Saturday, September 17, 2011

I had prebooked entrance to Sagrada Famille for 9:00 so I was up early. Luggage pick up was 8:00, but I headed out before that looking for breakfast. I found a small bakery that was open and had breakfast. It was a beautiful sunny morning.








I went back to the hotel to drop off some forms at the DCL desk and then I was off to the Metro, it was only 1 or 2 stops so I was there well before 9:00. It was most impressive to walk up out of the metro and see the Sagrada Famille there. It is huge and as it is still under construction cranes all over the place. I walked around the whole building. There was a lovely play ground right across the street.  There was already a large line forming and I can understand the reports of having to wait in line for an hour to get in.

















Promptly at 9:00 we were allowed in. I was surprised inside on the main floor they have removed all the pews. There was a church service going on in the basement but that appeared to be for locals only. The inside with no pews looked almost modern, I think the outside is much more impressive.


















I then took the metro a few stops to check out another Gaudi building, Casa Mila but I am not sure if I ever found the right building.




Next up was the Gothic quarter and searching for the Barcelona Cathedral. The streets in Barcelona are very narrow so you cannot really see up, so I must have been like a block away from the Cathedral for 20 minutes before I found it, it too was most impressive from the outside, but I was short on time, so I did not go inside. I also found the large Market on La Ramblas with some lovely fruit and flower stalls, and of course some living statues on La Ramblas.



I made it back to the hotel by noon and the bus had arrived to pick up a lobby full of excited travellers.



It was about a 20 minute ride to the port and I was on board by about 1:15.



I spent the afternoon touring the ship, it is much smaller than the Dream and does not have all the bells and whistles but it is still a beautiful ship.

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