Docking in Barcelona today seemed to be a bit of a challenge as there are several cruise ships in port! We did not secure clearance until about 9:30 am and then, of course, the tours and disembarking guests took precedence going to shore. Those of us going out on our own had to wait a little while. But since we had no compelling plans, we simply waited and got into town about noon. The day was cold, windy and overcast. Being creatures who like their comfort, we opted to take a cab to the department store, El Corte Inglais, in Placa de Catalunya (which is at the far end of La Rambla) and have lunch in the top floor food court. While there, it seemed quite natural to just do a little shopping! Hey, shopping happens no matter where you are!!!! Afterwards, we taxied back to the ship and called it a day. I’ll show you some photos taken from the taxi of the charming balconies of Barcelona as well as some old photos from visits past; but you might, also, want to check-out ”Archives” for the blog from 2017.
We were freezing as we took our “On the dock in Barcelona” photos. It was overcast; 59 degrees; and the wind was blowing at 21mph!So we jumped in a taxi and headed up to Catalonia Square passing the Columbus Monument and the Maritime Administration Building on the way.We did not go up La Rambla because the traffic is always congested and slow. Taxis usually avoid that and take a series of less troublesome routes. This gave me the opportunity to photograph some “Balconies of Barcelona”!!!The Balconies of BarcelonaThe Balconies of BarcelonaThe Balconies of Barcelona would not be well represented without a photo of Antoni Gaudi’s work. This is Casa Mila (aka La Pedrera.)Look at the amazing detail!!! There is nothing else like a Gaudi Building. He was quite a unique individual!This is a photo (taken a couple of years ago) of Casa Batllo by Gaudi. We were walking along Passeig de Gracia at the time, and it was a much nicer day!Before reaching the Placa de Catalunya, we passed the University of Barcelona. What a lovely campus!The view from the top floor food court of the El Corte Inglais on Placa Catalunya (Catalonia Square) is quite impressive! These shots were taken from our table!A view of the Seu Cathedral.This is a view of Seu Cathedral,taken on a sunny day in 2011 from the top of Montjuic.And a view of the fort atop Mountjuic. You can just see the cable cars running below the fort and, of course, the Catalonian flag flying above.A view of the cable car to Montjuic taken in 2011 on another sunny day.And a view of city from Montjuic (also taken in 2011.)The Placa Catalunya is quite large. I had trouble getting the whole plaza into one shot!Ditto!Ready to head back to the ship, we walked over to La Rambla to catch at cab. Saw this charming fountain near the corner and learned it was created in 1892 to provide public water. It has 13 more clones in the city.Walking along Rambla de Catalunya on a sunny day in 2017.Re-enactors and mimes are stationed along La Rambla to charm the passers-by. This young lady usually impersonates a statue; how amazing to see this conversation taking place!So, finally hailing a taxi, we headed back to the ship and passed not only this sculpture (Waves of Steel) but a gondola tower for the Mountjuic cable car. The tower itself is a work of art!
RovingRaconteurs.com 
FANTASTIC journey.
Have fun. Thanks for the updates!!
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