Barcelona at large

On Passaig De Gracia, our Hotel Royal is to the left of the blue taxi sign (center) a block away from two Gaudi buildings. The  subway station to all the places we visited in  Barcelona is nearby. The weather was beautiful throughout our stay. The hotel had an underground parking lot where we left the Jaguar for three days while we toured  Barcelona on foot or

    by subway.  

A Valencia orange tree on Passeig de Gracia.

Everywhere we walked there were beautiful buildings.

The first sunny morning of our visit to Barcelona; we had arrived after 8 pm the night before after a 5 1/2 hour drive from Uzes, France, and stayed in our four-star hotel room to rest and snack on cheese we had brought with us.  Midway through our vacation, it was time to do the laundry. 

The most convenient, modern laundromat we have ever seen; you put cash into the machine on the left, choose the washer, and it adds its own detergent. Put the clothes into the drier, press the drier number, choose the length of time, and you're good to go. All Leona had to do was move the clothes and fold them.

The Parami Grocery, across the street from the laundromat, had all the dry provisions you would want. While we waited for the clothes to wash and dry, I went in and bought soup mix, chocolate, potato chips, and dried fruit that we brought back with us to Taichung.

A street cafe on Passaig De Gracia, a block from our hotel, where we enjoyed our first meal in Barcelona, tapas.

Leona bought a wallet here. She couldn't believe it
herself that the wallet she chose was pink. 

Gran Via De Les Corts Catalana

Stopping to take a break at Gran Via De Les Corts Catalana where we picked up our three-day Barcelona Pass. The Pass had small discounts for the best attractions and restaurants, and twenty free entries to secondary visitors' spots. The best use of  the Pass was the metro card which we used liberally to get around town. 

Gran Via De Les Corts Catalana

Our second evening in Barcelona, after touring two Gaudi buildings during the day, we took a break at the hotel, and then walked down Passaig De Gracia to find Cafe Rita for dinner. Talk about McCafe, there really is one on them! Alas, we didn't eat there.

Leona was satisfied that the store got it right on the picture window; Happy "Lunar" New Year, not "Chinese" New Year.

One of the many beautiful buildings on Passaig De Gracia
at dusk (above) and at night (below).

The subway system in Barcelona was small by New York
or Paris standards, but it was clean, convenient, and
 took us where we wanted to go.

A toy store on Passaig De Gracia with cute, child-sized entrance.

On our way to the highway, in and out of Barcelona, we spotted this interesting building. It is the Torre Agbar, built in 1994, the tallest building in town (144m), head office of a water company, soon to become a five-star Hyatt hotel. It was designed by celebrated French architect Jean Nouvel.