Barcelona Harbor: Las Golondrinas Sightseeing Boat

This is a closer look on a very similar scene that I featured in my post Barcelona Harbor Cruise: A City Teaser. This time I added some extra effects to enhance the picture. Notice the Columbus Monument and the Harbor Authority building mentioned in the past and seen here from a shorter distance.

The boat is one of the older Golondrinas (sightseeing boats company) cruising the harbor and I am taking the picture from a modern vessel run by the same company sailing not just the harbor but going along the coast till the Forum Area on the other part of the city.

One of these in the image costs you around 7,70 € adults and 2.80 for kids and that entitles you to go inside the harbor for around 40 mins.

Check rest of the offers here: Barcelona Sightseeing Boats

Sailboat Coming In Barcelona Port

A sailboat coming in Barcelona Port towards the marina at Port Olympic. While on board of a Golondrina (swallow) which is the name of the sightseeing boats in Barcelona harbour, I took this picture of the vessel sailing past our wake. There in the background, you can see some tiny fishermen at the far end of the port's mouth. For a better idea about this area please follow this link to my Barcelona port label.

Recommended: Today I would like to suggest a new search engine implemented on top of Barcelona photoblog. This is a Google searchbox customized to look up for photography terms. It feeds from top photography sites and it is going to grow as I increase the number of sources. If you know about top-notch photography sites please drop me a line and I will add them right away.

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Waiting for the Bridge: Rambla de Mar, Barcelona

These people were waiting for the wooden decked swing bridge at Moll d'Espanya to close again after letting boats sail into the marina. The wooden platform and the path along the bridge towards Maremagnum, the big leisure center, is called Rambla de Mar. The bridge was designed by Albert Viaplana, professor of Architectural Project at the School of Architecture of Barcelona University and Helio Piñon, his partner, teaching at the school since 1970 and co-editor of Arquitecturas-bis since 1974. They are responsible for major projects in the city so I suggest you check their work here Viaplana & Piñon. Here is a Google Earth Map with a view of the bridge at Rambla de Mar and Maremagnum.

Barcelona Harbour Cruise: A City Teaser

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As I said in a previous post about sightseeing in Barcelona harbour and along the coast, a cruise on board of Las Golondrinas boats is a good teaser or appetizer before visiting the city. Of course you can plan your vacation trip in whatever order you wish!. Remember I told you about big and small boats covering a full route including harbor and coast or just harbour respectively, well, today in my blog I wanted to show you the old Golondrinas (see the one next to the steps?). This photograph I took on departure on board of one of the modern ships. It was great to take pictures as the landing docks grew tinier in the distance. The wooden platforms and stairs were full of tourists as you can see. To the left the Columbus Monument and a little to the right of the Golondrina, the Harbor Authority building, featuring an impressive architecture which I intend to cover in a different post soon. The next days I may be publishing irregularly because I will be in Madrid until next Tuesday. I suppose I can publish from the hotel. In case I can't, you will get your daily dose of images in a row on Wednesday.
Feed Issue: I am tampering with blogger labels again so feed subscribers may have noticed the service broken. It is a well known blogger issue that, upon changing old labels or typos, the feed shows old posts as newly published. This inconvenience has been fixed now. In case anyone is interested you can find the workaround here.
Note: From here I would like to thank Conny of Saabrücken Daily Photo, for choosing me as the winner in her Haiku competition and recommending my link too.

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Barcelona Port: WTC, Cruisers and...Pigeons?

Here is a view of Barcelona Port, specifically Port Vell (Old Port) with World Trade Center building in the back, some cruisers and a lot of pigeons baking in the sun. I would like to mention my friend Kris from Little Town in Hungary who also included pigeons in her post yesterday. Once, long ago, in my childhood days I thought they were beautiful. I reckon they might be for those of you living in places where they are not crawling and creeping like rats as it happens here and in many countries. 

The other day I was fighting over a McDonald's hamburger with one of those predators. No wonder they swarm freely in the harbor area, they don't have natural enemies, just hunger, viruses and maybe seagulls, another growing menace in modern cities. Hey, don't misinterpret me, I love animals...birds too, but not THAT many!.

Relevant information: Barcelona World Trade Center, located at the end of Moll de Barcelona (Barcelona Wharf) was created by US architects, Pei, Coob, Fred & Partners, authors of the glass pyramid at the Louvre Museum. For more details check the official site mentioned above. Cruisers like the ones in the picture depart from international seaport terminals on both sides of Barcelona wharf. The big metal structure is the tower of Jaume I, communicating the port with a neighboring hill called Montjuic by means of a cable car known as the Montjuïc Teleféric. Amazing view from there!  

Barcelona Port: Young Lady and Golondrinas

Strolling around the plank walk at La Rambla de Mar in Barcelona Port, everything seems so idyllic that you don´t need to have a sudden burst of inspiration to find good pictures. Not that this one is state-of-the-art photography, but I really like the solitude, the privacy she enjoys in her tiny, cozy territory at the wharf. 

The approaching ship is a sightseeing boat known as Las Golondrinas, covering the port and longer trips to the Forum area out of the harbor along the coastline at the other end of the city. 

The building in the background is Barcelona World Trade Center (WTC). Most cruises around the Mediterranean Sea depart from or stop over at this wharf.

See Rambla de Mar at Barcelona Port on a Google Earth Map.

Sitting On the Dock of the Bay

Just like the song by Otis Redding you can sit at the end of this wharf just in front of Maremagnum "wastin time" with beautiful Barcelona right behind you.

>> Sittin' in the mornin' sun

I'll be sittin' when the evenin' come

Watching the ships roll in

And then I watch 'em roll away again, yeah

I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay

Watching the tide roll away

Ooo, I'm just sittin' on the dock of the bay

Wastin' time <<

Maremagnum: The Tourist Paradise

Today it was really warm (about 22 Cº) so we decided to take a walk and head for Maremagnum , a combination of shopping mall and leisure center including the aquarium, imax cinema, and lots of restaurants and disco bars on the very edge of Barcelona's Port Vell ("old harbor") waterfront. Standing on the planks of the wooden platforms by the sea you can take pictures like this. 

The word "maremagnum" is derived from Latin and can be translated as "great sea" or "large body of water." The name reflects its waterfront location, with views of the Mediterranean Sea. Maremagnum is a popular destination for both locals and tourists due to its convenient location near the city center and its wide range of offerings. 

The shopping center houses numerous stores selling fashion, accessories, electronics, books, and more. There are also several dining options, including restaurants, cafes, and fast-food outlets, catering to different tastes and budgets. 

In addition to shopping and dining, Maremagnum features a cinema complex, a bowling alley, and a variety of entertainment venues. It is known for its vibrant atmosphere, particularly during weekends and holidays when visitors can enjoy live performances, concerts, and cultural events. 

Maremagnum's waterfront location makes it an attractive spot to relax and enjoy views of the sea. It has outdoor terraces and seating areas where visitors can soak up the Mediterranean ambiance. Overall, Maremagnum offers a combination of shopping, dining, entertainment, and scenic surroundings, making it a popular destination for people looking for a diverse experience in the heart of Barcelona.