Go for the “heart of the watermelon” says Robert. He and Gretchen (great friends and world travelers) have recommended Sonia V. their guide of ten years ago, as our guide for our two days in Barcelona. I’m very ambitious to see everything….jet lag be damned!
We left our home at 5 a.m. on the 4th of June to board a flight (nothing like a seat that reclines into a bed!) to awaken thanks to the time change around 9 a.m. on the 5th. We rub our eyes, lugged ourselves and back packs down an “air” stairway to the tarmac to board a bus, then a taxis… and finally Barcelona!
After storing our luggage we met Sonia for a four hour tour of the Gothic Quarter, Jewish Quarter and La Rambla. We walked the same steps as Christopher Columbus who visited Barcelona after he negotiated the terms with the Queen to sail to the new world.
Daylight is hard pressed to penetrate the narrow, ancient streets of this area of the city surrounded by a wall built by the Romans about 2,000 yeas ago. Today, whenever an area is excavated for a modern use, a parking structure, remodeling an old marketplace, etc., ruins of the Roman city below Barcelona are uncovered. It took the vibrant artist community to convince the city fathers to preserve such artifacts in place such as the columns to the ancient Roman temple near the Barcelona Cathedral.
Tomorrow Gaudi’s architectural wonders.
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