West Africa Cruise: Barcelona (11.13.24)

Barcelona is fascinating and beautiful.  The highlight of our sightseeing, on November 14, 2024, was walking along the roof of the Barcelona cathedral!  Amazingly, anyone with a $15 ticket can take an elevator to the roof and walk about between the spires, nose level with gargoyles and with a stunning view over the city.

The inside of the cathedral was beautiful, as well, with soaring ceilings and stained glass windows,

We wandered through the cathedral, noticing the details--the elaborately painted choir seats, the softly burning red candles, the nativity scene.

We wandered the Old Quarter of Barcelona for several hours.  Another highlight was the UHBA Museum, which preserved the streets and structures of Barcelona from Roman times, and then continued forward through the centuries.

We walked down several flights of stairs to the bowels of the building, hollowed out to show the original city walls from Roman times and where their boundaries were (purple lines).  We walked along a path that led through one layer of history after another, starting with the Romans, and then walking upwards through the early Christian structures, and up again to the ruins of larger basilicas from the Middle Ages, and up again to ruins of buildings from modern times.  There were many posters and maps, telling us what the excavations were showing us.  

I was amazed that this early carving looked so much like the "sun stones" on LDS temples.

There were pottery lamps from Roman times, like the ones used in Judea.

There were mosaic floors used by the Romans and early Christians.

And there were sculptures and pedestals, including one showing the Queen of Heaven, Mary, with Jesus.