The city that lives as a huge tourist site!! I know there is much more then this of Barcelona, but being there twice, always taken out to places from my local friends – it still gets me this feeling of huge tourist concentration.

It is also famous by lots of pick pockets – the unusual ones with ideas of stealing you that would amaze you and make you wonder how?

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Today in a conflict with the main seat, but that will not be the topic here, Catalunya is shown on the map here to get idea of its location and importance through the centuries of trades and also home of spanish mediaval Jews (Sefphardi Jews) – I will explain 🙂

It is sixth most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris, London, Madrid, the Ruhr area and Milan.  It is the largest metropolis on the Mediterranean Sea, located on the coast between the mouths of the rivers Llobregat and Besòs, and bounded to the west by the Serra de Collserola mountain range. 

Founded as a Roman city, in the Middle Ages Barcelona became the capital of the County of Barcelona. After merging with the Kingdom of Aragon, Barcelona continued to be an important city in the Crown of Aragon as an economic and administrative centre of this Crown (the daughter Catherine of Aragon from the united marriage of Isabel Castillana and Ferdinand Aragon married English King Henry VIII. This marriage, 15th century – was one of the most prominent marriages in the world since King Henry VIII fell in love with Ann Boleyn and completely separated England from the Pope,  pronouncing the Anglican Church and himself the Head of Anglican Church in England).

From these times is the Grand Royal Palace – a complex of three historic buildings on Plaça del Rei, once home to Aragon kings (14th century).

Charles V – who was both King of Spain and Holy Roman Emperor during the mid-16th century – ruled from here as well. These structures are part of the Barcelona City History Museum.

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Grand Royal Palace

Personally, I adore the Roman and  medieval Barcelona. My friend took me through those neighborhoods teling me stories. My eyes were as big as an apple.

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Old Roman walls

The Roman colony (Barcino) that grew into Barcelona was founded around 15 BC. Some of the buildings in the Gothic Quarter date back to the Roman settlement in Barcelona.

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The city was conquered by the Visigoths in the early 5th century. After being conquered by the Arabs in the early 8th century, it was conquered in 801 by Charlemagne’s son Louis, who made Barcelona the seat of the Iberian Carolingian Empire.

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Portal del Bisbe – one of the city entrances

Part of it is Jewish quarter, which was – like elsewhere in Europe  time, at the outgrowths of segregated ghettos instituted by the surrounding Christian authorities.But in Barcelona, the Jewish community had a major role and contributed to the commercial expansion of the city. They had their own institutions and were not subject to municipal authorities, but referred directly to the king.

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Historical Jewish Quarter

Barcelona was a centre of Catalan separatism since then, including the Catalan Revolt (17th cntury) against Philip IV of Spain. The great plague of 17th century halved the city’s population, including the riots of Jews accused for economical domination.

Fun fact, in Jewish / Gothic Quarter, nowadays the drying clothes is allowed only there – remarking the times of once vivid trade neighbourhoods.

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Part of the Gothic Quarter is the Barcelona Cathedral, so yeah the Gothic cathedral  built in 14th century.

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Dedicated to Eulalia of Barcelona, co-patron saint of Barcelona, a young virgin who, according to Catholic tradition, suffered martyrdom during Roman times in the city. One story says that she was exposed naked in the public square and a miraculous snowfall in mid-spring covered her nudity. The enraged Romans put her into a barrel with knives stuck into it and rolled it down a street (according to tradition, the one now called Baixada de Santa Eulàlia). The body of Saint Eulalia is entombed in the cathedral’s crypt.

 

I had a privilege to enter the City Hall or in catalan Casa de la Ciutat – the 14th century building with beautiful neoclassical façade.

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Casa de la Ciutat
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Casa de la Ciutat – inside

In the 18th century, a fortress was built at Montjuïc that overlooked the harbour. It was built nearby Jewish cemetary. Also, the name comes from Mount of Jews.

Today, one can visit there Palau Nacional which is today National Art Museum of Catalonia.

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Palau Nacional at Montjuic
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Palau Nacional – the hall

Inside you can see early works of young Picasso or Rodin as they lived there in their times (early 20th century) or some early Christian altar works of art. Unfrtunately Guernica isn’t there but in Museo Reina Sofia in Madrid.

 

 

 

 

Huge part of Barcelona is Antoni Gaudí. This architest (19th – 20th century) is best known for Catalan Modernism. Sagrada Familia is his biggest work of art, still not done yet, even though Gaudi died almost a century ago. It is said he died laying down on the tram rails to get the perfect angle. Unfortunatley the tram hit him is that moment and he died.

