Swift

A brief visit to Barcelona: The Gothic Quarter and Sunset in the Port

Sunset in the port of Barcelona looking out to sea.

Barcelona was a city I was most excited to visit on this holiday. Unfortunately, the weather put a slight damper on the day trip we planned - a walking tour of the Gothic Quarter. Not only was it raining, but also bitterly cold with my hands frozen solid from holding the umbrella. These circumstances were not very conducive to photographing at ease. I captured most of the photos from Barcelona with my phone, and I didn't take many. You can even see the dark clouds looming at sunrise in the photograph below.

Dark clouds at sunrise in the port of Barcelona looking out towards the sea.
Sunrise in the port of Barcelona

View of the city of Barcelona on a rainy day.
View of Barcelona

View of the city of Barcelona on a rainy day with mountains in the background.
City of Barcelona 

View through a rain drop covered window of steps leading toward a building.
Rainy view through a window

People with umbrellas walking on Portal de l'Àngel in Barcelona on a rainy day.
Portal de l'Àngel

Cathedral of Barcelona captured underneath a pine tree on a rainy day.
The Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia

Close up of the tympanum on the Cathedral of Barcelona
Tympanum on the Cathedral of Barcelona 

The photos of the Barcelona Cathedral and the panoramic view of the city are the only ones I took with my camera while in the city. It was a short excursion that lasted only a few hours, and we were back on the ship by around lunchtime. At first, I was a little disappointed I wouldn't get to see the more famous sights such as the Sagrada FamíliaPark Güell, or Casa Milà.
Despite the weather, we enjoyed some of the charms of the Gothic Quarter, and stopped to enjoy some churros at the end of the trek. Barri Gòtic is full of narrow medieval streets and is part of the district of Ciutat Vella, numbered District 1. The name means "old city" in Catalan and refers to the oldest neighborhoods in the city of Barcelona. 

Palm trees and buildings on the Plaça Reial square in the Barri Gòtic of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
Plaça Reial

Under an archway in the Passatge de Madoz in Barcelona, Spain.
Passatge de Madoz

Looking up at a building under a tree on the Rambla de Catalunya in Barcelona.
Rambla de Catalunya

Building passageway on Carrer d'en Rauric in Barcelona, Spain.
Carrer d'en Rauric

Looking up at an archway with a hanging light and balconies above on Plaza Reial in Barcelona.
Archway on Plaça Reial

View of an entrance to Mercado de La Boqueria with trees and a lamp post in the foreground.
Mercado de La Boqueria

Looking up at a pine tree and building facade on Plaza del Pino.
Plaça del Pi

A statue under a maple tree on Plaça de Sant Josep Oriol
 Plaça de Sant Josep Oriol

Barcelona enthralled me regardless of the weather or the lack of photographs. The gloom certainly suits the Gothic look and atmosphere of the heart of the city. The last section of images, quickly captured with a smartphone, sums up some of the well-known places we visited. We walked on La Rambla, a tree-lined, over 1 km long pedestrian street. We saw many squares in the Gothic Quarter, such as Plaça de Sant Josep Oriol, Plaça del Pi - Pine Tree Square, and Plaça Reial, close to La Rambla. The Royal Square is the only arched square of Barcelona. We also saw the entrance to one of the city's biggest tourist landmarks - The Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria, or simply La Boqueria. It being a Sunday, the market was closed.

View of mountains from the port of Barcelona, Spain with containers in the foreground.
Mountain view from the port

Cloudy skies and the Balearic Sea from the port of Barcelona.
Balearic Sea

The Symphony of the Seas docked in the port of Barcelona in October 2018.
Symphony of the Seas @ 4 p.m.

By the time we returned to the ship, the weather had improved. This collection of photos hardly looks like taken on the same day. The cruise ship remained docked until after sundown, so we enjoyed the sunshine from the deck, and admired the views surrounding Barcelona from the port. The day ended with a glorious sunset, even if surrounded by industrial scenery.
The Symphony of the Seas was docked behind us. I took photos of this massive ship before and during the sunset. It is the largest passenger ship in the world, five times the size of the Titanic. Its maiden voyage departed from Barcelona only a few months before, in April 2018.

The Symphony of the Seas docked in Barcelona captured at sunset in October 2018.
Symphony of the Seas @ 5.30 p.m.

Sunset view from the port of Barcelona with a mountain range in the background.
Sunset view from the port

Sun shining through a gantry crane in the port of Barcelona during sunset.
Sun shining through a gantry crane

View of a mountain range from the port of Barcelona at sunset.
Mountain view sunset

View of the Balearic Sea at sunset from the port of Barcelona.
Balearic Sea sunset view 

Dramatic sunset clouds over a mountain range as seen from the port of Barcelona.
Sunset clouds over the mountains

Sunset sky over a gantry crane and the port of Barcelona.
Gantry crane at sunset

You Might Also Like

0 comments

Flickr Images