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La Rambla Walkabout @ Barcelona

Within the  same 3 hours, i took the subway to Catalunya station to have short stroll at La Rambla. I think i should call it a brisk walk, it was quite rushed really considering that i had a good meal at Quimet y Quimet. Had to get away from work, a frustrating day.

But it was also here that i was conned of  Eur200. I was out for a walk here one early morning in one of the small lanes. 3 plain clothes men approached me, flashed their police identification and demand to see my ID. Happily, i took out my wallet, which they took, checked my ID, counted the money and put them back. “All is in order” they said, and sent me on my way. I realized later that they took some of the cash as well. Ahhhh…. what was i to do ?? Am just glad i am not hurt in anyway.

Still, this is one of my favorite cities in Europe despite the experience.  I cannot decide if its the architecture, the food or the people.

Along Rambla, you will find the “Mercardo Central”. Do give this place visit, some of the freshest sweets, chocolates, fruits, seafood and meats. A very touristy place again, and some of items cost double when compared to Corte Ingles.

Sweets !!!

Fruits !!

Sad to say, shops here these days offer nothing for me. Zara ? H&M ? Pimkie ?……..Nada…….

Something at a window display……i like Volkswagen Campers !!!

Just too bad that the weather today was so cold, the street performers chose to stay at home….i think. 🙂 Only the street artists’ are out. 🙂

One thing with using a 35mm full frame is that you have to get rather close to the subject. I think i interrupted this guy….. nothing a smile after couldn’t take care off  !!! 🙂

Lastly, Sagrada Familia by Gaudi. I haven’t the chance to visit, walked past and decided to snap some pics…..its already what….80 years in the making and not completed ? I heard its because every piece’s design is different and are by hand.

Genius !

Last 2 pics : Iphone 4s, Hipstamatic

Rest : Leica M9 35mm Summicron

 

270 comments

  10. Pingback: La Rambla Walkabout @ Barcelona | Infos Press

  12. I have not encountered a street artist in my City since the 70’s. I have some great charcoals of my daughter when she was little. I guess because of crime – this went by the wayside. – But I have the great memories

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  13. Last time I was in Barcelona in the Fiftys there were so many working girls lined up on the Rambla that if you got to the top with your trousers on they gave you a medal 😎
    The city was under strict goverment rule and on a night to get into your hotel you had to summons a watchman by clapping your hands and waiting.

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  15. All super photo compositions. Particularly like the one of the guy and boy whom you think you interrupted. There’s something about the lines of the folding chairs and easel, his hand poised and his look that really hold everything together. The Gaudi is just extraordinary. Must go and see it! Thanks for sharing these 😉

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  16. Pingback: La Rambla Walkabout @ Barcelona | slopestreetcats.com

  19. Some good photographs there; I particularly liked the photo of the fruit stall with, the stallholder alongside, and the street-artists looking over their shoulders. My enjoyment of these two photos could be down to my schadenfreud of seeing people at work, but I’m not certain . . .

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  24. Nice pics…
    I am from Barcelona, it is the most amazing city to take photos in, especially when the sun is shining. La Ramblas is magic – La marche, the life of the city, but there are so many other fantastic areas. Paseo del borne, Barceloneta (wicked for colour photos) and Gracia. It is a city made up of distinctly different parts, all of which have their own flair. Well done on the post.

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  27. These are absolutely stunning photographs! I love travel photography; it is interesting to see how different people portray places differently. Sorry your wallet was stolen 😦 I love your shots of the street artists… and that they were taken on a leica.

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  40. Studied Spanish for 8 years, Catalan for 3, lived there for 2. Love everything about the country, can’t get enough of it. EXCEPT for some staggering reason I have yet to visit Barcelona, until next week! Great article and it’s just got me more excited about seeing everything and absorbing all I can in the week I’ve got. What work do you do there?

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  44. Barcelona is my favorite city in the world, and I feel like everyone who’s been there has had an experience where money or other things were stolen from them. And yet still everyone loves Barcelona. I can’t pinpoint the reason why, either… but it’s wonderful!