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The style of la Sagrada Família is variously likened to Spanish Late Gothic, Catalan Modernism and to Art Nouveau or Catalan Noucentisme. You can spot the façades and the attempt to glory of Jesus Christ: the Nativity façade to the East, the Passion façade to the West, and the Glory façade to the South. Actually, The Glory façade, on which construction began in 2002, is not done yet, but it will be the largest and most monumental of the three and will represent one’s ascension to God. It will also depict various scenes such as Hell, Purgatory, and will include elements such as the Seven Deadly Sins and the Seven Heavenly Virtues .

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Interior is just different interior of all churches ever seen, just like the exterior. Gaudi’s idea was the intersection of various geometric forms to create the heavenly atmosphere.

Themes throughout the decoration include words from the liturgy. Also, Gaudi made himself a grave below the main aisle.

 

 

 

 

The Park Güell composes of gardens and architectonic elements located on Carmel Hill (one of the seven hills of Barcelona). It was designed by Gaudi as well saturated with symbolsim.  Gaudi was admiring the nature and gettig inspiration from it cobining the analysis of geometry.

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Houses from Hensel and Gretel fairytail (only my perception)

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Gaudí’s multicolored mosaic salamander, popularly known as “el drac” (the dragon)
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Gaudí’s mosaic work on the main terrace

All of these is part of the UNESCO World Heritage.

And if you ever get there, the great view on the city and Mediterranian sea is guaranteed. 🙂

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It is inevitable to mention other unique designned buildings of Gaudi such as Casa Battlo. Considered as part of his masterpieces it is called also Casa dels ossos (House of Bones), as it has a visceral, skeletal organic quality.

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House of Bones – Gaudi

Or Casa Mila – popularly known as La Pedrera or “open quarry”, a reference to its unconventional rough-hewn appearance .

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Casa Mila 🙂

Or Placa Reial where you can find thhe street lamo he designed, called Lampposts. Also, notice the path and guess where the inspiration came from? 🙂

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For the end I recommend to visit the beach La Barcelonetta and drink Estrella or Selecta beer at the beachside or visit the prestigous bars and have a glass of famous sparkling wine Cava or Freixenet whose preparation contains storage of this beverage in amphoras under the sea for many years before it is served at tables.

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Talking about beach bars, I visited Opiu Barcelona. What started as a normal bar with some music to dance, soon turned into the moment ‘jar falls down again’. Once the curtain behind us opened, this happened:

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Back to serious exploring of Barcelona. There is Plaza Catalunya where from La Rambla starts – the most popular street of Barcelona.

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Plaza Catalunya

La Rambla is always  popular with tourists and locals alike. The Spanish poet García Lorca once said that La Rambla was “the only street in the world which I wish would never end.”

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La Rambla – souvenir shops
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La Rambla – restaurants

La Rambla stretches for 1.2 kilometres all the way till the Port Vell with the Christopher Columbus Monument constructed in honor of Columbus’ first voyage to the Americas. The monument serves as a reminder that Christopher Columbus reported to Queen Isabella I and King Ferdinand V in Barcelona after his first trip to the new continent.

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Cristobal Colon (esp) or Cristofor Columbo (eng.) Monument

-fyi- I haven’t been to Camp Nou. Yet.

Posted on 50 By RED RIDING HOOD cathedrals Posted in cathedrals, food and drink, fortress, History, Home page, Travel

RED RIDING HOOD

Weltschemerzer mit Sehnsucht. Travel is my catharsis.

50 Comments »

  21. Hey, how’s it going?

    I want to pass along some very important news that everyone needs to hear!

    In December of 2017, Donald Trump made history by recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Why is this big news? Because by this the Jewish people of Israel are now able to press forward in bringing about the Third Temple prophesied in the Bible.

    Jewish Rabbis have publicly announced that their Messiah will be revealed in the coming years who will be a leader and spiritual guide to all nations, gathering all religions under the worship of one God.

    Biblical prophecy tells us that this Jewish Messiah who will take the stage will be the antichrist “who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God” (2 Thessalonians 2:4). For a time he will bring about a false peace, but “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (Matthew 24:15)…then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21).

    More importantly, the power that runs the world wants to put a RFID microchip in our body making us total slaves to them. This chip matches perfectly with the Mark of the Beast in the Bible, more specifically in Revelation 13:16-18:

    “He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

    Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.”

    Referring to the last days, this could only be speaking of a cashless society, which we have yet to see, but are heading towards. Otherwise, we could still buy or sell without the mark amongst others if physical money was still currency. This Mark couldn’t be spiritual because the word references two different physical locations. If it was spiritual it would just say in the forehead. RFID microchip implant technology will be the future of a one world cashless society containing digital currency. It will be implanted in the right-hand or the forehead, and we cannot buy or sell without it. Revelation 13:11-18 tells us that a false prophet will arise on the world scene doing miracles before men, deceiving them to receive this Mark. Do not be deceived! We must grow strong in Jesus. AT ALL COSTS, DO NOT TAKE IT!

