Once we landed We met up a friend of Kristi who she used to share a house with whilst at Uni. He had kindly offered to put us up for our stay there. After some travelling on the train then underground we arrived at his apartment. One thing he had neglected to mention was that he lived on the eighth story in a block that had no lift. Needless to say by the end of the holiday we had developed our leg muscles quite nicely. Looking out the apartment window though, you could almost say the hike up the stairs was worth it, as you could oversee the construction of the famous Sagrada Familia.
As we were staying virtually on the doorstep of the Sagrada Familia, it would have been rude not to pop in. So Kristi and I went to have a closer look. I must say that this has got to be the most awe inspiring churches I’ve been in, and I’ve been in quite a few. Churches of this Magnitude have not been build for centuries, and seeing one still being constructed gave you such a feeling of humblement and respect for medieval builders. The twist with this church through was the style of architecture used. Quite contemporary, it used designs based upon nature. The internal pillars mimic trees, whilst it’s towers are topped with what I can only describe as bunches of grapes. It will definitely be on my list of places to return to once it has been completed, expected around 2026.
 For lunch we met up with Kristi’s friend at the local Starbucks. Then proceeded on to Parc Guell. Designed by the same fella that designed the Sagrada Familia, it had allot of similar contemporary architecture. Kind of reminded me of Plainshall park in the south of England, although this was on a much larger scale. Very nice for a relaxing stroll and marvelling at the creative generous of its designer.
 That evening saw us heading over to the old palace and exhibition centre. Flanked by copies of the famous Venice tower, the entrance to the palace is long, taking a good 15 minutes just to get to the bottom of its steps. During the summer months there is a rather impressive light and water show (Starting around 21:00) making use of the many fountains surrounding the area. However we were not fortunate to witness the display, being out of season and all. The way the palace was lit was still pretty stunning, and the area nice to walk round.
We made our way via the underground to the famous ‘Las Ramblas’. This is street next to the old town district, leading down to the harbour. With lovely architecture, and a large pedestrian walkway with trees on either side, it is an impressive looking street. Not quite sure why it is famous, although it is probably allot nicer later in the year, once the trees have produced their leaves.
About a quarter of the way down we spotted an indoor market on the right. Upon entering for a closer inspection we were greeted with the most wonderful displays of fruit, veg, sweets and chocolates piled high and hanging from the stalls. This is worth the visit just for the photo opportunities, not to mention they have very nice pineapples.
 We continued on to the end, where a column of Columbus stands. There is some impressive views of the city from the top, although was slightly let down by the fact it is enclosed with parsecs, making it difficult to take decent photos. After stopping for lunch at a cafe overlooking the column we ventured into the streets of the gothic district. Full of beautiful architecture I would recommend you take a wander through these narrow backstreets. We visited the cathedral, which although not nearly as impressive as the unfinished Sagrada Familia, but was still worth a visit. Again there are great views to be had on the roof terrace, if you are willing to risk the elevator that is. This small lift felt as though it was hanging on by a mere thread as it ascended, a little nerve racking to say the least.
 Next we headed for ‘La Pedrera’. Another of Antoni Gaudi’s renown structures, this was his last project. An office and apartment block, with the top part now turned into a museum dedicated to Gaudi. This is a fascinating place, explaining how he worked aspects of nature into his designs while you walk through one of the most enervative designed buildings. The real treat though is the roof terrace. This is more like a sculpture park with great views of the city. Even if you are not interested in the museum, it is worth visiting ‘La Pedrera’ just for this.
We decided to finish the day off with a nice meal, treating Kristi’s friend as a thank you for letting us stay at his. He had been recommended to go to an Indian restaurant by a work college not too long ago, so we agreed on there. However, the directions that had been given were not entirely accurate, and before long we started to ask some of the locals. One thing I will say for the Spanish in Barcelona, they really do not want to talk to strangers. Kristi’s friend spoke fluent Spanish, so he did all the asking, but most of the folk he tried to ask made excuses not to stop and speak, while the rest of them pointed in a random direction and said 'Two blocks that way and turn left', or something similar. Anyway, we finally stumbled across it, and while not being quite the same as an English Indian restaurant, it was close enough.
The next day we made our way to the airport for an early flight back home.
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