Arriving in Espana

After travelling along the south coast of France we reached the Spanish border and headed into Spain for our next month abroad. Our first pit stop was a campsite near Barcelona called Vilanova Park. We chose this because of its proximity to Barcelona.

 

We had two days trip planned during our short stay here - one in Barcelona and one in Vilanova - both of which were easily accessible by bus. Tickets can be bought on the bus from the driver on the day of travel but a ticket for 10, bought from the shop on site, works out much cheaper; it would have cost us 40 Euros for 4 return tickets but the ticket for 10 cost 34 Euros and we had two to spare (or pass on to someone else). The bus into Barcelona leaves directly from the site every half an hour and is a comfortable journey that takes a little over an hour. It terminates in Plaza Catalunya but we opted to get off at Plaza Espana. From here we caught the Metro (purchasing another 10 tickets from the machine) and went on the red then blue lines to the Collblanc stop. We exited the station and followed the signs for Barcelona Football Club.

 

Now the girls and I aren't real football fans. We enjoy the game. The girls enjoying playing it and do occasionally watch an international game. Tim was a keen footballer but follows the game much less than he used to. The reason we chose to visit the club was because it was a recommendation by the site manager at the campsite (an avid Barcelona fan). We wandered into the museum surrounded by fellow visitors wearing Barcelona tops and scarves and began reading the history of the club. Numerous glass cabinets display the countless trophies that the club has won and an area is dedicated to Messi, showing all of the Golden boots and Golden Ball awards that he has won. The tour then continues around the building, wandering into the press rooms, dressing rooms, up the steps onto the pitch side, into the stands, up into the commentators box and finally into a multimedia room where old footage of matches and famous moments are played on large screens. The experience is truly magical and it is easy to get swept up by the adulation of this fantastic club. Even though we went in mildly interested in the sport, we left as avid Barcelona fans, loving the game. This was put to the test a few days later when Barcelona FC played Arsenal in Barcelona. We watched the game in a Spanish bar with locals. We cheered when they cheered and jumped out of our seats as each of the three goals against Arsenal was scored. We also kept nudging each other, saying we stood in that stadium a few days and watched them cutting the grass ready for the match! 

 

It is easy to spend 4 -5 hours at the club, but pressed for time we left after about 2 and half hours, heading back into the centre of Barcelona. We caught the Metro from Palau Reial and took the green line towards the port. We wandered around the port area, dominated by chic shops and overlooked by a large statue of Christopher Columbus. Then we turned back towards Plaza Catalunya, choosing to walk along Las Ramblas with its stalls and street artists, deviating to see the Barcelona Gothic cathedral and stumbling upon the beautiful Palau de la Musica Opera building. From the Plaza Catalunya we walked up the Passeig de Gracia, linking the square with the old village of Gracia and on the way stopped at two iconic buildlings: Casa Batllo and Casa Mila, better known as La Pedrera, designed by Spanish and Catalan architect Antonio Gaudi. These buildings are works of art and stand out in the already beautiful architecture that surround them. Another of his buildings remains unfinished and is the famous basillica La Sagrada Familia. We continued our walking tour to see this and were amazed at this piece of artwork. Building work began in the late 19th century but it is not forecast to be completed until 2026, one hundred years after Gaudi's death. There are tours of the building and separate tours to climb the towers.  

 

There are guided walking trips that take in many of the places that we saw, and we did see a couple, but I think choosing to see the sights on your own allows you to travel at your own pace. We also had our own tour guides! Amy and Ella had both carried out research on one of the tourist sights that we went to visit and became tour guides at the appropriate moment, presenting us with all the necessary information. Another option to see the sights, is to travel on the tourist bus, a popular choice. This provides a commentary in many different languages about the various sights in the city and allows you to hop off and on whenever you wish. 

 

Vilanova is the nearby town by the sea. It appears quite run down in parts and at this time of year was extremely quiet. We once again bought our 10 journey ticket from the campsite shop and took the regular bus service into the town. We didn't plan to spend long there because the girls wanted to make the most of the facilities back at the site. Getting off at the beach, we walked along the sand and promenade (also cyclable) and through some of the streets before catching a bus back. The beach and promenade were almost deserted with only a couple of dog walkers and joggers passing by but I imagine that in summer the place must come alive. The sand is clean and the water clear. The fact that it is so convenient to get to from the campsite means that it can provide a great day out on beach.

 

@meekroadventures