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  46. This reminds me of the time my dad and I were traveling through Portugal and he got pick pocketed. We were on the subway and a man and woman faked a domestic fight so that a third party could steal his passport. Boy we were surprised the next day at the airport check in. Horrible ending to a great vacation.

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  49. Barcelona is on my long list of places to visit—on the top of the list. One of my characters from a novel I wrote is on her way to Barcelona but gets derailed in Paris during a transportation strike. I made a mistake in my novel however calling La Rambla Las Ramblas. Not sure how I came up with the plural version. Do you think the Spanish will forgive me?

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  53. Wow! What a great post! I love those awesome and great captured photos. How I wish I could visit that place,especially in Sagrada Familia by Gaudi someday….
    Congratulations on being in the Freshly Pressed! Keep it coming!

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  54. I just loved the pics! Brings back so many memories. I was in Barcelona in July 2011 and I fell in love with the city. I too went to the Mercardo Central, which I actually used a picture from the market for the header of my blog. Gaudi was amazing. His influence is everywhere. I wonder if they will ever finish the one building (I can’t remember the name). One of the most memorable places was when I visited Gaudi’s House of Skulls. He was an architectural genius for sure.

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  63. My wife and I visited Barcelona 2 summers ago. We really really loved the city. La Rambla was great and full of energy. And the Gothic Quarter close by full of history and tight alleys. Its really like going back in time – there are places you can find walls built by the Romans.

    Views from the top of Sagrada Familia are something you don’t want to miss. Also make sure to visit Park Guelle.

    Safe travels 🙂

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  68. A big Thank You to all who viewed and commented on my latest post…….a little overwhelm…..but happy at the same time. This is encouragement to keep posting and posting. My day is complete 🙂

    ……..And that i am right to spend my dosh on a Leica……….I hope !

    Reply

  79. Oh how i miss Barca. I lived there for two years in the late nineties and I miss it often. Your photos have really captured its atmosphere, especially the black and white ones. One of my favourite places in the city in Los Encantes, the fleamarket. I’ve written about how I found my best-ever bargain there, a genuine Pucci maxi dress for 200 pesetas (ie £1 or $1.5) Those days are gone . . . A lovely start to my morning those, these photos – thank you.

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  80. Oh the police… I’ve been living in Barcelona for little over a year now and luckily I haven’t been stopped by them. Nothing to hide or fear, just trying to avoid a bad moment. Can’t believe they even took some of your money! Anyways, do by “Mercado Central” do you mean La Boquería? Great place and yes quite expensive. I think it’s better to go there and eat at one of the restaurants on site.

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  83. Gorgeous photos!! like the b&w shot of the street artist and the sagrada familia shot below it 🙂 It reminds me of the good times I had there.. hope to be back there soon! Will start following your blog.. keep it up. cheers

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  92. Love the series if photos – using both b&w and colour really brought out your experience there.
    shame about the wallet, however glad it didnt put a damper on your time there!

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  96. Gorgeous photos from the market – love the colour and the candy!!! Quite the story with the missing Euros. There are so many crazy scams out there – at least you were not hurt! Will remember to keep my money tucked away when we head to Barcelona for Easter! I can’t wait – looks gorgeous.

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    1. Thinking back, i think those guys are not policemen but imitators and they look rough. Well, what to do. Hope they are satisfied with the Eur200 and keeps them off the street for a few days.

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  100. I was sold even before you got to Gaudi. Beautiful photographs of a beautiful city I cannot wait to visit. The markets look delicious! I also love that you juxtaposed black & white with color. It adds depth & texture. I’ll be back.

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    1. Great ! Barcelona will be an unforgettable trip for you 🙂 Its a city with much character. Am trying to improve my photography….its a day by day affair and hopefully i am getting there.

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  113. Your photographs are Exquisite! Breathtaking! I’m really inspired by this post! I’ve always wanted to go to Barcelona, and now I’m itching even more. I’m sorry you got your money taken, but you’ve spread the wisdom of your experience and now we, future travelers, know to, perhaps, keep our money elsewhere, like in a tight, small purse around our necks or something of that nature. Anyways, love the post. thanks.

