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Casa Batlló - Passeig de Gràcia
Casa Batlló, along with Casa Lleó-Morera and Casa Amatller, is part of the so-called Illa de la Discòrdia, a block of buildings remodelled by the three main Barcelona's modernism architects: Lluís Domènech i Montaner, Antoni Gaudí and Josep Puig i Cadafalch. The architects had different styles and their buildings contrast quite a bit with each other and with the other houses around them.
The interior of Casa Batlló can be visited for around 17 euros (with discounts, if you bought the guide book from the Modernism Centre in Plaça de Catalunya) and you will probably be queueing for around 15 minutes.
The façade's mosaic is made of broken ceramic tiles.
Barcelona beach guide
Very good site about Barcelona's beaches: Sant Sebastià, Barceloneta, Nova Icària, Bogatell, Mar Bella, Nova Mar Bella, Llevant. On this site you can find information about water quality, sea conditions, bathing warnings, jellyfish, warnings and live webcams.
In this moment for example, at 8:58 p.m, bathing is not recommended, as there are strong currents.
#travelCasa Amatler - Passeig de Gràcia
On Passeig de Gracia there are 3 famous houses, built in modernista style: Casa Amatler, Casa Batlló and Casa Lleó-Morera.
This area is always crowded with tourists, visitors, admirers and locals taking pictures or drawing.
Casa Amatller
In front of the house, a tile in the ground marks the 0 km of modernism.
The house is privately owned, so the interior cannot be visited. However, the entrance is open and it is often used for different exhibitions.
There is also an interesting chocolate shop at the entrance, with beautiful pictures of the house, over the time. Chocolatier Antoni Amatller bought the building in 1898 and commissioned Josep Puig i Cadafalch to remodel it.
Barcelona beach: Sand, sea, sun & cerveza
Quiet and warm Mediteranian Sea of Barcelona has 4 main beach areas, it is 4.2 km long and very close to the city centre.
The easiest way is to go by Metro (Line L4, Barceloneta station). You can also walk from the city centre, from the end of the La Rambla pedestrian street. It takes around 20 minutes.
Barceloneta is the closest beach, with plenty of shops, souvenirs, bars and night clubs. The water is warm, even in June or October. You can do windsurfing and kite surfing, eat doughnuts or drink a cold cerveza sold on the beach. You can also hire a bike and ride on Barcelona's seafront.If you want, you can go to for a massage session or even get a tattoo.
Fancy houses in Barcelona
I took these pictures while walking on Barcelona's streets. Inspiring architecture.
This one is on the Passeig de Gracia avenue, I think.
This house is very close to where I stayed in, Fontana Metro Station.
Bikes in Barcelona
While Barceloneta Bikes or BudgetBikes can be rented by everyone, including tourists, Bicing is a public eco-friendly program initiated by the mayor especially for residents. Bicing is a new way to travel from one point to the other and reduce noise and pollution in the city. Most of the bike centres are close to bus stations, metro stations and parking areas.
There are more than 300 bike centres in Barcelona.
Working hours in Barcelona
I am impressed by the way residents in Barcelona balance their time between work and personal life. In winter the working hours are 9 am - 6 pm and in summer time, they start at 8 am and finish at 5:30 pm.
They observe the leaving hours because they pay attention to their health and the quality of their life, meaning that they spend more time hanging out with their friends and family in cafés, terraces, walking on the beach, hiking, having long lunch breaks etc.
Time management is in important topic in Barcelona at governmental level. They have created a department for Nous Usos Socials del Temps, or New Social Uses of Time (NUST). It evaluates the way citizens organize their work, family, leisure and private time and they develop plans on how the city services can be improved in order to better fit time requirements.
Taking the Metro in Barcelona
Barcelona has an excellent subway service, with 5 lines connecting the centre of the city to each one of its districts. A one-way ticket is 1,40€ and can be bought from the metro's automatic vending machines.
I advise you to buy a T-10 ticket which is 7.85€ and allows you to travel in groups of 2 or more persons.The ticket allows any number of travel combination but the duration of the trip is limited to 1h15min.
Many of the station are provided with street-level lifts for the elderly or people with reduced mobility.
There are underground map at the entrance and on the platforms of each stations, so you can check to which station takes you closer to to place you want to go.
I also suggest to keep the ticket with you, because the fine for not having a valid travel card is 50€.
#transportationPlaça de Catalunya - where pigeons meet the travellers
Plaça de Catalunya is the first stop you make, after landing on El Prat Airport in Barcelona and taking the Aerobus to arrive in the city centre.
After a 30 minute ride, you are practically in Barcelona's central point from where you can start planning your journey. Have a snack at one of the Spanish pastry shops in the area and rest on a bench in the square. You'll be soon surrounded by curious pigeons that will get closer and closer till they will eat right out of your hand.
La Rambla, the most famous pedestrian street in Barcelona begins here. From the top of the shopping centre El Corte Inglés, you can admire a panoramic view on the historical districts of the city.
Very useful tips, vouchers, free maps and city guides are found at the Tourism Information Centre situated nearby (Pl. de Catalunya 17, basement).
If you're planning to visit the architecture legacy of Gaudi, Domènech i Montaner, Puig i Cadafalch & friends, then you should know there are around 115 different items that you can visit. This route is called the Route of Modernism and you can recognize it easily by this symbol.
Usually there is an entrance fee around 15 Eur for each of the attractions, but you get up to 50% discount when you buy the guide book (12 Eur) at the Modernisme Centre in Catalunya Square.
The fastest way to arrive in the city centre or to your hotel is by subway, Catalunya metro station.
You can also walk around 15 minutes on foot till avingunda Diagonal , one of the most important avenues in Barcelona, cutting the city in two. Here you can stop for a coffee at Starbucks and be served with a nice cup of caramel macchiato with your name on.
Avinguda Diagonal, Barcelona
Avigunda Diagonal is a great place for shopping (or maybe just window shopping) in Barcelona.
Between Plaça Joan Carles and Plaça de la Reina Maria Cristina, Diagonal avenue has a major concentration of business and commerce. This is where you'll find department stores, shopping centres and designer fashion shops, all the way through Passeig de Gracia.
In this area, you can also have a break and eat a traditional paella at one of the many restaurants available. This area of Barcelona has a lot of hotels, some of them international chains, including the Hilton Barcelona, Hotel L'Illa Husa, Hotel Princesa Sofia and the Hotel Rey Juan Carlos I.
#shopping
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