 |
 Barcelona
- La Rambla
The Best way of getting to know Barcelona well is to take
a stroll along La Rambla at any time of day or even night.
This boulevard, almost 2 km long and situated
between the Plaça de Catalunya and the port, was once upon a time the
site of a mountain stream. All kinds of people can be found walking or just
relaxing beneath the oriental plane trees: the young, the old, the rich, the
poor, the
locals, the visitors, the revellers and those of a more contemplative nature.
La Rambla is a never-ending show where everyone is both actor and audience
at the same time. It is a delight to all the senses, with a character that
is alluring,
vivid and everchanging, and it is for this reason that it attracts all kinds
of people.
Although La Rambla is unique, it really consists of five different "Ramblas" and
two squares, and this is why it is sometimes given the name in plural of Las
Ramblas. The upper section is called the Rambla de Canaletes and is made up
of a square with many seats. it is here that people meet, perhaps to talk about
politics, football of simply life itself; where you can drink the water from
the Canaletes fountain and, as the legend would have it, become a native of
Barcelona; where you can have your shoes cleaned by a shoeblack; where all
kinds of demonstrations are organized; where one can have a drink or something
to eat at establishments as "Canaletas", Nuria or Baviera.
After this comes the Rambla dels Estudis, which gets its name from the fact
that, in times gone by, it was the site of the Estudi General or University.
In memory of those days, here we can find the Academia de Ciencies (Science
Academy), located on the upper floor of the Poliorama Theatre. It is worth
a visit to see its common rooms, library and an enormous clock dating from
1868. The Rambla dels Estudis is also known as the Rambla dels Ocells (Birds)
because it has a small travelling market selling birds and other animals, including
fish, tortoises and dogs, and because it is the only part of La Rambla where
the sparrows in the trees make so much noise. Opposite the Poliorama Theatre
stands the very popular Capitol cinema. There are also many hotels, such as "Ramada
Renaissance" (with a shopping arcade), and the fine building belonging
to the Compañia General de Filipinas, one of the most traditional companies
in the country. On the Raval side stands the Church of Betlem, in Gothic and
Baroque styles, and, on the other side, the beautiful Moya Palace which has
recently been restored by the Generalitat. It has large halls and wall paintings,
and is the setting for many exhibitions.
Next we have the Rambla de Sant Josep, also known as the Rambla de les Flors
since it is here that we find the famous florist's stalls, filling the whole
area with their colour and scent. The artist Ramon Casas and the philosopher
Serra Hunter both married florists from this street market. Nevertheless, it
is not only the smell of the flowers that fills this area. A great deal of
the aromas come from La Boqueria market, probably the finest and most bustling
market in the whole city. It is situated in an arcaded square-like the Plaça
Real- covered with a huge iron and glass roof which houses dozens of stalls
selling vegetables, meat, fish and with bars providing food and drink. Everything
is neatly arranged, along with the happy cries of the stallholders, it becomes
one of the most appealing places in the city. In this Rambla we can also find
shops of all kinds and large news stands, selling newspapers, magazines and
books, that stay open until very late at night. The headquarters of the City
Councils Department of Culture is located within the Palace of La Virreina-built
by a viceroy of Spain in Peru for his young wife. It is here that important
art and sculpture exhibitions are held.
Between this Rambla and the next there is a small square known as the Pla
de La Boqueria which was, once upon a time, the centre of the city. Here one
can see an area paving that was designed by the painter Joan Miro, and, to
one side, the beautiful house of Bruno Cuadros with its Chinese dragon and
umbrellas on the façade. As there are no trees, the square is full of
light as well as pigeons during the quietest moments.
The Rambla de Caputxins or del Centre is typified by its street-side bars
such as La Opera or Los Italianos where people go to look and be looked at.
With its shops on all sides, iron fountains, magazine stands, and cigarette
sellers, this is perhaps the Best Rambla to see an improvised show: perhaps
a woman amusing herself drinking a customers Horchata (orgeat) in a streetside
bar, or maybe somebody juggling for a group of people putting on a clown show,
or simply a drunkard giving a short speech... One can spend hour after hour
in this Rambla, watching the people go by, enjoying the winter sun and summer
breeze, or looking at the well-dressed people going in and out of El Liceu.
El Liceu - the Barcelona Opera House - is a large, sumptuous theatre dating
from the last century where they present, not only the great operas of Wagner,
Verdi and Mozart performed by great singers, but also concerts, ballets and
sometimes plays, and where great Carnival festivities have traditionally been
held. Be it El Liceu, the Hotel Oriente (where the famous Hans Christian Andersen
once stayed), the other hotels and inns, the cafés and bars from today
or times gone by, it must be said that every inch of this Rambla is full of
local and universal history.
From here we pass into the square known as the Plaça Reial, built in
the middle of the last century on the site of an old convent. Up until 1900
this was the square of the then bourgeoisie, with its palm trees, fountain
and luxury shops. Then in this century it became a popular square with bars
and pubs and public from many walks of life, including those rejected by society.
The square itself is closed-off and has arcades. Many artists live here and
there are a lot of shops, including such oddities as the Museum of Natural
Sciences and the Herbolario del Rei (The Kings Herbalist). Here there is a
place where flamenco dancing is performed called "Los Tarantos",
a shoeblack stand and, on Sunday mornings, a coin and stamp market.
Between the Rambla del Centre and the Rambla de Santa Monica there is another
small square known as the Plaça del Teatre because of the Principal
Theatre which stands there (this has now been converted into a cinema and a
pelota court). It is in this square that one now comes across the beginnings
of the area where the lowest stata of society are to be found, mainly in the
red light districts of the Barrio Chino and Escudellers street.
The last Rambla is called the Rambla de Santa Monica. It is typified by the
church bearing the same name, the bars with their somewhat doubtful reputations,
the typical restaurant called "Amaya", the "pelota" court,
the Colon Jazz Club and Palace of Marc - headquarters of the Department of
Culture of Generalitat and the scene of many interesting exhibitions. There
is a popular market held in the centre selling cheap goods and many souvenir
shops. One will now also notice the stronger wind and smells coming from the
port.The port and the Portal de la Pau will be later described in the section
dedicated to the Port of Barcelona.
|
See
what tours we have available here! |
Book Organized Tours of Spain
Popular tours sell out well in advance! Don't be
disappointed!
Reduce stress! Don't waste time haggling with the hotel concierge.
Lock in your price! Currency dips & price hikes won't effect you.
Save vacation time! Plan & book now, not when you're there.
Balance your vacation budget! Charge tours on this month's credit card bill. |
|
See
what tours we have available here! |
|
Related sites
Cellar
Tours - Gourmet wine tours in Spain and Portugal. Includes tours of Penedes
and Tarragona in Catalonia
|
|
