Bad Tourist’s Barcelona

I wanted to share a few photos from my trip to Barcelona with you. 

I have been to Barcelona at last once or twice a year for the past 10 years, and I’ve also blogged about it on more than one occasion (see my previous blog posts on food, shopping, sightseeing, street art etc. HERE). But I still find something new and interesting to see every time I visit this wonderful city.

Why do I keep going back to Barcelona, then, instead of finding new places to explore? I always love going back to places that I already know well. There are favourite shops and restaurants, familiar streets and buildings. It gives me a sense of belonging, and I value that much more than exploring a completely new place.

I know, it may sound odd, but life is often quite hectic, and on top of that either my husband or I commute between Finland and the U.K. every week. That’s a lot of travelling, way too much time spent in crowded airports and rushing to catch the train etc. So, it’s probably no surprise that navigating an unfamiliar place with lots of new information to process is the last thing we want to do on holiday. No, the best way for us to relax is to go somewhere where we can just sort of pick up where we left off on our last visit. This may partly explain our ‘annual migrating pattern’ of visiting our favourite destinations.

But today the focus is on Barcelona. More specifically, Barcelona at Easter (yes, it was a very short trip: just 3 days…). Obviously, Easter Sunday and Monday were public holidays, so Saturday was the only shopping day. And many museums, galleries and attractions were either closed or very crowded. So, what can you do in Barcelona, then?

Architecture and Design

Art Nouveau, or modernisme as they call it in Catalan, is everywhere in Barcelona. And I’m not talking about the famous buildings designed by Gaudi; there are plenty of beautiful buildings by less well-known architects to see. These buildings may not be featured in books and travel guides, but that doesn’t make them any less impressive. Quite the contrary: instead of museums frozen in time, these are buildings that people still live in. If that isn’t evidence of the longevity of art and the enduring appeal of design, I don’t know what is.

Street Art

Barcelona is like a living, breathing outdoor art exhibition: modernist art, pop art and street art happily co-exist, making Barcelona an inspiring place to visit for anyone interested in art and design.

I love the huge Roy Lichtenstein sculpture on the seafront:

And then there is street art: from graffiti and wall art to shop shutters:
(see my post on shop shutters from last year HERE)

I can’t wait for my next visit, in June. I’m sure there’s still a lot to see in Barcelona.

I hope you enjoyed the tour.

Tiina

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