Barcelona and Tarragona speak for themselves - now for some winter sun Autumn trip part 5

 Barcelona and Tarragona speak for themselves

Not much really needs to be said about either place as the pictures speak for themselves, in particular Sagrada Familia. Tarragona was a return visit for us, mum has never been and whilst it was a whistle stop tour of the old Roman parts of the city, it was enough for mum, who's legs are beginning to tire with so much walking. We did have a really delicious lunch in a very busy restaurant, and although we felt ignored for the first time in Spain, we were glad we waited patiently, as the food was so good and the waitress also turned out to be lovely, but rushed off her feet. We worried we had started to encounter some of the areas affected by the 'anti-tourism' sentiment and given how busy this small city was in November, it is easy to see why locals are so moved to protest.

Wandering around Tarragona we instantly recognised the road where 5 years earlier I had had my thumb put back together in the hospital, but some of the other parts we saw this time were new to us also. It’s a very easy city to visit, you just need to get timings right as most of the monuments were closed over the short time we were there. It didn’t matter as the Roman amphitheatre can be better viewed from the road outside! After a quick morning walk to the sea and breakfast, we headed to Barcelona, our second attempt to meet our allotted time for Sagrada Familia.

Barcelona

The main reason for being in this city did not disappoint! We visited 20 years ago and naively thought not much would have changed. How wrong we were! Trying to get in with mum’s discounted tickets meant having to find a particular entrance. The staff was super helpful and got her a wheelchair so that she would be more comfortable; this proved to be really useful as we were in for over three hours; I could have stayed even longer, completely mesmerised by the stained glass. Our necks were aching by the end of the visit as you could not tear your eyes away from the magnificent colours being projected on to the floor and the ceilings. Gaudi's vision for the place was spectacular and we got to see so much more than 20 years ago, none of the inner 'forest' was visible and this was magnificent. 

 

    
The crypt that had previously held a museum, was now just visible through archways looking down towards it and the museum itself had moved. We rushed through the museum as time, again, was running out; we needed to get to Girona by nightfall. The outsides of the building are also quite fascinating with hidden details being explained by the audio guide. Including finding an image of Gaudi being represented as one of of the soldiers at Jesus' crucifixion.

We also found a door with a magic square, adding up to 33 in any direction for Jesus' age at death according to Christianity, a scallop shell and many more symbols. Some rubbed so often that the brass colour underneath was exposed; this is often done where people believe you get good luck.

On this trip the Sagrada Familia was all we came for, and despite the trials we seemed to have gone through, it more than lived up to the expectations. Mum was overawed by it, a very successful day.

Next stop Girona!