There is quite a lot to see in Barcelona so, since I was only there for a few days, I didn’t want to miss anything important and spend every day rushing round all over the place. So, I decided to book a couple of tours, and the first one was on New Year’s Eve that involved a walking tour of the Old Town, followed by a minibus trip up to Montjuic, La Sagrada Familia, and Park Guell. This was a great trip with a hotel pick-up in the morning and drop off at the end of the day. The trip lasted for about eight hours and included a break for lunch where we were all taken to a lovely local restaurant. There were 18 of us on the trip from France, the UK, Tokyo, South and North America. We all got on really well and had a great day together. Our guide, Marlon, was very knowledgeable about the area and entertaining.
So, our first stop was Barcelona Cathedral in the heart of Barcelona that was built over six centuries and is very impressive. The cathedral is dedicated to Saint Eulalia, who was a young virgin that suffered martyrdom during Roman times. Her body is entombed in the cathedral’s crypt. The main façade and bell tower were completed in 1890. The equally impressive interior has 25 side chapels with a 14th century cloister and choir stalls. The stain glass windows are amazing, and you can take a lift to the rooftop of the cathedral to enjoy the magnificent views across Barcelona.
Placa Nova: this lovely square is located in front of the cathedral and its origins can be traced back to1358 when it was the site of the city’s hay market and where the old city was born. It is famous for its small flea market which specialises in antiques.
The kissing Wall: this is a unique feature in Barcelona’s Gothic quarter that was created by Catalan photographer Joan Fontcuberta and ceramist Toni Cumella in 2014. It is made up of many little mosaic tiles which are not entirely visible on initial inspection, but when you get close up to this incredible work of art they become more apparent and each little area of tiles has a different story to tell – fascinating! The wall is said to represent ‘Moments of Freedom’ and the kiss is much easier to see when you take a photograph of it than it is when you look directly at the wall. It is customary to kiss in front of the wall, but there weren’t too many willing contenders in the group!
Casa de l’Ardiaca: built in the 12th century, the Casa de L’Ardiaca was once the archdeacon’s house. Archdeacon Lluis Despla then had it rebuilt at the end of the 15th century in Gothic style with Rennaissance features, along with a staircase that leads up to an upper terrace made in a beautiful Romeo and Juliet design – this looks down on a beautiful narrow street of which there are many in the city of Barcelona. The back of the Casa L’Ardica has a wall that underpins part of the ancient Roman wall of the city.
Sant Jaume Square: translated to Saint James Square, and takes its name from the church of Saint James, is in the centre of the old city of Barcelona. Its origins stem back to the early 19th century when the new main façade of the City Hall was built, and the former church of Saint James was demolished.
La Sagrada Familia: Our last stop before lunch was the incredible La Sagrada Familia which was technically built in 1882, although not completed. This amazing temple is probably one of Antoni Gaudi’s most accomplished works with the most unusual architecture and probably some of the best stain glass windows I have ever seen. It looks like something that would delight any Harry Potter fans and work well in Hogwarts! Antoni Gaudi became a universal figure in modern architecture and spent so much of his time on the temple, but he knew it would never be finished in his lifetime and so he left extensive drawings and models that would enable work on the temple to be continued in his unusual style and, when complete, would fill an entire city block. The temple is the largest unfinished catholic church in the world and remains unfinished for a number of reasons that include the Spanish Civil War and later, Covid-19. There is quite a bit of construction work going on outside the building, and some areas have been extensively cleaned up that now look amazing! Work on the building is said to be set for completion by the end of 2026, but this remains to be seen…
Park Guell: Our final stop on the great day tour after lunch was to see the unusual Park Guell which was built in 1900 and is one of the largest green spaces in Barcelona, covering more than 17 hectares. The land used to be known as ‘Bare Mountain’ (Muntanya Pelada) due to its barren land and was originally designed as a private neighbourhood for the wealthy. But now millions of tourists flock to this famous park every year and enjoy the wonderful whimsical sculptures, colourful mosaics, architecture, trees and plants. It’s easy to get lost in this park, too, as there are many paths that go on different levels, offering great views and lots of Catalan delights.
We then arrived back at our hotel rather tired, but in time to get showered and changed ready to go out and enjoy New Year’s Eve! It is worth noting that if you are planning a trip to Barcelona over the New Year you may be best to try and book a restaurant in advance. I hadn’t planned this side of things, and it was extremely difficult to find a reservation at any of the restaurants. Many places were doing fixed New Year menus for set prices, and these were quite high. Anyway, it all worked out ok in the end, and later on I ventured towards the harbour where quite a few people had gathered in the hope of catching some of the firework display. Unfortunately, I wasn’t really in the right area to see everything, as the display was quite blocked by the buildings. I wouldn’t have been able to queue early to get a good view anyway with being out all day, but I suppose that would be the only way to see the event fully. I had had a really good day, though, so I wasn’t too disappointed.
