Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona airport. Out of the 11 airports I’ve transited through, this would be my favourite airport. It is so beautiful and clean and airy with reflective marble on the ground and fashionable shops all around! Btw, Barcelona is my favourite city for Europe, so expect more photos in this post. HAHA.
Marbella Beach. The nude beach that me and Van decided to take a peek. On the way there (it’s a little distant from city center and a 15 minute walk from the metro), we keep seeing kids and parents bringing umbrellas and coolers, so we wondered whether we got the place right. Indeed we were right, and what a sight, people were really in the nude!!! (Pardon me for my conservative Singaporean viewpoint) Like are-you-wearing-beige-swimming-suit-oh-no-you-aren’t!!! There was a particular guy who exposed his privates to the whole world, legs wide open, just in case you weren’t looking close enough. Hahaha! Had a good laugh with Van.
Completed model of La Sagrada de Familia
Me and Van went to a restaurant recommended by Lonely Planet BUT, there was nobody inside at all! We did still dine there. Apparently we were there too early, near 9pm, because when we left, the restaurant was packed. BUT STILL the food wasn’t good. This restaurant, El Toc de Gracia, had us guiltily indulge in a second dinner, not even an hour after the first. It was so so so much better than our first dinner, we ended up ordering desserts as well. Hahaha.
The town where my Villa was. It’s 20 minutes away from city center by train. And just a tip, after much calculation, I conclude that tourists should always buy the 10-time ticket at Barcelona, it is always cheaper than the single or multi-day passes.
Hola! Welcome to my Villa, it is called the No Worries Villa! I love this place to bits, it is mostly people who make this place so welcoming. Especially since I was alone from Barcelona onwards, the peeps here really made me feel less lonely. Once you come back from the city, there are always people around to hang out with, beer to be drunk, and music to be danced along. Did I mention the hammocks and the campfire?
Supposedly the best tapas in Barcelona, but as a experienced traveller, I would say DON’T BELIEVE THIS SHIT. This place was recommended to me by some acquaintance at the Villa who went on a food tour so I decided to look for it the next day. Spent 2 hours scouring the streets for bloody restaurant. Found the dingy place and ordered too much. Meal cost me EUR45. What the shit! I could have had awesome food with EUR45!!!
After that depressing lunch, I decided I’ll just do one attraction and be done with my day, since it was St Joan’s Day (which meant PARTYING at the beach at night). So this is Casa Batllo, aka Skeleton House (cos of the windows) and I realised I’ve seen and posted pictures of this place before! Wow!
The staircase looks like the spine of the house.
This is my favourite room of Casa Batllo. It is so airy and bright!
Even the washroom has pretty scalloped tiles.
And this is the famous La Ramblas. Tourist trap and greenery all combined into a long stretch of road.
Less buskers but many performers, such as the above.
Quite a few illegal “merchants” as well, selling imitations. See the rope that the man holds? He pulls that when he sees the police chasing to secure his inventory. Smart ya?
Placa Reial. Quite a nice courtyard, but I remember it as the place where I had the Best Lunch in Europe.
Duck with sweet potato and strawberries. Please wipe your face for accidental salivation.
The geese that represent innocence in the cloister.
Decorated fountain in the cloister cos it was St Joan Day.
Macaroon!!! Violet flavour!!!
At the magical (Montjuic) music fountain. With another 5928 people watching as well, haha.
Dinner after the music fountain was rushed as I have to make sure I don’t get left behind by the last train back to Montcada at 12 midnight. (Meals in Spain at 3pm and 11pm are not unusual sights haha)
Cable car to Montjuic takes around 15 mins. There are only 2 freaking cable cars on the bloody cable! Waited for half an hour before I got on the ride. Unbelievable.
At Parc Guell (or Gaudi Park) with 2345 other people. I even met some Korean nuns there. I was supposed to go with this guy from the Villa, but he stood me up bleah. And I was the one eejit who wore jeans on this extremely hot day.
Flamenco buskers in one of the caves at Parc Guell.
Lucky shot with nobody else in the cave!
See those violet flowers behind, there are a field of them behind me, pretty awesome view.
This is a Casa Mila, another Gaudi creation (said to be his masterpiece, I thought that was the Sagrada Familia no?).
Roof of Casa Mila, a very contorted reality.
Haha, now go figure how I took this photo.
