Barcelona: Poblenou
There are a handful of buildings which define the Barcelona skyline: the Sagrada Família, the W Hotel, the carousel of Mount Tibidabo – and the Torre Glòries Building, formerly called Torre Agbar, designed by famous French architect Jean Nouvel.. This building has drawn comparisons to Norman Foster’s 30 St. Mary Axe building in London, more commonly known as ‘The Gherkin’.
On its design, Nouvel himself has said that he drew his inspiration from the nearby mountains of Montserrat, and the building’s shape is said to represent a geyser exploding into the sky. On another occasion, he also recognized that the Torre Glòries has a phallic character…and every time I take a picture that’s what the picture looks like to me. You can certainly imagine the nicknames people have come up with for this building.
Rambla del Poblenou is the cornerstone of social life in the neighborhood, which is overflowing with outdoor cafes, shops, pubs, street art and family life. This one is a much better Rambla then the more famous one in old town. My 2 favorite restaurants so far are el 58 on the Rambla for delicious Catalan local cheese, wine, and tapas. One block off the Rambla is an awesome vegetarian restaurant called Aguaribay. (Address: Carrer del Taulat, 95, 08005 Barcelona, Spain)
Bogatell beach, at the end of Rambla del Poblenou, is also better then the ones in Barceloneta as they are far less touristy and less expensive. Here I found my absolutely favorite beach pub: Vai Moana. (Address: Av. del Litoral, s/n, 08005 Barcelona, Spain) I first found this on my own traveling and then when I met friends back here, I had to bring them as well. It’s the BEST!!
