Barcelona’s Stunning Park Guell – Keep Calm and Wander

Barcelona's Stunning Park Guell - Keep Calm and Wander

Park Guell in Barcelona is visually stunning. I’m not only referring to the legacy of arts and architecture that Antoni Gaudi left but also to the nature and breathtaking views you’ll see from up here. You’ve never been to Barcelona if you’ve never been to Parc Guell. This is the city’s green space on a hill with views unequalled anywhere in the world. No wonder, this is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Though the Park Guell isn’t really in the centre of the city, public transport is accessible. There are buses that stop right in front of the gate from downtown. All you have to do is find the exact bus number. I found it using google maps. The nearest subway or metro is Lesseps. From here, you have to walk uphill for 15-20 minutes.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Barcelona Gay Travel Resources

Hidden Barcelona – Keep Calm and Wander

Hidden Barcelona - Keep Calm and Wander

Barcelona remains one of the most popular destinations to visit in Europe, attracting over 32 million people per year and it is easy to see why. This historic city, with its incredible architecture, energetic nightlife and famous beaches make this an attractive holiday destination for tourists. Barcelona also has a fantastic array of restaurants, including 24 Michelin-starred eateries such as ABaC, a three Michelin-starred restaurant in the heart of the city.

While it is exciting to see a different side of the city, there will be some things you won’t want to miss when you visit Barcelona. La Sagrada Família, Park Güell and La Catedral, for example, should all be on your must-see list. However, there are also some fascinating places that you can see in Barcelona that are not as obvious choices for tourists.

For example, you could pay a visit to the Museu Nacional de Art de Catalunya where you can admire the breathtaking views of the city as well as an amazing array of modern art. Don’t forget to check out the stunning waterfall!

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

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The Facade of the Sagrada Familia – Keep Calm and Wander

Sagrada Familia Barcelona - Alain

From afar, the Sagrada Familia is a towering Gothic structure that dominates the skyline of Barcelona. But if you get closer and look up, you’ll find yourself wondering on what the symbols on its facade mean or stand for. However, if you’re a devout Christian or Catholic, these symbols are easy peasy for you, right? I went to a Catholic High School, so, I’m kinda familiar to some of them.

The facade of Sagrada Familia is divided into three main gates. As you can see in the following photos below, they’re not your ordinary church doors. They’re grand and replete with tiny, detailed sculptures of religious origin.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Gaudi’s Casa Pedrera, Barcelona – Keep Calm and Wander

Casa Pedera

In Barcelona, there’s a house that the locals fondly call Casa Pedrera (or the Quarry). If you look at its facade, it really looks like a rugged quarry. However, its original name was Casa Mila. Anton Gaudi, Catalan’s most beloved architect built it for the wealthy Mila Family. This house was one of his last projects before he concentrated himself on building the city’s most iconic structure, the Sagrada Familia.

Before you enter Casa Pedrera or Casa Mila, look up and you’ll see the billowing edges of Casa Pedrera. They do look like a quarry, right? And, do you see those twisted, wrought-iron balconies? They’re awesome, eh?!

When you get inside (after paying, of course), you’ll be ushered into a simple courtyard with a staircase like this. Unfortunately, you’re not allowed to take these stairs that lead to private apartments.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Eating Out: Barcelona

Barcelona - Pixabay

According to an August 2015 report from LGBT Capital, an investment firm based in London and Hong Kong focused on the LGBT consumer market, Spain is Europe’s most valuable LGBT travel destination, with in-bound gay and lesbian visitors pumping in some $6.8 billion to the economy. That puts Spain second behind the US ($21.5 billion) among the 14 global nations counted in the report.

From Alicante to Zaragoza, Spain calls gay travelers to some 11 destinations country wide, but few come as hot as beautiful Barcelona. From bustling Eixample (locally, Gaixample), the city’s gay epicenter to the nude beaches of seaside gay-magnet Sitges, southwest of the city, Catalonia’s capital sizzles year-round.

With flamboyant fiestas including the legendary Sitges Carnival (February), Bear Pride (March), Pride Barcelona (late June into early July), and wild Circuit Festival (which celebrated its 10th anniversary this August) for visitors to enjoy, count Barcelona’s globally recognized culinary scene among the seductions, too.

From its beachfront snack bars (xiringuitos) to its 23 Michelin-starred restaurants, Barcelona’s food scene runs as hot as its men. Even going for coffee here is on an amorous level, per the Catalan phrase “Fotem un café?” or “Let’s make love to a coffee.” On that appetite-whetting possibility alone, here are just a few of the myriad ways to eat your heart out in Barcelona.