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  118. Ack! That must have been a bit unnerving after realizing that a bit of your cash had walked off, though I do love your outlook regarding it. Absolutely beautiful city and it’s no wonder you love it so. It’s been added to my Must See list, if nothing else than for the VW Camper. I. Must. Have It. That is sooo my car. Now if only I could fit in it…

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  119. I love these photos. I lived in Barcelona for a summer and I miss it constantly. It is a wonderful city. Thanks for posting.

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  126. Oh, how I miss Barcelona! Thank you for bringing back some great memories — aside from the one when I was also robbed, but that was in Paris at knifepoint…

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  128. Great pictures. One of my favorite cities in Europe. Fascinating people also. I think Barcelona should be on everyone’s “bucket list”.

    Take care.

    Bob

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  130. Wonderful post and photos, takes me back to the same streets I strolled only a few months ago…ah nostalgia. I’ve heard a lot of ‘horror’ stories about stolen passports/money in Barcelona, so when I went I was extra careful/ paranoid because those people seem to have this incredible telepathic-theft kind of way of doing those things!

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  131. The first two photos took my breath away; they’re so artsy/trendy. It’s amazing what black-and-white and an eye for creative photography can capture! p.s. Congrats on making the first page!

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  133. Sagrada Familia is amazing and is so worth the annoyance of trying to get in. You’ll never forget that experience.

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  139. Very lovely shots. I was just in the city this past summer with my family in the Gracia neighborhood just up from La Sagrada Familia and it was fantastic! I had a great visit to a winery in the hills of the city and penned my thoughts on that trip dubbing the post, Cavalonia.

    ¡Salut

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    1. you were in Montserrat ? now thats a place i want to go see……. friends were telling me that i can bring my own bottle, fill it up with fantastic wine for Eur 1 and drink drink drink ! True ?

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      1. Not Montserrat but Villanova-del-Penedes visiting the wonderful Cava producer, Naveran. That’s why I call the post Cavalonia to honor the bubbles and the Catalan region that are so intertwined. Did you see the lovely ceramic wall art rendition of the Sagrada Familia in the underground? If not it’s in my post and is gorgeous!

        Peace

  141. I loved it here. In spite of the girls, (there were a lot more in Madrid!), the street peddlers and the questionable characters. The restaraunts were excellent and legit vendors were so gracious. Plus the aquarium was worth 2 hours of my time.

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  145. Wow i was just in the city this past summer with my family in the Gracia neighborhood just up from La Sagrada Familia and it was fantastic!

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  152. lovely photos. Laughed at your comment re 80 years in the making and still not finished. If you look at a lot of the old buildings – Notre Dame, Arc de Triomph for instance – they took decades or more to build. We benefit from their completed form but I wonder how the townsfolk felt about them at the time as the construction dragged on and on….

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    1. Its quite a challenge to remain faithful and true to the old ways, someone told me that every carving thats on the wall,is done by hand…that must be a like a few million pieces. No wonder it took 80 years and still going….I must visit and see whats inside the next time.

      Reply

  153. I’m off to Barcelona in April and looking forward to it more now.. thanks for the post, I’ll be reblogging this one 🙂

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  162. Reblogged this on Dark of the Matinee and commented:
    Επειδή μου θύμισε το δικό μου ταξίδι στην Βαρκελώνη…
    Αν και η La Rambla παραείναι τουριστική για τα γούστα μου και πάλι αποτελεί μια πολύ όμορφη γειτονιά της Βαρκελώνης. Ειδικά η λαϊκή αγορά που έχει…

    Reply

  170. hello, the pic series just took my breath away. there’s a certain feel to them, it’s like they’re up close. ^^

    but i fell in love with the site’s font first, ahaha. and your narration is not intrusive. amazing post! 🙂

    Reply

  173. I love this place! I’ve been there in 2010 and I knew a special person who is still my friend by distance. This place is warmful. Wish I can return some day.

