This was one of the three major sites that I wanted to see during our visit to Barcelona.
However, my brother was feeling tired and weak. So he urged me to go on without him.
Figuring out how to get there seemed straightforward enough. I had printed out instructions on how to get there via the Metro and followed it. The Lessep station was the one and I got there easily enough. There were signs for Park Guell and I followed them. It was supposed to be a 20 minute walk.
But then, the signs just kind of stopped. To be sure, it was a hot day and I did briefly get a cold drink. Still, there seemed to be plenty of time. After I had been walking for at least 20 minutes, though, the signs just kind of stopped.
Finally, there was another sign. But it suggested that it was to the right. That didn't seem to make sense, because I had heard or read somewhere that the park was on top of a hill overlooking the entire city down below. But going right meant going downhill.
Still, against my better judgment, I sort of mentally shrugged and followed the suggestion by the sign. Another sign pointed to the left about one block down, so I turned.
And then, no more signs, and the Park Guell was nowhere to be found.
Hey, presto!
So I once again tried my phone for the GPS, knowing that it still had no signal and would not work.
It didn't.
Then I asked a little old man, who then explained in Catalan where it was. Mostly, I just absorbed his arm gestures, which reinforced my own suspicion that it was up the hill and a bit to the left of where I was.
So I started going.
Once again, problems with the signs. I heard some Americans complaining about it ("Where the hell is it?") but didn't want to deal with them, either. Hell, I even took a picture of one sign which seems to suggest two different directions to it.
Before long, I asked someone else. She happened to speak English, and then told me how to get there. Mostly, it amounted to just keeping on going up the hill.
So up I climbed. It was hot and I was sweating by the time that I finally arrived. Originally, I had been scheduled for 11:30. It was now a quarter to, but the ticket was valid for up to half an hour.
I had made it. But only just.
Now for the visit.
The pictures which I had seen of the place generally made it appear like a fairy tale. Indeed, parts of it did look and even feel that way.
Except for the tourists. Admittedly, I was one. But there were simply too many damn people there.
Despite being hot and uncomfortable, I enjoyed myself at the park. Watched a brief video about Gaudi. Learned quite a bit about his life and the history of the Park Guell. Some fascinating stuff.
His house was interesting. From one window on the second floor, there was a spectacular view of Barcelona and, beyond the city, the Mediterranean Sea. That was my first ever glimpse of the Mediterranean.
There was a concert by a musician possibly playing some soft Spanish guitar, playing "No Woman No Cry." Parts of the garden were peaceful. Most of the park was crowded with people. That did not enhance the experience, or improve the situation with my feeling overheated.
Still, I was glad to have seen it. This had been one of the three major sites of Barcelona that I had wanted to see. It certainly feels like something worth seeing at least once, if you can. And I walked away happy.
Below are some of the photos which I took during my visit to Barcelona's Park Guell.
Enjoy.
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