Barcelona - Day 2

One of my main goals in Barcelona was to have a look at lots of Gaudi architecture. On our second full day in Barcelona we went for breakfast at the same place that Uncle D had taken us the day before, for the sake of decent coffee.

Then we headed off towards Casa Batllo where we had tickets to take a look inside. On the way we walked past Casa Mila (otherwise known as La Pedrera).

Casa Mila (La Pedrera)

After that first small taste of the exterior of Casa Mila I was excited to get to Casa Batllo. And it seemed promising from the outside. The exterior is very different to anything around it, and the queues were long, so I figured it was a good place to be.

Casa Batllo

However, once we were inside (our tickets allowed us to skip the queue) I quickly realised that it was not the place that I had thought I was going to. Aside from a few cool features it was almost boring. I had chosen not to get an audioguide as I find them distracting, but I could see on other people's that they were getting a virtual glimpse of what the rooms would look like finished and furnished. But the public were only allowed to access three or four of the 7 or so floors, and even then many of the rooms were closed as they were unrestored as yet. To be honest, it was over-priced and dull. But here are a few pics of the good bits.

Terrace 'garden'

On the roof

I have looked online again and I think that the place I thought I was going to was Casa Mila. It seems to be more advanced in it's restoration and much more visually interesting. Oh well... next time...

To top off a seriously underwhelming visit to Casa Batllo, we were ready to leave and there was no sign of Master J. S-i-L searched the bottom 2 floors while I went back upstairs and searched the top floor and the roof. The staff had been alerted that there was a missing 10-year-old boy and were helping to look. He was eventually found sitting under a spiral staircase reading his kindle and claiming that he had told us where he would be and that he hadn't heard the frantic calling of his name... Yeah, right!

He was reunited with his terrified mother and we moved on, deciding to walk the hour to Parc Guell so that Miss L could have a sleep in the pram. It was an easy walk down some nice (and not so nice) little lanes, until the last 15 minutes when it became an uphill slog, and then involved carrying the pram up the last several flights of stairs as the escalator wasn't working. We arrived hot, bothered and starving.

The park wasn't what we had hoped, which was a nice area with lots of grass for the kids to have a run-around on and burn some energy. There was a dirt/pebble path to follow, with some views out over the city, and hawkers lining the whole path trying to sell us shoddy merchandise.

Parc Guell

But it was nice to be in the semi-shade among the green and out of the city for a while. We were desperate for food and toilets, but there were none of either to be found. There were some interesting features there though, and it was a nice walk. Master J and I also bought a painting each from one of the few hawkers that actually had nice stuff to sell.

The part you have to pay to enter (we didn't) 

After that we found a cafe (with a toilet) and decided to call it a day even though it was early afternoon. We had promised Master J a swim in the hotel pool and we had all been travelling and touristing non-stop for 3 weeks. I went out and got some groceries and things for dinner, and we have a relaxed afternoon.

Despite what the pictures here show, Barcelona is actually very similar in design and appearance to many other European cities I have been to, though easier to navigate than some due to being of a grid-design. I am just photographing the interesting bits.

The next day... disaster struck!