Our Last Day in Barcelona

Today, our final day of sightseeing in Barcelona, we went to Barceloneta, which was once the fishermen's neighborhood of the city.  It is located on a spit of land bordered on one side by the Mediterranean, and on the other side by the old harbor.

We walked down the main avenue of Barceloneta to the "teleférico", a suspended cable car which takes visitors high above the harbor to the hill of Montjuic.  The views of the sea, harbor and city are spectacular.

 

 In the background is the hill of Montjuic, the destination of the cable car ride.

 

 The green swathe running diagonally is Las Ramblas, the city's famous, tree-lined boulevard.

Jacarandas blooming on the hill of Montjuic

After taking the round trip on the cable car, we went to Barceloneta Beach to dip our toes into the Mediterranean.  Today is Saturday, and the beach was extremely crowded.  We can imagine what it will be like during the height of the season in August.

Some final thoughts on Barcelona...

Barcelona is certainly a spectacularly beautiful city, with much to see.  In the four days that Phyllis and I have been here we have only scratched the surface of the city's attractions.  But my time here has reinforced my opinion that I prefer Madrid.  I could imagine myself living in Madrid but not in Barcelona.  Even though the Spanish capital is the larger of the two cities, and definitely has plenty of hustle and bustle, I find Barcelona to be exhausting. The city, like Venice, is a victim of it own beauty... invaded by an army of tourists speaking a babel of languages, an army that seems to increase with each visit here. 

I have read that many residents of Barcelona refuse to go to Las Ramblas because it is so crowded with visitors.  The shops are now mostly souvenir stores, and the cafés are over-priced tourist traps. I mentioned in an earlier post that the Spanish poet Federico García Lorca once wrote that Las Ramblas was the one street that he wished would never end.  I wonder if he would now think, "Get me out of here!"  Phyllis said, "Yes, but think about all the money the tourism is bringing in."  But sometimes it's not all about money... there is quality of life to consider.  And I have the feeling that Madrid has a much better quality of life than Barcelona.