Our next Port of Call Barcelona was also going to be the end of our Transatlantic cruise. Impulsive as we are, especially where it comes to travel, we looked at options to extend our cruise and found that a bunch of our newfound friends were continuing the ride from Barcelona into the Mediterranean; some were going to Rome and some even further to Athens. We looked at each other, kind of reminded each other that visiting the Greek Islands had been part of a Christmas or Anniversary promise and we went to see the cruise director to buy a 2 week cruise extension that would take us all the way to Athens, with a day stop in Istanbul. Oh yeah, we were living it up, and our next 6 months of working hospitality would be arriving soon enough, inspite of Covid and its dangers. (little did we know that the 2022 season would be the most intense one in the history of the Lodge).
Anyway, with another 14 days booked on the ship, we were not that interested in deeply diving into Barcelona’s belly on what looked like was going to be a rainy day. We were more interested in a smooth cabin transition, so we didn’t disembark until close 11am. Han knew the city quite well from his years in Europe – the last time he had been there was in 1998 – during an Iberian Peninsula monthlong vacation that included Lisbon and the Portuguese Algarve region and Spain’s Sevilla, Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona region. His take was that the city had become a bit too trendy and international and therefore also way too expensive.
Las Ramblas Port end with Columbus statue
But beyond that we have learned that a cruise should be enjoyed without pressure and trying to include a Port of Call’s total offering is pure lunacy – a bit like how Japanese visitors to Europe in the 1980s just came to take pictures. So we decided to just walk from the ship into the port and stroll onto Las Ramblas. The monument to Christopher Columbus (Colon) – very visible from the docked cruise ship -, marks the foot of the southern most end of the Ramblas and therefore a useful landmark to find your bearings when walking toward La Rambla from your cruise ship.
The entire length of Las Ramblas to Plaça Catalunya is a bit over 2/3 of a mile. La(s) Rambla(s) runs through the heart of the city center of Barcelona and divides the Barri Gòtic and El Raval neighborhoods. There is plenty to see and do all within a few minutes walk of this mostly tree-lined boulevard. About half way to the right, directly opposite from the famous La Boqueria Market, you will find access roads that will take you to the Cathedral in the Gothic Quarters and the very lively Plaça Real with the popular fountain to sit around. Pedestrian roads to the left, coming up from the Port, will connect you to MACBA, the Museum of Contemporary Art of Barcelona, famous for the display of major contemporary artworks created in the last 50 years. Admission is about $14.
Within walking distance from Plaça Catalunya (5 minutes) you can connect to the Rambla de Catalunya which takes you to one of Antoni Gaudi’s famous architectural designs, that are spread all over Barcelona. La Pedrera, aka Casa Milà is one of his more livable designs and the website focused on this building shows all Gaudi in one place. Personally I think wandering the twisting lanes of the Gothic Quarter and Passeig de Gràcia is much more interesting than the commerciality of Las Ramblas. Also another nice street for strolling …similar to Las Ramblas but much less crowded.
But if you are short on time in Barcelona, -like one day cruise ship stop days – either make Casa Batlló and Sagrada Familia your main Gaudí visits in Barcelona, or do what we did, because there is so much more to see and do in Barcelona.
If you do have the time, like two or three days, your must-see attractions include, but are not limited to: La Sagrada Família, Park Güell, Casa Batlló, La Rambla, the Gothic Quarter and the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc (make sure to take the funicular up). This fountain puts on a display of color, water, and music several nights a week, depending on the season. People who watch the show rave about it. The fountain will not run during drought conditions.
By 3pm we started our route back to the ship to find our new cabin. Unfortunately the mini-suite of the first two weeks was not available for our continuation, but at least we had a balcony. Our steward had re-moved all our belongings and moved them to the new cabin. All good and excited we concluded our first 2 weeks of cruising!
The next two weeks would take us to Marseille, Genova, Civitavechia (Rome), Naples (Pompei), Crete, Kusadasi (Turkey), Mikonos, Istanbul and finally Athens.
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