Photo By Staff Sgt. Madeline Herzog | Tourists walk along the roof of Sala Hipóstila in Parc Güell, Barcelona, Spain Dec....... read more read more
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The sun was high and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky while I was in Barcelona.
This was my first trip alone since arriving in England. I didn’t know Spanish, and to be honest, I was a bit intimidated at the start of this trip.
My intent was to be there for New Year’s Eve and get pictures of the fireworks at Plaça de Catalunya, a central sculpture-filled square used for special events with shops and cafes.
After dropping my things off at an inexpensive room I'd found in the Sants-Montjuïc neighborhood of southwest Barcelona, I took a walk to find some food. The restaurants along the Barcelona streets were very small and many featured outdoor seating with small fire pits near each table. Most of the food options looked relatively the same from one place to the next, but I finally stopped at one because they had great music playing. Yes, I choose restaurants solely on musical selection!
The next morning, I woke up early and started my journey into Parc de Montjuïc, in the hills surrounding the Catalan capital, very close to where I was staying. I anticipated it was going to be a tiring day when I first approached the steep stairway leading into the park, and unfortunately I was correct.
As I walked through the park, I could see courts, fields and tracks that were once filled with Olympic athletes. The Olympic Stadium was constructed in 1929 for the International Exposition, but the city would not host the world competition until the 1992 Summer Olympic Games.
I took any unique path through the park I spotted. After walking for hours, I looked at a map and realized I had only touched a small area of Parc de Montjuïc.
I relocated to a hotel closer to Plaça de Catalunya, where I planned to catch the fireworks on New Year's Eve, and spent the day exploring another park, visiting the city harbor, and walking down La Rambla, the central boulevard which cuts through the heart of the city centre and is a major tourist attraction.
As I approached La Rambla, I had to stop for a minute to take it all in. Thousands of people filled the bustling tree-lined street, walking through pop-up shops and restaurants. I finally reached the harbor as the sun was setting and the waves were turning gold; it was the perfect way to end a day in Barcelona.
The next day I decided to visit Parc Güell and La Sagrada Família, a large unfinished Roman Catholic church designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi. It has been under construction since 1882, and is expected to be finished in 2026 according to Business Insider.
The church was monumental and magnificent; pictures do not do it justice by any means. A park close by was filled with many visitors taking in the view and enjoying the sunny day.
After the church, I kept trekking to Parc Güell, which was a much farther walk than I anticipated.
The park is another site that features the work of Gaudí, comprised of gardens and many buildings designed by the architect. Upon reaching the park, I tried to go down as many paths and stairways as I could, just to make sure I saw everything.
After exploring almost the whole park I ended up at the Turó de les Tres Creus, the highest part of the park, where you can see most of Barcelona. The view was amazing… I could see Parc de Montjuïc, La Sagrada Família and all the other places I'd previously visited.
That night, as midnight drew nearer, I was planning where I was going to set up for the best vantage point to take photos. At this point, it was an hour and 15 minutes out and I was just leaving my hotel room when I heard what sounded like fireworks going off....
"Why were they going off more than a hour before midnight?" I thought to myself. I checked my phone, which indicated it was only 10:55 p.m. To double check, I googled “Barcelona time right now” and what do you know… it was 11:55 p.m.
I never switched my time zones when I arrived at the airport, so the whole time I was in Spain, I was an hour behind, and I missed the fireworks.
Barcelona was a very unique city, and I had no problem at all finding a lot of things to see and places to go. But just a tip for when you travel next, always make sure you have the right time when you land in another country!
Editor’s note: This is an article in a series about travel opportunities while stationed in the United Kingdom. No federal endorsement is intended or implied for any of the events or places described.
| Date Taken: | 12.29.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 02.06.2019 07:56 |
| Story ID: | 309650 |
| Location: | RAF LAKENHEATH, SFK, GB |
| Web Views: | 60 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, (Miss)adventures: Streets of Barcelona, by SSgt Madeline Herzog, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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