El Barrio Gotic

Mom was here in Barcelona for the past ten days and we certainly did our fair share of exploring the city together!  We took a couple days off to relax on the beach and took a couple day trips to explore Montserrat, Girona, and Figueres.  Our favorite part of the city was El Barrio Gotic (Gothic quarters).  There are so many amazing buildings, churches, pathways, little shops, and quaint little restaurants.  We loved getting ourselves lost in the amazing architecture and charming little walkways!  Below are some pictures of El Barrio Gotic, ending with a few from El Plaza Colon, which is the enormous monument dedicated to Christopher colombus and his discovery of the New World.  Just so happens Christopher Colombus is actually pointing the wrong way! Hahaha, but we figured it was constructed the way it was for asthetics and practical purposes. He is pointing out to sea, and if he were to be pointing in the actual direction of the new World he would be pointing toward land, so asthetically it works.  And practically speaking, he is pointing to the only exit from the Port of Barcelona.  Either way, it is a huge monument and one of he most famous in the city.  After all, if it wasn't for him we miight all still think the world is flat ;)

El Correo, (post office)

Love the little balconies, I have a LOT of pictures of balconies!

Santa Maria del Mar ~ this church is GORGEOUS, and just stuck right in the middle of all these buildings tight together.  The style is breathtaking, TALL ceilings with arched roofs, stained glass windows, statues and paintings decorating the walls and Chapels where religious leaders past lay in their tombs.  The detail is incredible.

mmmmmmmm, tapas!

It is virtually impossible to see during the day, but there is a flame burning on top of that red statue.  The Eternal Flame outside of Santa Maria del Mar  church.

Cafe at the Picasso Museum.  The museum is truly exceptional, not only displaying a vast number of Picasso's works, from a young child to his final works, but you get an in depth picture of his life, his influences, how he evolved as an artist, and some personal stories as well... Picasso was quite the ladies man!  What a beautiful mind, he definitely had a talent from the day he was born.

more graffitti!

a little taste of the GREAT ceramics in Spain

peek-a-boo

Funky Gypsy-Jazz trio from Italy. 

Statue in El Parque de la Ciutadella

 

I LOVE my lions <3

finding art in nature

There is art everywhere in this city!

Arc de Triomf

Salud ~ Cheers!

Monumento del Colom ~ Christopher Colombus