by Rosetta Berkley Brown
Barcelona, a beautiful city on the Mediterranean Sea, is a mosaic of many cultures merging into an unforgettable experience for any tourist.
My husband Carl and I are veteran international travelers and chose this as our next adventure on our list of vacationing spots. Carl and I tag-teamed to make the preparation as smooth as possible. I did all the background research and preliminary planning, and Carl took care of the driving and sightseeing expeditions. Once we decided on that approach, it took us about two months to get everything ready. Since I am visually impaired, I contacted the Spanish organization for the blind to ascertain information on blindness-related issues. Unfortunately, no response came to my e-mail inquiry. I did not allow that to discourage me, but continued by doing an Internet search which offered a wealth of preparation material. I found information on restaurants, hotels, tourist attractions, etc. I called the Spanish embassy and they gave very useful information about the subway system, cabs, the location of sites and many other services we could use while visiting Spain. The U.S. State Department web site offered resources concerning passports, visas, terrorism and medical facilities. AAA provided the e-mail addresses of automobile clubs in Europe, as well as information on gasoline prices, road conditions, directions, speed limits, and prices for toll roads. Carl planned on driving once we got there, so he purchased an international driver’s license from AAA. We took along our favorite snacks and a daily journal.
The next thing we did was to purchase euro and American travelers’ checks to take with us. Why travelers’ checks? Because some credit cards charge an exchange fee for purchases made abroad. Since we were not fluent in Spanish, we bought travel phrase books in Spanish, French, and listened to audiotapes to brush up on our pronunciation of words. We also checked out videos on Barcelona from the library. We read Rick Steve’s book “Spain and Portugal Through the Back Door.” After all our research, we felt sufficiently ready to embark upon our journey.
When we arrived at Atlanta’s Hartsfield International Airport, staffers offered me assistance to traverse the busy airports and a braille booklet to read about air emergencies. We flew to Madrid and caught our connecting flight to Barcelona. A cab took us from El Prat Airport in Barcelona to our hotel. Shortly after arriving at our hotel we boarded the subway for Plaza De Catalonia. This is a plaza with shops and restaurants, similar to a large courtyard. Immediately I noticed that there were no announcements when the train arrived at its stations. As we joined in the strolling crowds, we spotted a restaurant where we could sample tappas. Tappas are small bowls of Catalan cuisine that you can share. Since we like seafood, we had shrimp, squid, mussels with a vegetable dish of mushrooms in a Catalan sauce, and Catalan bread rubbed with tomatoes then toasted. As we strolled down the plaza, I asked my husband if he saw any blind people; he said no. In the days that followed we strolled the narrow winding streets sightseeing. We never saw anyone who was blind. We were entertained by street bands and dancing. La Ramblas was the street on which to see many sights and visit the open stalls and markets.
As my husband gave verbal descriptions, I was most impressed by the beautiful architecture in Barcelona. Buildings designed by Antoni Gaudi in the modernist art Nuevo style were so exquisite. Of all his dynamic work, I was captivated by the Temple de la Sagrada Familia. Gaudi started to work on this at 31, but died in 1926, before it was completed. His work continues; the cupola that will extend 170 meters above the Sagrada Familia is being constructed now. We were able to see Gaudi’s crypt in the basement of the church.
The city of Barcelona is home to many fascinating works of art and museums. The Pablo Picasso Museum is located in three palaces. Many of his best-known paintings adorn the walls. Carl said cameras do no justice to Picasso’s artistic genius. His work is so intricate and evocative that we stood in awe. My favorite painting in the museum was “The First Communion,” a painting of a girl kneeling holding a missal in her hand. Picasso won acclaim for this work, which enabled him to make his grand entry into the world of art.
Since Barcelonans are tied to a love of the sea, we visited the Christopher Columbus Monument located at the port. Columbus stands 50 meters high with his index finger pointing seaward. The monument is said to be located where Columbus stepped on land when returning to Spain from the new world. The Olympic Village is located here. It served as living quarters for the athletes of the 1992 Olympics.
We toured Barcelona on double-decker open-topped tour buses. We listened to history of the sights via headphones. This was an excellent approach, and allowed us to disembark to visit a site without time restraints. Every 15 minutes another bus would arrive to pick us up. Passengers were allowed to ride these tour buses until 8 p.m.
One night while driving in Barcelona, we got lost. Carl decided to ask a group of young people for directions to Ronda de Dalt, a route that encircles the city. One of the young men came over to the car and began to speak rapidly in Spanish. Seeing we were not comprehending, he motioned over a friend who spoke some English. He said to go to the light, take a right, then two lefts and two rights. The young ladies in the group devised a song and began to sing the directions. They even composed a dance to indicate the lefts and rights. It was totally hilarious and we all laughed. Carl thanked them and we bid farewell to our gracious entertainers. Their directions brought us to our destination.
My husband drove from Barcelona down the coast to the French Riviera. We stayed in a quaint village called Menton, located between the French Alps and the Mediterranean Sea. Menton used to be sustained by importing lemons to other countries. Although they hold a lemon festival in February, tourism generates most of the capital. Our hotel was located on the beach, so we could hear the soothing sound of the waves and see the lovely bluish-green sea. Menton offers hiking, shops, lovely old churches and a casino. Our French guide and personal friend took us to Monaco, a small country near the French border. There we saw the palace and church where Princess Grace Kelly was married. He then took us to dinner at a local restaurant, where the food was very good. We were sorry when it was time to go and had to bid our friend good-bye but our trip was ending. Carl drove us back to Barcelona for some rest and relaxation before boarding our plane.
Barcelona is truly a destination one should get acquainted with. Words do this superb metropolis no fairness. Our excursion was a rewarding experience. If you have any questions about planning a trip to Barcelona or the French Riviera, please e-mail me at [email protected]. Happy travels.