Architecture & Animals

My second (and final) full day in Barcelona is complete..

When I was planning my trip, I made a list of about 10 places in Barcelona that interested me. Today I looked at that list, pondered, and finally settled upon Casa Batllo, a whimsical artistic house designed by the notable architect Gaudi. I walked there (about a mile and a half) and had to wait in line about 10 minutes to buy tickets. Once in, each person is given a set of headphones attached to an iPod-type device, which has audio and visual information programmed into it. I thought the place was neat, less so for the wacky artistic features and moreso for the clever, practical architectural features, like the ways the architect allowed natural night in, or how he designed the ventilation system.

Pictures from Casa Batllo:

After that, I considered my options, and decided to visit the zoo, with the hopes of seeing a red panda. I walked there as well and, surprise, was quite tired. I did enjoy the zoo, but alas, the red pandas were not out. Still, I got to see brown bears, zebras, and kangaroos, among many other species the Oregon Zoo doesn't have.

I used the subway for part of my journey back to the hotel. By then, I was limping. Stopped in a few shops to get things for dinner, and called it a day by 6pm.

Tomorrow I board The Boat, eager to sail the ocean blue. I will try to update once or twice on board, but photos and long updates will have to come after I'm back in the U.S.

In the meantime, enjoy some zoo pictures!