Seniors in Spain 2018: 7/19/2018-Barcelona-Columbus Monument, Las Ramblas, Placa Reial, Palau Guell, shopping for candy, lunch Cafe Schilling, Barcelona Cathedral, pool time, dinner at La Clara

Today is our last full day in Barcelona as we head to Valencia tomorrow. Breakfast again at Serra Pastisseries I think? Have no pictures so not sure. Maybe we didn't have breakfast?? We have decided to take the metro down to the Columbus Monument by the waterfront. We've decided to go to FNAC for the VAT refund first as directed by staff at the Hard Rock Shop. Start Rocafort station which is steps from our hotel. €4.40 for 2 tickets. We take the L1 Hospital de Bellvitge-Fondo-red line, 3rd stop Catalunya Square where FNAC is located. Unfortunately we are told at the Global Blue/FNAC that they can only do VAT refund here if purchase is over €150 and my receipt is for €105.80. So back to the metro to get the L3 to Drassanes. From there it's a short walk to Columbus Monument.

Metro tickets

Columbus Monument. Designed by Galeta Buhigas. Erected 1888 for the Universal Exposition. 200' honors Christopher Columbus who came to Barcelona in 1493 after his journey to America. Base of the monument 4 winged victories. Statues, reliefs. Official Tourist Information in the base. Elevator goes to top of the column-covered observation area-views over the city. Unfortunately we are told the access elevator closed to visitors as work being done on the monument. So disappointing! 😞 I do buy a postcard. It's quite a neat monument and I walk around it taking lots of pictures. I can only imagine what the view would have been.

Here can see 3 of the 4 winged victories at the base of the column and just below them are the 4 regions of Spain

Reliefs near the bottom illustrate scenes from Columbus' voyage

You can see the workman by Columbus' leg

Walking across the street is the waterfront. Building-Port of Barcelona. There must be a cruise ship in as we see lots of people walking from the waterfront up to Las Ramblas. Harbor cruise boats. See cable car, bluff of Montjuic. We decide to walk Las Ramblas to some other sights before final stop of Barcelona Cathedral.

Port of Barcelona

Cable car

Harbor cruise boats

Placa Reial. Yellow buildings-white neoclassical trim. Colonial feeling. Bars with pain seating. We're here to see Gaudi's first public works-2 colorful helmeted lampposts. See some tours. Runner Bean.

Gaudi-helmeted lamppost

Bars with patio seating

Runner Bean tours

Next is a detour to Palau Guell, another work designed by Gaudi. Cost $21.02 for the 2 of us. This is one of his early works-1886-1890-so darker and more Neo-Gothic than his famous later works. Rich decorations in wrought iron, pottery, glass, stone, and wood. UNESCO World Heritage Site. Large enough for Guell, his wife, and their 10 children. We spend 2 hours here.

Ticket

Guell

Guell initials

Dining room

Family loved music and would have concerts in the house

Rooftop-colorful mosaic chimneys

View from roof

View

Back on Las Ramblas I decide to go down Calle de Ferran to get over to the Barcelona Cathedral per map I have. Then I spot a store, La Cure Gourmande, devoted entirely to candy. Lots of varieties of turron-Catalan nougat. I buy 10 bars that come in a nice tin box. The bars will make for nice souvenir gifts. Then some smaller chocolate and regular turron squares wrapped in plastic and packed into 2 nice boxes. Total $68.74

The smaller pieces I picked were packed in these 2 lovely boxes

Top box filled with 9 varied pieces chocolate turron; bottom box filled with 9 pieces of varied regular turron

Pretty tin container for the 10 bars of tureen that I bought for gifts

These are the 4 varieties of regular turron bars

Feeling hungry right across from the candy store is Cafe Schilling. On the door there's information about brunch. However, when we're seated and ready to order we're told brunch is over. And I was looking forward to pancakes and fruit! It's 1:30 PM. So lunch it is. We decide to order Bloody Mary's and they came in the neatest glasses. We also ordered patatas bravas and Spanish omelet which came with toast spread with tomato. Not bad. Cost without tip $32.70.

Bloody Marys

Patatas bravas

Spanish omelet with toast with tomato spread

Continue walking to get to our last stop. Barcelona Cathedral. Finally will get to see the inside! Cost 2 tickets $16.35. This is a guy vetting your attire. If not dressed appropriately you can rent garments for the visit and cost is nominal. 14th c. Gothic/French Flamboyant. Pointed arch over the entrance, gargoyles, winged angels. Roofline-spires to resemble flames. Richly decorated chapels, fine carved choir, tomb of Santa Eulalia-martyred by the Romansin AD 304 at the age of 13 for her faith. Elevator to rooftop terrace. Courtyard. We spend a little over 1 hour here. Back to our hotel for some much needed pool time.

Colors of Catalan flag

Catalan protest

Entrance Barcelona Cathedral with guy on the right making sure you're dressed appropriately

Tickets

Ceiling

Ornately carved stalls 15th c. choir

Crypt of Santa Eulalia

Rooftop terrace-central spire of cathedral is 230' tall

View from rooftop terrace

Can see Sagrada Familia

Geese in the cloister courtyard

Can fill bottles with drinkable water

Cloister

We enjoyed time at our hotel pool

Dinner-La Clara. This place was recommended by hotel reception staff and is across the street a few minutes walk. It's open but it's early for Barcelona dinner goers but not us! We are the only ones here and are graciously seated. The wine menu is something to talk about as it's over 50 pages!! We order water and 2 glasses of tino fino/Briego tiempo. The red wine is very good. We order a house green salad to share. Richard orders grilled fresh tuna and I get the grilled fillet with wine sauce and sweet onion. I request my steak be medium. Our server brings us out 2 complimentary house appetizers. Olive, cherry tomato, anchovy, olive oil. Tasty. The salad is huge and has so many delicious items. We were expecting a pretty ordinary green salad but this was a pleasant surprise. Our entrees were also fabulous. My steak was cooked perfectly and Richard said his fish was just right. Then our server brings us a bottle of cava-enough for 2 glasses-also complimentary! This is really nice. We don't think we have room for dessert but then our server brings us complimentary wafer like cookies and some kind of decadent chocolate cookie/candy. So we decide to get dessert. Richard gets the burnt coconut and I get the nougat ice cream. Cost without tip $101.49. A truly great dining experience. By the time we're ready to leave at 9:00 PM the place is filling up with others who are smart enough to come here for dinner!