Sometimes a picture really IS worth 1,000 words.
Most of these images were taken in 2012, before a friend and I embarked on a cruise from Amsterdam to Barcelona on Holland America’s Prisendam. A few of the Barcelona images were taken on earlier visits.
The quirky, quaint and charming city of Amsterdam was the starting point for our adventure.
These images are just a snapshot, perhaps a temptation to visit and linger longer than we were able to do.
Like many cities, the river is its focal point. The canals of Amsterdam lend to its charm.
It seems I always meet animals along the road..in Amsterdam, anyway.
After our cruise..
We spent a bit of time in beautiful, elegant Barcelona to enjoy the delights of the city.
Churros and chocolate – breakfast treat.
I’m inside a gift shop, overlooking a square in the old city. Love this photo.
Barcelona is famous for its architecture, especially the Gaudí buildings. This building, however, is my favorite: it’s the Palau de la Música Catalana, built between 1905-1908 in the modernista style by Luis Domènech Montaner.
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This is the ceiling of the concert hall in the palau – the palace. I did a guided tour of the interior but there was no photography allowed. I took this from a post card! Is that cheating?
Here’s a Gaudí building, showing its striking signature style.
The cloister of the cathedral is lovely: go visit the ducks there.
The Barcelona cathedral, dating from 1298, in the Barrí Gótic, the oldest part of the city.
The gargoyle issues a warning – DON’T SIN!
There are many unique shops and all kinds of restaurants in the old city.
The frog fountain in Parc Güell is another Gaudí masterpiece. The bird likes it too
These unique cosmopolitan cities are a joy to visit. Are they on your bucket list? Do you long to return?
