Adventures With Amy | Europe 2002: Barcelona, Spain

Europe 2002: Barcelona

Map of Barcelona

Leaving Paris's Austerlitz train station, I took an overnight train from Paris to Barcelona (photo next page). Even though I had Deluxe Grand Class accomodations, it is all relative. In this case it means a private cabin with two bunk beds that fold down from the wall. There was also a small bathroom with a shower. The water smelled horrible so I never actually used the bathroom for much. I am not sure I will ever book this type of cabin on a overnight train again. The overnight train required a supplement ticket which included breakfast and dinner.

Barcelona was the first destination that I had not reserved a hotel room. Arriving in the train station, my traveling companion and I were lucky enough to find an honest man, Peter, promoting the Hotel Prisma. As it turned out, the hotel was very nice inside and a great location for the one day spent in Barcelona. Being able to check in early in the morning, a hot shower was all I needed before beginning another day of sites in a completely different environment.

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Because there was only one day in Barcelona and no real agenda, it seemed the best way to see the most was to take the tourist bus, Bus Turístic, around the city. Fortunately, Hotel Prisma is ideally located for both the red and blue routes of this bus.

I took the Red Route from Francesc Macià-Diagonal first. This route covers the northern part of the city. After the Red Route, I took the Blue Route. The Blue Route covers the southern part of the city. For more information about Bus Turístic, . Along the route, I saw amazing Catalonian architecture with vibrant colored tiles on many buildings.

I actually did not get off the bus tour until I reached Sagrada Família - The Temple of the Holy Family. This work in progress, which began in 1888 and is scheduled to be completed in 2021, has two facades. The Western (Christ) Facade (left although barely visible in this photo), dedicated to the Passion of Jesus Christ, includes sculptures of The Last Supper, Judas' Betrayal, the Trial of Jesus and the Burial of Christ. The Eastern (Passion) Facade appears to be much older with much more intricate details.

The Temple of the Holy Family is definitely under construction! Like many buildings in Barcelona, Sagrada Família also has splashes of color.

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