Sunday afternoon in the park, Barcelona-style

Quiet descended on the city. It had to be Sunday. The blue sky and still warm October day was the perfect excuse for many in Barcelona to head for Parc de La Ciutadella.

One of many couples who strolled around the pond.

A family rowed into the narrow waterway under the pedestrian bridge.

When did we realize how cleverly the park was designed? In a big city where people live in small spaces with little connection to greenery, the Parc de La Ciutadella offered many defined green and water spaces with different purposes. Dog lovers sat near a pool while their canines leaped in and out of the water. Families picnicked on little islands of grass enclosed by bushes. Little children lined the pond, captivated by the gulls and geese.

A graylag goose walked up the ramp, probably in hopes that someone with a bit of bread would be nearby.

The path from the pond led to an enclosed area where the main attraction was hidden from view. Visitors waited patiently to have their photos taken with the mastodon.

Barcelonians filled the park, and yet it didn’t feel crowded. We’d seen so many interesting areas already – what was still to come?

The path continued to an open plaza with a spectacular backdrop for photographers.

Nearby, couples danced in the bandstand, dedicated to Sonia Rescalvo Zafra, who was murdered by neo-Nazis for her gender identity in 1991.

Parc de La Ciutadella offered us an interesting and refreshing afternoon. Surrounded by trees, flowering bushes, green lawns, birds (many monk parakeets!), we enjoyed exploring the park.

A family portrait in the park

 

October 2014