My old dream has come true! I took a wonderful sea cruise from Barcelona with a small group of travel enthusiasts. Group — These are 20 members of the Incruises club who have pre-selected the same time, route and liner. And, as it turned out later, most of us were also on the same flight from Moscow to Barcelona.
We decided to spend a couple of days in the capital of Catalonia before the departure of our ship. And in this article I’ll tell you about how we spent time in this ancient European city.
I won’t go into detail about the trip to Moscow. Everything is banal. Only two club members gathered from Samara on this cruise. Gennady and I boarded the double-decker train Samara-Moscow. Raisa and her husband Alexander joined us in Syzran. Early morning, we are in the capital. Metro, bus, Domodedovo airport.
I’m at Domodedovo airport
10.35 departure, all travelers are assembled, waiting to board the plane.
Barcelona
14.05. In anticipation of new experiences, satisfied travelers landed in the city Barcelona. The weather is lovely — 27º heat. At the airport we boarded a bus that took us to the center of the old city — Plaza Catalunya.
I prepared in advance and described in detail — How to get from Barcelona airport to Plaza Catalunya. We booked hotels in this area.
Hostel New York, where I lived, was a five-minute walk from Plaza Catalunya and the same number from Barcelona’s waterfront. The location of the hotel is very convenient! The sea terminal, where cruise ships depart from, is also a 15-minute walk away.
Port of Barcelona
After checking into the hotel, my friend and I decided to swim in the sea while it was warm. Let me remind you that it was the end of October. We found out at the «reception» how to get to the local beach, took a map of the city and were on our way. The walk along the promenade along the waters of the port of Barcelona was so interesting that they decided to postpone swimming in the sea until the next day.
Tour of Barcelona
The next day, everyone who wanted to see Barcelona went on an excursion. We agreed to meet at the same Plaza Catalunya, where the excursion agency is located. The double decker tour bus departs approximately every 20 minutes.
We didn’t wait long, we bought tickets for 29 euros for a two-hour sightseeing tour. Conveniently located on the second floor of the bus. There is no roof, so there is a wonderful view in any direction.
It should be noted that similar buses travel around many European cities. Prices, of course, are different everywhere, but in any case it is very convenient and inexpensive.
Barcelona Cathedral
Not far from our hotel there is this historical place, the hallmark of Barcelona – the Barcelona Cathedral. The square in front of the entrance is always crowded.
The most impressive thing, of course, was waiting for us inside the cathedral! It is worth noting that this is a very large and beautiful temple — an example of Gothic style with Catalan motifs.
Near the Cathedral
Look at the girl in an interesting costume, she kindly agreed to take a photo with me.
The statue of Christ, taken from the flagship of the Catalan fleet in the Middle Ages, is the main attraction of the cathedral. A very beautiful courtyard with 13 geese in honor of Saint Eulalia. This is a must see!
Barcelona Beach
And finally, after all the excursions, towards evening, I finally got to the beach. I won’t say that the sea was “hot”, about 20-22 degrees. For the Volga in Samara this is the usual summer temperature. So I took a couple of dips and swam in the Mediterranean Sea on the Barcelona city beach.
Barcelona city beach
Evening Barcelona
As in any metropolis, Barcelona’s nightlife is very vibrant. There are cafes on every corner, street performers, alluring lights of boutique windows, illuminated fountains and much more beautiful things.
Tomorrow promised conflicting feelings. On the one hand, the beginning of a magical sea cruise, on the other, the excitement of boarding the liner. After all, this was all for the first time. A magnificent, snow-white cruise ship MSC Meraviglia
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