LA BOQUERIA

LA BOQUERIA - BarcelonaWith Catalonia designated the European Region of Gastronomy for 2016, Catalan cuisine, reaching back to medieval days has lasting African and Arabic influences, exemplifying the saying that “the history of the world is found on the plate.”

Based primarily on ingredients cultivated, foraged, and harvested from Catalonia’s bountiful seas, valleys, and mountains, the Catalan menu dances to its own exotic beat. Typically cooked in wine, brandy, or extra-virgin olive oil from some of the oldest olive trees in Europe, Catalan dishes characteristically contrast sweet and spicy or sweet and sour accents.

By Jeff Hailman – Full Story at Passport

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Alain Visits Barcelona's MNAC

MNAC Barcelona To be honest, I never had the chance to take a peek of Catalan Art at MNAC (Museo Nacional d’Art de Catalunya). I arrived at almost 4 in the afternoon on my last day in Barcelona and I simply didn’t have much time. Instead, I went around and admired the museum’s facade. If you look at it from afar, MNAC’s dome looks familiar, right? That’s because it’s modelled after St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. It has the world’s largest collection of Romanesque frescoes. Inside, you’ll find the works of Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso when they were still young – trying to carve a name in the art world.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Barcelona Gay Travel Resources

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Barcelona's Barri Gotic – Keep Calm and Wander

Barri Gotic To step back in time at Barri Gotic, you better be here early in the morning when the narrow streets are empty. When the Gothic Quarter is deserted, you can really feel like you’re time-traveling. From the cold cobbled stones on tapered paths to the sharp spires above, visitors are enchanted by the sheer magnificence of Gothic architecture. Here are some important places to check out to step back in time at Barri Gotic. Barcelona Cathedral. Make sure you’re properly dressed because they won’t allow people to go inside in shorts or mini skirts and in flip flops. Prepare to be blown away by the grandiose interior of complex designs and elaborate carvings.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Barcelona Gay Travel Resources

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Casa Batllo – The House of Bones – Keep Calm and Wander

The House of Bones - Alain The locals in Barcelona call Casa Batllo -as The House of Bones. You can’t blame them because if you look at it outside from afar, the casa looks like bones, indeed. Its eclectic facade design carries through the walls, door, floors and rooms inside the house. So, it’s a good idea to have an audio guide – and prepare to be dumbstruck by this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Since the casa is a work of Gaudi, expect a whopping price of 23.5 euros. Yes, it is thatridiculously expensive! If you want to skip the line to the ticket booth, buy your ticket online. Go in the morning for photographic reasons. There’s a different price for an early morning (36 euros – for first 10 people) visit but don’t buy it. Wait for a while until they decide to let you in for general admission.  ]]>

Barcelona From the Sagrada Familia Keep Calm and Wander

Sagrada Familia Yes, you can go to the top of Sagrada Familia by elevator. However, the lift doesn’t really bring you to the topmost floor. You’ll have to climb some steps to go to the uppermost part. The elevator is too small and the steps are too narrow. That’s why, you can’t go up there anytime you want. You have to follow the time you’re scheduled to go. And by the way, you have to pay a separate fee for this. It’s not included in the general admission. You also have to remember that since the area is too narrow, you won’t be able to take a picture of yourself with the city’s skyline in the background. Visiting Tips:  It is so much better to book your visit online so you can choose the time that’s convenient for you. Out of the 18 towers, only 8 are currently completed. You can’t go to all of these towers. When buying the ticket, you have to choose between the Passion Towers and Nativity Towers. You also can’t use the elevator to descend but the steps only. So, if you have mobility problems, this might be a difficult task for you. Children younger than 6 aren’t allowed to go up.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

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10 Interesting Facts About Sagrada Familia – Keep Calm & Wander

Sagrada Familia - Keep Calm and Wander There’s no doubt that Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is Antoni Gaudi’s most ambitious and most celebrated work that’s waiting to be completed. Though the artist had died long time ago, his vision of the church lives on. Construction is still going on but it’s getting to the finish line. After 134 years of construction, the world will be able to see the spectacular Sagrada Familia in its entirety soon.

For now, there’s nothing much to see inside for a regular tourist like me. While I was there last summer, the central part of the church was wholly covered. It was disappointing, especially if the entrance fee was excessive. In Barcelona, everything that has Gaudi trademark on is expensive. You could feel Spain’s economic crisis. The struggle is real. 🙂 Since I’m not a hardcore Catholic, the only thing that fascinated me is the architecture in itself.  Looking up, I was blown away by the complicated, intricate and beautiful structures of its columns to the roof. I was literally blown away. It’s the same feeling I had when I first set foot on the Great Wall of China or when I witnessed the first break of dawn at the summit of Mt. Sinai. I had goosebumps and I had no one to talk to or share that feeling – a disadvantage of travelling solo.]]>