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Viva Barcelona!

Featured post on IndiBlogger, the biggest community of Indian BloggersA day before my arrival at Barcelona, the city was clogged with traffic and demonstrators and demanding for the release of their Catalan Separatist Movement leaders whom the followers allege to have been detained unlawfully. Even though the Spanish and Catalan words only differ slightly in terms of spelling and pronunciation, Catalonians are hellbent to want to be different. With a glorious history behind them and the innumerable pieces of evidence to showcase their culture and history, they cannot be faulted to feel special. 


 The scenario on the following day was as if nothing had happened the day before and it was business as usual.
Barcelona ©FG
Teatre Del Liceu, Barcelona. Where Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé performed during the 1992 Summer Olympics. ©FG 


Barca, easily the second biggest team in La Liga with one of its high priests! ©FG


The Basilica Cathedral and a remnant of the Roman Wall. ©FG

Gothic Quarter, the connecting bridge to the priests' accommodations. ©FG


The blurring of reality and fiction: Legend says Don Quixote from the province of La Mancha and his sidekick Sancho Panza rode around the land of Spain. Their narration of the life of people of the time forms the basis of great literary work.

Even the Market Place  (Merkat) is a tourist attraction. ©FG

Museu Nacional D'art de Catalunya
(National Museum of Catalonian Art) ©FG
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Plaça d'Espanya (Catalan) @ Plaza de España (Spanish)- another iconic monument ©FG.
Built in 1929, the Palao Nacional (above) and its surrounding structures were built in conjunction with the Ibero-American Exposition to strengthen Spain's relationship with its past colonies via their common language.

The now-defunct bull arena, Arenas de Barcelona. Trying to keep up with 'cultured' high-brow Europeans and crumbling to the demands of animal rights advocates, Barcelona has banned bullfights. Part of this arena is morphing into a shopping mall. Applications to convert it to a mosque was quickly shot down. ©FG

Casa Batlló and Casa Milà - both masterpieces of Antoni Gaudi, Catalonian architect extraordinaire. ©FG

The following pictures are the futuristic building of the Sagrada Family. Its construction was initiated in 1822 and is only partially complete. Initially designed by Antoni Gaudi, the development was stunted by financial reasons mainly. With renewed interest by the country's administration and the attainment of UNESCO heritage status, its completion is forecast by 2026, just in time for Gaudi's centenary death anniversary. With religious motifs all over the building and its exquisite designs can only be said futuristic at best. At one time, I thought I was in brightly lit Batman's cave. The structures are so intricate and each tells their story. I wonder how many untold secrets are hidden within the crypts of each figurine.

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Magic Square in  Sagrada Familia. Horizontal and vertical lines, as well as horizontals, add up to 33 - Jesus' age upon His death. ©FG
Modern Art in the walls of Sagrada Familia. Supposed to depict Baby Jesus in a manger and the three wise men paying respect to the newborn King. ©FG

Barcelona Real (Royal) Square. The lamppost was designed by Gaudi. ©FG

What do you also find in the Barcelona Town Square? An ISKCON worship centre. ©FG
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