Home -> Europe -> Spain -> Barcelona -> Travelogue 2004 -> Sunday 26 September

To the Barcelona Zoo

Paper hats on the Ramblas It is another sunny day, like the last days. After breakfast (a cappucino and a croissant) we walk to a subway station. The Ramblas is occupied by large groups of elderly people who are making needlework and other creative things. A lot of them wear paper hats against the sun. What will they wear in summertime when it can be 40 degrees Celsius, we wonder?
Today, we want to visit the zoo of Barcelona. We know someone who has worked there and she told us it is a very nice place to see. It takes some time before we find the entrance (the 3-year old map we use really isn't any good!), but in the end we find it by seeing the long lines of people waiting. Of course, we get into the wrong line, but we only see that when we are near the box office. It takes more than an hour before we are in. All people from Barcelona with kids seem to be here! Maybe we could have better waited until tomorrow instead of going on a sunday...
At the Zoo At the Zoo So, our feet are already hurting before we have seen a single animal. But once we are inside we are glad we have come here. The animals are very well looked after and have ample space and cages. The living environment looks much better than in many other zoos we have seen. Of course, we are not experts in this, but so it appears to us.
At the Zoo One of the best attractions is the dolphinarium. From below we have a great view on these pretty animals and they clearly have fun playing in the water. But it is crowded in the room, we are not the only ones who enjoy this spectacle.
At the Zoo At the Zoo The dolphins are also curious about all those people behind the windows. Intelligent as they are, they probably pity us that we are standing there in a dark and dry room instead of playing in the pleasant water...
At the Zoo At the Zoo Often we take break, since we can feel clearly now that we have been standing and strolling a lot. Fortunately, there are many places to sit where we can have a drink and still have a view at the animals, like near the giraffes.
At the Zoo At the Zoo Only the cages of a few wild cats (like the panther and the lynxes) are a bit small. But the lions and tigers have a large territory; well, probably not compared to their wild habitat but it looks allright. Only the fact that the animals are active (contrary to what we see in most other zoos) must mean that they feel a bit happy (but who are we to say...).
At the Zoo At the Zoo And to watch the monkeys, the best part for Elisabeth, that is always pure joy. But seeing an infant monkey being fed by a human caretaker is really the best. Since our first granddaughter is born we are converted baby-fans and to see a small monkey like this is really the best!
Only when the zoo closes (at 7) we are ready to leave it, but when we had arrived earlier we would probably have also stayed until closing time. When you stay a bit longer at Barcelona, or when you have kids with you then don't forget to go to the zoo! But afterwards we regret that we have come on a sunday, it is better to go on a weekday, because it is very, very busy at weekends!
Parade of giants Parade of giants Walking back to the hotel we meet some more giants on Placa Jaume, among them Salvador Dali who is dancing with a giant female (his wife?) before the audience. The festival is still going on and everywhere we come across musicians playing their act, although less than on the days before.
At the hotel we take a short rest and throw our shoes off, but soon we have to get back to the streets since we don't want to miss anything. There is still so much to see and do and sitting somewhere at a restaurant, observing everything will also give our feet some rest.
Acrobats Sitting on the Ramblas we ask a group of acrobats, which we see almost every day, to make a tower right before us so we can take a picture and they do it immediately. Most times they are a bit further away but this time they do it right in front of us, but so quickly that we don't have time to make a proper picture, so that is why we miss the head on top of the pile! But they are very skilful, that is for sure!
Enjoying ourselves We keep being astonished by the liveliness on the Ramblas and all the people that pass by. We could sit here for hours without getting bored, there is always something going on.
But it feels great that we can go to bed a bit earlier this night, since there is no late music on the square. Until now they never stopped playing before two at night. But who cares, this is a holiday and we have all the time of the world!
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with Elisabeth and Teije