Bali is more beautiful.

I still had time before checking in to the hostel. I decided to go to Camp Nou, the home for a famous Catalan football team ‘Barcelona FC’. I saw a very long queue in front of stadium tour ticket office as I got there. It was very hot. I guessed it hit 35’C that shrank the guts to get myself in the line. So, I just decided to look inside its megastore situated near the ticket-box. Wow, it was very crowded! I didn’t see people as many as this when I visited Real Madrid Store. Barcelona is football. Football is Barcelona. Maybe that was all those visitors had in mind. 

My hostel was near to La Rambla area. It was the famous street located in the heart of the city. The street starts from Placa de Catalunya, ends in Port Vell. This street is really dedicated for pedestrian. The pavement size is about two-times of the narrow one-way traffic besides it. There are a lot kiosks, cafes, restaurant, flower stalls along the street. Street artists also dominate this area.

I stopped at a small cafe located at one corner of this street. I ordered Tortilla de Patata for my lunch. It’s a typical Spanish omelette that is made from eggs, potatoes, and onion. The waitress was very nice. She seemed so amazed with my outfits. No, I wasn’t wearing such a branded clothes or whatsoever. She asked me: “Don’t you feel hot wearing those clothes? It’s summer.” I smiled and said, “In my country, it’s summer all over the year. Wearing this kind of clothes is never a real problem for me.” She smiled back at me. 

Sagrada Familia (Left: Nativity Facade, Right: Passion Facade)

In the afternoon, I visited Sagrada Familia. It has already been one of Barcelona’s land-mark even though the construction is still in progress. The construction began in 1882. One year after, Antoni Gaudi joined the project. He became the lead architect and changed the design drastically. When Gaudi died in 1926, it was around 20% complete with only one tower and one façade called the Nativity Façade were finished. Another façade at the opposite of the first one called the Passion Façade was constructed in 1954.  Besides the difference in design styles, also I could see the contrast in stone color between those two façades. In 2002, they added one more façade called The Glory Façade. ‘The not so mainstream’ design, make this basilica is very unique. The construction itself is expected to be completed in 2026 to mark the centennial of Gaudí's death.

Palau Nacional - Venetian Towers

About an hour before the sun was about to set, I arrived in Placa d’Espanya. This square is located at the foot of Montjuïc Hill. There are large fountain at the center of the square and the 47 m tall of Venetian Towers in one of its corner as the gate to Palau Nacional. Palau Nacional was originally built for 1929 International Exhibition, now houses The Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya. It’s situated at the flank of the hill and there are escalators that can be used to reach the building. I could see many people spending their afternoon here only to witness the city’s view. Just like them, I also took a chance to experience enjoying the city from the perch. 

I still needed to climb in order to get to the top of Montjuic Hill where the Anella Olímpica is located. But you don’t need to worry, there are escalators available to reach the hill. This Olympic ring was built for 1992 Olympics. The facilities consist of Estadi Olympic Lluis Companys, Palau Sant Jordi sports hall, The Picornell Swimming Pool, etc. Palau Sant Jordi has been a host for many concerts of famous musicians from around the world. The white communication towers of 136 m of height called Torre Telefonica became the major attraction in this area. Moreover, the hill also offers a stunning view of the city including the seaport and the Mediterranean sea.

Montjuic Hill

10 August 2010. It was time to come back to Camp Nou. I went there a bit early to avoid a long line in front of the ticket-box. After 15 minutes of queuing, I got my stadium tour ticket. It cost me 19 euros. ¡Benvinguts al Camp Nou! 

I entered the stadium via the bridge that connects it to its megastore. Camp Nou is a great stadium, but in my opinion Bernabeu is more luxurious. No chance to sit in the dressing room, conference room, and even on the benches. The restriction was upset me. Besides, I guess the dressing room was not the real one too. You can also take a picture with a replica of Champion League trophy. It’s not free, you need to spend more euros in order to do so. I met an Iranian woman here. It might be my veil that attracted her. She greeted me and offered help to take a picture for me.

FC Barcelona Megastore

Before leaving, I bought some postcards of Andres Iniesta and Xavi in its megastore. No, I am not a Culés! I support La Furia Roja! As expected, it was very crowded just like the day before. I guess everyone who comes to Barcelona will land their feet in this stadium, including the ones who don’t love football. It’s here, a football heaven! 

Finished in Camp Nou, I returned to La Rambla for windows shopping. Actually my feet have not been in good condition since the day I returned from Italy and France. I spent 70% of my travelling on foot. As the result, I couldn’t walk fast. As usual, La Rambla is always full of people during summer, so was today. In the middle of this crowded street, I heard a vibrate sound from my backpack. I thought it was my phone, but I always put it inside my jeans pocket. Thinking that I might misplace it, I turned my head to check my backpack and shocked to find out that it was opened. I saw a woman in white dress just right behind me all of sudden pretending that she was reading a map. Someone tried to rob me! Nothing lost though, thanks a Dios! There was a pile of my clothes inside the backpack that I thought made it’s difficult for her to find my wallet. I finally realized that the vibrate sound that I thought coming from my cell-phones was actually the sound of my backpack’s zipper being opened.

Port Vell

Walking to the south of La Rambla will bring you to an old harbor, Port Vell. It has turned into entertainment center since 1992 Barcelona Olympics. There is a wooden walkway known as Rambla de Mar that will lead you to the shopping mall called Maremàgnum, an IMAX theatre, and Barcelona’s Aquarium. As one of the largest in Europe, the aquarium offers beautiful view of the marine life in Mediterranean Sea. I didn’t enter to the aquarium as I was not into it. Enjoying the afternoon from the harbor was enough for me.

Near the harbor, stands the 60 m tall of Columbus Monument (Mirador de Colón). The monument was built to honor Colombus after he discovered America. The place where the monument now stands was believed as the first spot of his arrival in Spain after his discovery a year before.  

As the sun slowly sank in the Mediterranean Sea, my journey in the capital of Catalonia officially ended. Another night bus to Valencia already waited for me. ¡Adéu, football heaven! ¡A reveure!