Hello!
I woke on Day 2 of my impromptu Barcelona trip wondering what was to come in the day ahead. I didn't have any solid plans, preferring to go with the flow. The one thing I did really want to see was the Sagrada Familia.
I made my way through the backstreets and out onto La Rambla, the main promenade in Barcelona. People rave about it and I had worried that it wouldn't live up to expectations.
But it is lovely - thriving with life and energy. You just have to take good care of your valuables as Barça is notorious for pickpocketing.
It is also full of tacky souvenir shops, selling Spanish tourist fare. Anyone with any knowledge of Barcelona and Catalonia will know how ridiculous that is - the region has little in common with the Spain of stereotypes.
There are even bullfighting-related souvenirs when bullfighting is illegal in Catalonia! Ah, the naivety of tourists...
Overall, however, La Rambla makes a lovely morning stroll.
Look who was waving from a window!
There was ice cream... Lots of ice cream! Regular readers of this blog will know how I adore photographing the beautiful ice cream displays that Catalans seem to be so good at.
I had a crepe - it wasn't the best I've ever had but it made a slightly novel breakfast.
9e50 - rip-off!
The caganer(o/a) is part of Catalan and Spanish tradition - it is a figure excreting which forms part of the nativity scene along with Mary, Joseph et al. They are often modelled on world leaders or other famous people.
Saying yes to an independent Catalonia
More ice cream!
At one end of La Rambla is the port which we visited yesterday; at the other is the Plaza de Catalunya, a square full of pigeons.
A giant bubble wafted by... And another... I looked and saw the source: a guy with some kind of giant-bubble-blowing apparatus which produced floating marvels.
Pigeonopolis!
Meanwhile, some of the pigeons were ready for their close-ups.
The bubbles floated on...
King of the castle
I spent a while at that square, watching the bubbles and listening to the pigeons and wandering what I could do with this overcast day. I eventually decided to buy a pass for the tour buses - that way I could explore Barça while staying dry!
Watch this space to share the wonderful things I saw that day and the next in Barcelona.
Thanks for reading,
Liz x
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