    “Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name” (Revelation 14:9-11).

    People have been saying the end is coming for many years, but we needed two key things. One, the Third Temple, and two, the technology for a cashless society to fulfill the prophecy of the Mark of the Beast.

    Visit http://WWW.BIBLEFREEDOM.COM to see proof for these things and why the Bible truly is the word of God!

    If you haven’t already, it is time to seek God with all your heart. Jesus loves you more than you could imagine. He wants to have a relationship with you and redeem you from your sins. Turn to Him and repent while there is still hope! This is forever…God bless!

    “EITHER HUMAN INTELLIGENCE ULTIMATELY OWES ITS ORIGIN TO MINDLESS MATTER OR THERE IS A CREATOR…” – JOHN LENNOX

    We all know God exists. Why? Because without Him, we couldn’t prove anything at all. Do we live our lives as if we cannot know anything? No. So why is God necessary? In order to know anything for certain, you would have to know everything, or have revelation from somebody who does. Who is capable of knowing everything? God. So to know anything, you would have to be God, or know God.

    A worldview without God cannot account for the uniformity and intelligibility of nature. And why is it that we can even reason that God is the best explanation for this if there is no God? We are given reason to know or reject God, but never to know that He does not exist.

    It has been calculated by Roger Penrose that the odds of the initial conditions for the big bang to produce the universe that we see to be a number so big, that we could put a zero on every particle in the universe, and even that would not be enough to use every zero. What are the odds that God created the universe? Odds are no such thing. Who of you would gamble your life on one coin flip?

    Is there evidence that the Bible is the truth? Yes. Did you know that the creation accounts listed in the book of Genesis are not only all correct, but are also in the correct chronological order? That the Bible doesn’t say the Earth was formed in six 24-hour days but rather six long but finite periods of time? That the Bible makes 10 times more creation claims than all major “holy” books combined with no contradictions, while these other books have errors in them? The Bible stood alone by concurring with the big bang saying, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1); and says our universe is expanding, thousands of years before scientists discovered these things. Watch a potential life-changing video on the front page of http://WWW.BIBLEFREEDOM.COM with Astronomer(PhD) Hugh Ross explaining all these facts based on published scientific data. He has authored many books, backed even by atheist scientists.

    Jesus fulfilled more than 300 Messianic prophecies concerning His birth place, details of His life, His mission, His nature, His death, and His resurrection. He came to pay a debt that we could not, to be our legal justifier to reconcile us back to a Holy God; only if we are willing to receive Him: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

    God so loved the world that He gave us His only begotten son, so that whoever believes in Him, through faith, shall not perish, but have everlasting life. Jesus says if we wish to enter into life to keep the commands! The two greatest commands are to love God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind; and your neighbor as yourself. All the law hang on these commands. We must be born of and lead by the Holy Spirit, to be called children of God, to inherit the kingdom. If we are willing to humble ourselves in prayer to Jesus, to confess and forsake our sins, He is willing to give the Holy Spirit to those who keep asking of Him; giving us a new heart, leading us into all truth!

    Jesus came to free us from the bondage of sin. The everlasting fire was prepared for the devil and his angels due to disobedience to God’s law. If we do the same, what makes us any different than the devil? Jesus says unless we repent, we shall perish. We must walk in the Spirit, producing fruits of love and forgiveness, so we may not fulfill the lusts of the flesh being hatred, fornication, drunkenness and the like. Whoever practices such things will not inherit the kingdom (Galatians 5:16-26). If we sin, we may come before Jesus to ask for forgiveness (1 John 2:1-2). Evil thoughts are not sins, but rather temptations. It is not until these thoughts conceive and give birth by our hearts desire that they become sin (James 1:12-15). When we sin, we become in the likeness of the devil’s image, for he who sins is of the devil (1 John 3:8); but if we obey Jesus, in the image of God. For without holiness, we shall not see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14).

    The oldest religion in the world is holiness (James 1:27). What religion did Adam and Eve follow before the fall? Jesus, Who became the last Adam, what religion does He follow? Is He not holy? He never told us to follow any religion or denomination but to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Him (Luke 9:23). There are many false doctrines being taught leading people astray. This is why we need the Holy Spirit for discernment. Unlike religion, holiness cannot be created. It is given to us from above by the baptism of the Spirit. Jesus is more than a religion; He is about having a personal relationship with the Father. Start by reading the Gospel of Matthew, to hear the words of God, to know His character and commandments. Follow and obey Jesus, for He is the way, the truth, and the life!

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