These photographs were taken during a walk round the Gothic quarter of the city. The workshops that operated in these narrow streets have now been replaced by restaurants and bars but at one time this was the medieval hub of the city. It is in this area that you will also find the Roman remains of the city.
One of Gaudi's secular Masterpieces, completed in 1912.
Casa Mila was designed by Antoni Gaudi i Cornet (1852-1926). Originally built as an apartment block, most of which are still in use. The public are able to visit the attic, where there is an exhibition of Gaudi's life and work, the six floor apartments and the spectacular roof terrace.
Photographs of Graffiti taken in various areas of the city.
Barcelona has some very interesting and colourful graffiti. Perhaps the originators are inspired by the art and architecture of the city. Whatever the influences are, it is certainly more creative than the graffiti I have seen in my home country, the United Kingdom.
This garden was a bit hard to find, but well worth a visit. It was opened in 1999 and focuses on Mediterranean plants and has sections devoted to countries with a Mediterranean climate. The garden is also a good place to get a view of the olympic stadium.
This section of the city is proof that Catalans were noted as shopkeepers.
This district was a major trading area of the city. The Mercat del Born was once the city's wholesale market, it is now destined to become a museum and community hall. In this area the Picasso museum can also be found.
Gaudi's unfinished church has become the symbol of Barcelona.
Not to everyone's taste perhaps, but I'm sure most tourists visit this incredible construction judging from the crowds that we experienced there. The original idea for the temple came from Josep Bocabella, a bookseller and conservative Catholic who had founded the Associacio Josefina, an organisation that was dedicated to St Joseph. The first architect was Fransesc de Paula del Villar, who envisaged a conventional Gothic-style church, but Gaudi took over the project aged 32 and was given free reign. Will the building ever be finished one asks?
L'Eixample (the Extension) section of the city was designed in 1859.
This area of the city features examples of the work by most of the key figures from the Modernista movement. Some of the best examples are found within a short walking distance of each other.
This fountain is to be found near the Playa D'Espanya. It comes to life at night when the water is illuminated and dances to a mixture of pop and opera classics. It nearly always includes the Olympic tune Barcelona.
This park stands on the site of the former city slaughterhouse. It was designed by local architects and its main feature is the towering sculpture Dona i Ocell (woman and bird) by Miro (1893-1983). You are free to make up your own mind as to what it represents.
New public places and squares were built during the frenzied urban renewal in the run up to the Olympic games. The Parc de l'Espanya Industrial was the largest and most ambitious of these very Catalan hard squares. The park is dotted with sculptures, predominantly of the post modern school.
Park Guell was commissioned in 1900 by Gaudi's patron, Count Eusbi Guell. It was originally concieved as an English-style garden city, a residential estate surrounded by gardens. The plan was to build 60 houses but only three were built before the work was interrupted by the First World War. Guell died in 1918 and four years later the unfinished estate was taken over by the city of Barcelona and became a municipal park.
This landmark is one of Barcelona's principal thoroughfares.
Originally this was the access point for the 1929 Universal Exhibition. The two mock-Venetian bell towers mark the entrance of the two trade-show halls.
