Parc de la Ciutadella with the family: Boat rides, parrots, a fountain and a fabulous picnic

When I showed my 10-year old daughter, Soraya, the picture of the fountain in Parc de la Ciutadella, she exclaimed: “I want to go there!” Thus we set out on Thursday afternoon for the Park to see the amazing fountain.

Parc de la Ciutadella Fountain

We took the RENFE train straight from Sitges to Estaçao de França, which is less than a block away from the entrance to the Parc de la Ciutadella. On the train ride, of course, the girls wanted to hear a story. I have been reading Uncle Tom’s Cabin, as it was free to download onto my Kindle. So, I told them the story of how and why Eliza, George, and Harry escaped from slavery and made their way to Ohio on the Underground Railroad. Remarkably, they found the story fascinating and had all sorts of questions to ask.

I finished the story just as our 45-minute train ride was coming to an end. We got off the train and walked into the park. When we walked through the grand entrance, the girls immediately noticed that the leafy trees were full of small green parrots. We walked along a tree-lined path and looked to see what other birds we could find before we got to our picnic spot.

We had come prepared, and had a delicious picnic. We brought baguettes, longaniza, arugula, and goat cheese for sandwiches. We also had my favorite kind of potato chips – olive oil chips, and flan and chocolate cake for dessert. Nando and I drank red wine and we had water and juice for the girls. Now, that’s what I call a picnic!

After stuffing our faces, the girls ran around the small playground while Nando and I relaxed and finished off the wine.

We then walked around a bit more and the girls saw a lake with paddle boats. They begged to get on the boats, and promised to be good for the rest of the day if we would pay the 10 euros for 30 minutes on a boat. We relented and Nando and the girls got on a paddle boat while I wandered off to explore the rest of the park on my own.

Tatiana, Raymi, Nando and Soraya on the rowboat

Walking around, I found the Catalonian Parliament and the famous fountain Gaudi designed. The entrance to the Parliament was blocked off, and there were protestors gathering together to express their disapproval of the current government. Once the 30 minute boat ride was over, I took the girls to see the fountain. Tatiana, Raymi, and I walked up the stairs to the top of the fountain, while Nando and Soraya stayed at the bottom and relaxed at the park café.

Parliament Building, Parc de la Ciutadella

We left the park through the Arc de Triomphe exit. From the Arc de Triomphe, it is about a 15-minute walk over to Plaza Catalunya. Of course, the girls wanted to go back there to feed the pigeons, as that is their favorite thing to do in Barcelona. So, we made our way past buildings, cafes, and shops to Plaza Catalunya, where we stayed until dusk.

Staying until dusk meant that we got back to Sitges too late to take the bus up the hill to our house. So, we had to walk up the hill home. To make the walk a bit more bearable, I bought the girls a snack and a bottle of water at a store on the way. And, I told them a bit more of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. This time, I told them the story of how Tom got sold into slavery at St. Clare’s plantation and how his and his wife’s opinion of how slaves should be treated differed. I made the story stretch out just long enough for us to get home without too many protestations from the kids.

Once home, we were thoroughly tired and went straight to sleep.