Colón

The 'Plaza de Colón' (although it's actually called Plaza Portal de La Pau) can be found in Barcelona, right where La Rambla meets the Paseo de Colón.

This square is one of the most famousin Barcelona and one of my favourite places, not only because of the Columbus monument but because of the whole formation with its surroundings, what with it being right next to the old port (Puerto Viejo) of Barcelona.

The most symbolic feature of the square is the monument dedicated to Christopher Columbus in the centre. The monument is a 57 metre highcolumn on top of which there is a sculpture of Columbus with his arm extended and his index finger pointing to the sea; there are various theories about where he is supposed to be pointing to, for example that he's pointing towards America, except that America is actually situated on the opposite side.

At the base of the column there are several statues which symbolize the historic kingdoms of Spain, along with other famous historical characters associated with Columbus, such as the Catholic kings. The others I don't know however. Below there are eight sculptures of lions surrounding the circular base, as though guarding the monument, although they aren't all adopting the same position, with some positioned as though on alert while others are sitting. We climbed on to one of the lions to take a photo pointing in the same direction as Columbus. Between the lions, there are also four sets of steps.

It's a really diverse monument, with the number of statues and details it contains. Also, its being next to the sea makes it an even more picturesque image and even more associated with Christopher Columbus.

Something I hadn't imagined was that it's possible to take an elevator up inside the column because there's a viewpoint at the top. It's a good job that some friends from Barcelona told me otherwise I wouldn't believe it. The views must be beautiful, but I didn't dare go inside there.

You can get there by walking down La Rambla, heading towards the sea, or if you prefer you can get there by metro or by bus. The nearest metro station is "Drassanes" and it's the Line 3. Close by you can also find the famous Barceloneta beach.