Goals And Gaudi In Catalonia

Feb 17 2008 By Avril Cadden

Barcelona Goals And Gaudi In Catalonia

I am a stereotypical football mum. I spend my weekends beside freezing pitches and can even explain the tricky offside rule.

So a trip to Barcelona for the Cadden team - myself, husband Stephen and 11-year-old twins Nicholas and Christopher - meant visits to Antoni Gaudi's famous architecture were relegated in favour of the celebrated Nou Camp stadium, home to Barcelona FC.

The boys helped me with my homework. I had to learn all about famous players such as Ronaldinho, Messi, Puyol, their positions, where they come from, what boots they wear and what their goal celebrations are like.

We were staying at the Gran Hotel Torre Catalunya, just across the road from the Sants Central Railway Station. Camp Nou was just a short metro ride away.

You can't help but be impressed by the stadium, even if you don't like football. We arrived in the early afternoon and the Spanish giants had a game to play that evening, so there was an excited buzz.

Even on match days you can get a tour of the stadium but before we went in we waited among a throng of fans trying to get a glimpse of their heroes.

Once inside, we saw the press room where the players are interviewed, the away dressing room, the small chapel for prayers and the press box, which gives a bird's eye view of the park.

Walking on to the pitch makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and you imagine what it must be like playing to a full crowd. It is every football-loving wee boy's dream.

My pair loved retracing the footsteps of heroes such as Henrik Larsson and Ronaldinho. They even got to get their photographs taken with the latter and club captain Carles Puyol.

OK, so it was cardboard cut-outs rather than the real thing but the boys were still pleased.

The museum attached to the stadium is vast and I loved the photograph gallery. There is tons of information about the history of the squad, whose motto is 'More Than A Club'. It's an institution, with a basketball team, hockey team and even an ice rink.

We were lucky enough to get tickets for the game in the evening and I was really nervous at how high up we were. But it felt magical to be sitting among the night-sky stars watching Ronaldinho's fancy footwork. But there is much more to Barcelona than football. A great way to explore the city is the Bus Touristic, a hop-on, hop-off tourist bus that stops at all the major sights. It's a great system.

I loved the fascinating buildings designed by Gaudi, particularly the Casa Balto, which looks like a fantasy cottage from Alice In Wonderland or Hansel and Gretel with its theatre mask-style windows.

I was also a fan of the busy Passeig de Gracia, a long and bustling street filled with shops and cafes. It's home to Gaudi's Casa Mila, also called La Pedrera, Catalan for 'the quarry'.

It's a wavy-looking apartment block and Gaudi's last work before he dedicated himself to the world-famous - and still unfinished - Sagrada Familia. This incredibly intricate church is a bit of a building site inside but the beautiful stained glass windows and ornate arches are breathtaking.

We took the lift to the top rather than endure climbing 100-odd metres and had fantastic views over the city. We went back down via the spiral staircase, which was like being inside a swirly seashell.

The church's museum is full of information about Gaudi's life and works. A lot of his inspiration came from nature, such as mushrooms, trees and seashells.

We also visited the cathedral and no trip to Barcelona would be complete without a visit to the famous Las Ramblas, a long and busy street with lots to hold your attention. I loved the brightly coloured flower stalls, St Joseph's market and the various street artists and performers.

Next time I get ready to spend another windy, rainy Saturday at a muddy Scottish football park, I'll be thinking that if Carling made football pitches, they would all be like Camp Nou.

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We stayed at the Gran Hotel Torre Catalunya. For details visit granhoteltorrecatalunya.h-rez.com

We flew from Glasgow to Reus airport. For details see www.ryanair.co.uk