Tuesday in Barcelona

Once I had sorted out my washing, I headed to Plaza Cataluyna and jumped on the bus turistic for a tour around Barcelona. The Barcelona tourist bus (like so many of its type in other cities) is a great way to see the sights and gain some knowledge of the history of the place.

I took the southern route this morning which snaked its way around the southern part of the city up to Montjuic, down via la Barceloneta and to Ribera which is where you can find the Picasso Museum - a museum that I just love.

The first part of the of the trip took me and my fellow photo- snapping tourists up to Montjuic The site was selected to host the 1929 International Exposition, for which the first large-scale construction on the hill began however its now best known as the major site of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Its Olympic Stadium is now home to Barça’s other football team Espanyol.

At the top of Montjuic is the The Palau Nacional which houses the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya , an extensive showcase of Catalan painting and sculpture. From the centre of the Palau you can get some great photos of the city of Barcelona.

The top of the hill can be reached using the Funicular de Montjuïc , a funicular railway that operates as part of the Barcelona Metro, and then an aerial cableway.

After Montjuic it was down to the Ribera where I popped into to see the Iglesia Santa Maria del Mar , an imposing church built between 1329 and 1383, In front of the church there is a small square with a number of bars including my favourite Bar Bubo. They have a great variety of traditional tapas presented in a very modern way. I enjoyed some croquetas and a great eggplant dish with feta cheese. I thoroughly recommend this place. Whenever I’m in Barcelona I’ll make sure I visit Bar Bubo.

I ended back in Plaza Catalunya about 3pm and returned to my hotel for a quick siesta before heading down Barcelona’s most famous street la Rambla. La Rambla is a hive of pedestrian activity and in the centre of it are loads of buskers and market stalls. Further down La Rambla is the famous Boqueria Market.

If you like your food, a visit la Boqueria is a must. It is a great way to discover the best food produce from Catalonia in one place: fruit, vegetables, fish and seafood and tapas bars.

After la Boqueria it was time to return to the lovely Wash n Dry to collect my clothes and then back to the Hostal. I’m catching up with my Spanish tutor Sonia tonight for dinner. I have no idea where but I’m sure she knows some great places - she is a Barcelona resident after all…

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