With the time approaching 08:30am, I began making my way down the hillside and through the gardens to the Monumental Zone. I came out near Plaça de la Natura (Nature Square), where the park’s employees were set-up ready to check tickets for those wishing to enter. Upon enquiring with a member of staff, I was directed to the ticket office near the main entrance in order to pay the entry fee.

Throughout the trip, I was trying as much as possible to make basic requests in Spanish such as ordering food or buying a ticket. You may have read that I’ve recently begun to learn Spanish and at the time of writing, I was five lessons in to my beginners course. Whilst buying my ticket for Parc Güell, I advised the gentleman at the counter that I was currently learning the language.

It backfired on me to be honest, as in his enthusiasm to help me out, he heavily over-estimated the extent of my skills. He proceeded to tell me all of the information I needed to know about touring the zone in Spanish, to which I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I hadn’t understood a word he’d said. I do, however, suspect that he realised this as a result of the puzzled, vacant expression on my face when he’d finished!