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  192. I loved walking along La Rambla when I was in Barcelona. But my favorite part of the city was definitely that it’s home to so much Gaudi architecture. Definitely stop by La Sagrada Familia when you have the chance. It was under construction last time I was there, but still breathtaking from the outside.

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  194. I had the pleasure to visit Barcelona in 1997 and The Ramblas was my favorite spot to enjoy the city and it’s people.

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  195. I was in Barcelona at Christmas time last year. I stayed in an nice old hotel just of La Rambla and found it sooo fascinating. Day or night, always people to watch, places to shop, cafes to indulge. And then the wild and crazy Sagrada Familia — what can I say? Your photos tell the tales magnificently!

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  199. All your photos are amazing, but the Sacred Family by Gaudi is fantastic! Thanks for sharing your photos with us. The food pictures showing the mangos were also great as I love eating them! 😉

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  206. beautiful pictures! we had been warned about pick-pocketers so much that I swear we sprinted with our toddler in his stroller through most of these beautiful streets…
    we still had a great time in Barcelona, but it’s difficult to stop and reflect on the small things and beauty around you when you are at the mercy of your toddler’s eating/sleeping schedule 🙂
    although we did stop at meal-time 🙂 http://wp.me/p1sapf-bL

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  223. I love Barcelona! And the Ramblas market especially. Canadian living in Belgium here. In Canada, at least where I’m from you have nothing like it. Here is Belgium , each town has it’s own little weekly market. Cute. But nothing compared to the Ramblas market. I would go bankrupt if I lived near there. Ahhh, and tapas. Maybe I should take another city trip soon…Thanks!

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  224. Easily relate-able trip through La Rambla, one thing that annoyed me was how visibly tackier it appears to be getting. I guess La Rambla is actually seen as a honey-trip for tourists, sadly it could be so much more. Love the city though.

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  226. Wow! Really love your photos of Barcelona.
    It was on my list of cities I still want to see and seeing those photos makes me want to go to see it very soon.
    Thanks for sharing them!

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  227. I think I might want to check out Barcelona..simply because of your blog entry…….However, I will probably walk around with a baseball bat and when plainclothes men ask for my i.d., I will ask for their i.d. first…:-) Thanks for the 911.

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      1. btw, have you ever travelled to Madrid? If so, could you suggest places that are a “must see”! Love your photos…especially the one of fruits highlighted by the dude with locs——quite interesting….

      4. the outdoor cafes are quite nice(even in the brisk winter weather)…but what left most of an impression for me was the volcanic red, crimson, rust, and gray of the mountainous terrain(we drove from barcelona to madrid)…and the bull silhouettes interspersed along the highway at the tops of the mountains…nice….

      5. Is that a 5 hours drive ? I did it once….as a passenger that is. Slept most of the way….hahaha. I do remember the bull silhouettes though and the little “castles” that peppered the landscape. Nice !

      6. from france(alsace) to barcelona took 10 hours..we overnighted, then trekked out the next morning at 8..arrived in Madrid around 5:30 p.m…..my back was sore..but a shower revived me…

  228. Sorry to hear about the robbery. I too was ‘con’d’ when I visited Barcelona. Some ‘salsa’ man decided to…’salsa’ with me and I’m sure pocketed my phone in the process.

    I also enjoyed my experience at la ramblas although it’s a completely different place at night…at least that’s how I felt.

    Oh…and nice photographs too 🙂

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  236. Wow – everyone I know (except myself, luckily) has had something stolen in Barcelona! Those guys are masters. I guess in a way it’s the price you pay for everything you gain by visiting. Make time to go inside La Sagrada Familia – you won’t regret it! Beautiful pics and congrats on being FP’d.

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  238. Thanks for reminding me on this cold Wintery day in Canada of my time spent in Spain and the great adventures I had in Barcelona. The photographry is amazing.

    Reply
  242. Pingback: Read this,but NOT this… « The (Not So) Secret Intern Diaries

  246. you sure they were Policemen? sounds very unusual to me – i was in Barca this weekend and had a wonderful time, such a beautiful place, did you manage to get to Parc Guell?

    Reply

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