I’m a self-proclaimed beach bum. One thing I can’t stand is cold weather which is why I have many jackets. But I love the sun. With my bikini and the sea I can conquer the beach anytime. Barcelona’s beach is full of people but the water is icy cool. Which means the sun is almost non-existent after soaking in it. I’m glad a got a darker tan though not ideal. The beach is calling me back to Barcelona and not the shopping or whatever dry fountain that py mentioned. I would like to stay near the beach though. I saw the houses there and they really appealed to me somehow. They were older and more simple with nice little coffee shops. I really do wish I can afford a small little house to myself and decorate it the way I want, SOON.
Stupid py and bs tried to come up with 101 reasons to persuade me to take off my bikini top like the rest of the girls. Like I would! I told them I’d consider if they were strangers and that I’d never see them again. But that as friends I preferred to avoid the awkwardness later on. If I would take my top off I would have gone for the naked spa!
We cooked seafood for 2 nights and I enjoyed the cheap dinner. We saw the prices at the restaurants and we were quite put off. Bs was happy to revise his cooking skills and I was just happy to taste my favourite seafood again though most of them were frozen. Hopefully Lausanne will be another slacking day. I need to mourn for federer’s lost in wimbledon. Sad to see him and his pretty ass kicked. Boo hoo. This year no one I support has been winning in the sports scene. Think I should stop supporting people so that they can win. Sigh.
Yingnez
Indeed like what the girl said, Barcelona is totally affiliated to Gaudi as though the whole city worships him. Well not surprisingly cos he architected some of the most bizarre buildings in the city, the most prominent and still uncompleted Sagrada Familia, using themes of nature to make the whole church look like a forest. I found Barcelona to be more interesting in Madrid, because there are more sightseeing possibilities available, and I am quite surprised that despite being the most important tourist magnet in Spain, you do not get blatant and aggressive touts (yah they do exist everywhere but they’re very tame here unlike in Rome and Paris)
What I liked about Barcelona
-very modern metro system. It is IMPOSSIBLE to forget which stop you have to get on to cos the metro map in the train is electronic and the next stop will blink. I found it to be very tourist friendly.
-we met this friendly American guy who’s travelling with 2 other American girls, and he’s real different in a sense that he does not drink or party or get wasted. And we spent the first night talking over very interesting issues.
-very walkable, its hard to get missing, and to a large extent, we did not need to refer to our maps after the first day actually.
-great place to shop actually, lots of shops selling clothes and the male clothes are much more fashionable than those pathetic ones in Singapore.
-the supermarkets are open on Sundays, something that I have not experienced for a real long long long time already. Indeed, even on a Sunday the streets are bustling with activities not like in germany where all we do on a Sunday is to sleep all day at home or recover from too much drinking the night before.
-the harbour and the Montjuic castle (we could get a fantastic view of the city as well as the clear blue waters of the harbour – without having to pay a single cent!!!! Not like yesterday when we visited the cathedral and paid 2.50€ each to take the lift up to the cathedral tower to get views of the city but it was pathetic)
-the Barcelona beach – great place to bask under the sun, and the waters are clear and clean, great place to sit and look at girls too. And many of the girls are sunbathing half-naked so that gives an extra point to the place. And I got myself sunburnt… feeling the heat on my skin now….
Tml we are taking the plane to Geneva, Switzerland, where we will transit to a train that brings us to Lausanne, our next stop. I have seen the guesthouse in Lausanne already and it looks very great from their website. Hopefully it is really what its depicted online.
-binito
Barcelona is much better than Madrid. Although the monuments (except Sagrada Familia) are not as magnificent as what we have seen in Rome or other some other cities, it was an interesting pace nonetheless. The Sagrada Familia was a temple designed by Gaudi – whose architectural buildings can be found all over Barcelona, and it is one which is still in the midst of construction. Its construction started in late 19th century and is due to complete only in 2020. A place worth popping by for its architectural style and meticulous (mathematical) designs. Aside from monuments, there’s a nice beach (though I’m not a great fan) and great shopping area too. I basically burst my budget, falling into the discount-trap. Nonetheless, the quantity certainly made up for it.
The hostel (HelloBCN) that we are staying in now is good too. Their doors and lockers have to be opened using RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Device). Damn cool! Hence, they are ranked one of the safest hostels. The kitchen is well-equipped as we cooked for two nights in a row – partly to minimize spending after our more lavish first part of the tour.
Barcelona is definitely a place worth coming for a short stay. But for a person who only likes sightseeing, then other cities may be a better alternative. As for those who want everything, it is a city worth considering.
We will be heading to Geneva and Laussane tomorrow. 6 more days to flying home.
PS: Just watched a great Wimbledon final between Nadal and Federer. Wonderful exchanges and winners. Nadal finally overcame Federer on grass – 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7. Looks like it’s a great period for Spanish athletes!
The beautiful courtyard of the hostel. Frankly speaking, it looks more like a pension house than a hostel.
