Oosterdam European Adventure, Barcelona, Spain...

Turn around day in Barcelona no sail in photos this morning. Holland America arranged for a shuttle bus for Intransit passengers…outside the terminal we boarded the Intransit bus and then we were asked to get off the bus as the driver was assigned somewhere else…we waited for a while and no sign of a replacement bus, so we hired a taxi to take us to La Sagrada Familia (Basilica of the Holy Family). This taxi ride lasted until outside the port where he dropped us at a taxi stand and we had to hire a second cab to take us to the Basilica. We started our walkabout in Barcelona at La Sagrada Familia. Up close, Gaudi's grand Gothic masterpiece is truly awe-inspiring. The colossal basilica appears to emerge from the ground, reaching ever higher as far as the eye can see. When its spires are finished it will be the tallest church building in the world, and hardly resembles any religious structure you’ll have seen in your life. Antonio Gaudi is evident everywhere you turn in this city. Leaving the basilica we headed towards Gracia Avenue…Hugging the corner of Gràcia Avenue ("Passeig de Grácia"), the curvy Casa Milà is yet another creation by Antoni Gaudí. Known as Barcelona's most fashionable boulevard Gracie is home to many high-end prestigious designer stores. Delightful for strollers, this avenue has beautiful wrought-iron street lamps and one can also notice the greenish-gray pavement tiles designed by Antoni Gaudi, depicting abstract sea creatures which add a great deal of uniqueness to the area. The avenue is lined with beautiful buildings and one we admired was Casa Batilo. This icon was the idea of textile industrialist Josep Batlló commissioned Gaudí to design this home after seeing what Gaudí had done with Park Guell. Influenced by nature, Casa Batlló has no straight lines (because they don’t exist in nature, said Gaudí). Next, we made our way to Plaça de Catalunya. This is the best meeting point in the city. It’s right at the bottom of the posh Passeig de Gràcia and at the top of Las Ramblas and offers some great views. We stopped at the Apple Store on the Square and did some updates on our phones…we never miss a chance to visit an Apple Store. Sadly, I couldn’t come up with something I desperately needed… It houses some of the city’s most iconic attractions, spanning a mile in length. When wandering down this iconic boulevard, you’ll pass numerous street performers, all out to impress with their unique costumes. Barcelona’s most famous street—a nearly one-mile pedestrianized boulevard from Plaça Cataluyna to Port Vell—is still the strolling route for the city's visitors and there were thousands of visitors today. We made a stop at the iconic and very crowded La Boqueria Market, Barcelona’s key market. It provides a wide variety of fresh fruit, vegetables, fish and meats and has many places to grab a bite to eat. Next, we did a self-guided tour of Palau Guell…The palace is just off the bustling La Rambla, Antoni Gaudi's inaugural masterpiece in Barcelona swiftly propelled him to international acclaim for his remarkable and innovative architecture. Constructed in 1889 for the magnate Eusebi Güell, who became Gaudi's lifelong patron, the building stands out for its unconventional approach of showcasing iron supports as decorative elements, with intricately shaped and twisted columns, arches, and ceilings that would come to define Gaudi's future creations, culminating in a whimsical array of tiled chimneys on the roof terrace. We ended our tour at the Columbus Monument. This moment stands at the base of La Rambla, symbolizing the Catalans' recognition of Christopher Columbus. It was very busy in Barcelona and seems to get even busier every time we visit…plus there were five ships in port today!  I decided to go out when we sailed away for a few more photos…  never enough!  Tomorrow, Villefranche-sur-Mer, France...