Barcelona Day 3

Today - we decided to do less walking and take the Hop on- Hop off bus.  It was a good choice.  We rode the bus on the East side first, along the waterfront, up into the more modern Barcelona and up in the hill side- getting off at the Parc Guell.  It's a hike up to the Park - but another one of Gaudi's creations with an amazing view of the city.  We hopped back on the bus and rode until we got off to catch the West side bus.  There we again went down to the East waterfront and up to Montjuic.  We got off there to see the amazing scenery and then walked down off the hill to have lunch at another restaurant that Anthony Bourdain had recommended - which was not as much a restaurant as a tapas bar (a standup one at that).  But the food was amazing.  We walked back up the hill and did a quick tram ride to the top, and then caught the Hop on- Hop off bus again to see the Olympic arenas, the site of the World's Fair and on through the rest of Barcelona.  It is a huge city.  Once back we cleaned up and walked to Barceloneta (a small area on the waterfront) - and had Paella.  It was great.  The beaches of Barceloneta are beautiful and it was heaven for me to be by the water.  Tomorrow AM it is off to Seville!!

 you can see the Market of Santa Maria on the right with the undulating rooftop

 I had to take a picture of the Marina

 and of a boat headed out in the Mediterranean Sea

 This is am office building on the waterfront designed by Frank Gehry

 Gehry also designed this fish sculpture.

 This is the Torre Agbar - a cool looking office building in the newer part of the city

 This is a hospital

 This is in the Park Guell - lots of curvy structures, mosaics, and fun Gaudi designs

 This is the home that Gaudi lived in at one point.

 This is Barcelona's Arc de Triumphe

 View from Montjuic overlooking Barcelona

 the wine selection at Quimet y Quimet

 Going in for tapas

 More views from the Montjuic

 Olympic stadium

 A Calatrava designed tower - is supposed to represent an athlete bending down to accept a medal

 The last bull fighting rink in Barcelona (last fight was in the 70's when they stopped due to animal cruelty

 Lots of both of these in Barcelona - taxis and Vespas

Fish market at el Corte Ingles