Adventures With Amy | Europe 2002: Barcelona, Spain

Europe 2002: Barcelona

Map of Barcelona

Thinking four semesters of college Spanish would get me by in Barcelona I was surprised to find Catalonian is the language spoken in Barcelona. This language is a funky combination of French and Spanish.

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The Placa d'Espanya was laid out for the 1929 World's Fair. The imposing fountain in the center, with its three bronze sculptures representing trade, industry and shipping, are by Josep Maria Jujol, a versatile artist and invaluable associate of Gaudí. The two Venetian towers, which flank the Avenida Maria Cristina, mark the entrance of the trade-fair site which is overlooked by the majestic Palau Nacional, home to the the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC).

Barcelona was home to the 1992 summer Olympics. The Olympic Campus is accessible on the blue route of the bus tour.

My first view of the Mediterranean Sea came as the tour neared The Port Vell. This is a gorgeous port that has been refurbished and modernized. There are plenty of seafood restaurants and shops in this area. I decided to have tapas. Tapas are more of a southern Spain thing but this was close enough for me!

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Trains leaving Barcelona (to Nice) required a reservation (as the train schedule indicates) so I reserved my departure train upon arrival. The train ride from Barcelona is gorgeous as the train travels along the Mediterranean coast in parts of the journey. The train made a one-long stop in Montpellier, France.

It was from here that I ended up on a train to Avignon instead of Nice with about 20 other American tourists. The train I was waiting on was late and another train arrived on the same track. The train conductor was extremely helpful in getting all of us on the correct train at the first available stop.

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