November 23, 2017

I started my day with an irresistible breakfast at Café Escribà, where I tried a Catalonian pastry with pumpkin, and I sat right under a picture of Ronaldhino, who apparently ate at some point right there at the same café. 

Full and happy, I went on a solo trip to Güell Palace. This is a mansion designed by the same Antoni Gaudí for the textile industry tycoon Eusebi Güell and built between 1886 and 1888. This early Gaudí building is less magical than Casa Batlló, but it has exquisite wood work and is, for the best reasons, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Works of Antoni Gaudí."

The home revolves around the main room for entertaining high society guests. Walls and ceilings are ornate with detailed wood and metal work.  I found the home very cold and dark, especially since five children lived there, but I realize that all lit, it was probably very different. As usual with the Gaudí houses, the roof seems to be the most entertaining – chimneys become whimsical characters, covered in colorful broken tiles.

Chimneys on Palau Güell

I had lunch with an old friend from New York who now lives in Barcelona – I LOVE reconnecting with friends. It makes my trip less touristic and more personable. It’s closer to being part of life.

Barcelona's opera house, the Gran Teatre del Liceu, was founded in 1847 by the bourgeoisie of the city and has remained a world-renowned art and cultural center, as well as one of the symbols of the city. The theater burnt many times, last fire being in 1994, but it is elegant, it welcomes the most famous opera singers in the world, and it is U-shaped, so it has perfect acoustics. I wish I could attend a concert, but we were lucky to hear 15 min of the rehearsal of “Tristan e Isolde” while visiting.

 

Mirror room in the Teatre Liceu

To end our trip on an artistic note, we went after 6PM to visit the Picasso Museum, which houses one of the most extensive Picasso collections of artworks (4,251 works), some donated by the artist himself. The museum is housed in a conglomerate of five adjoining medieval palaces in the La Ribera district – and I found them each fascinating, same as the idea of expanding the museum in such a place. The reason is that the museum opened in 1963 and it grew in time, becoming the first museum dedicated to Picasso's work and the only one created during the artist's life!

Adéu, Barcelona!

November 22, 2017

After another day of walking (12 miles and more than 50 flights of stairs, according to my smart phone), I woke up in pain and took a few minutes to read about Barcelona. Bordering La Rambla is the Eixample, which is crisscrossed by long straight streets, a rigorous grid pattern crossed by wide avenues and square blocks. Ildefons Cerdà was the visionary architect who planned the urban development mindful of traffic, public transit, sunlight and ventilation. The streets broaden at every intersection making for greater visibility and better ventilation. The grid pattern remains as a hallmark of Barcelona, and many of the blocks originally had only two or three sides so in the inner space they could accommodate gardens, but when space became an issue, the third and fourth sides were added.  Some parts of the Eixample were influenced by Modernista architects, chief among them being Antoni Gaudí.

Modern symbol recognizable everywhere in Eixample

This symbol reminds me of the one on the Teotihuacan pyramids 

Finally, we went to the Montserrat mountain to visit the Benedictine monastery of Santa Maria de Montserrat, about 45 km from Barcelona. We took the train and then the cable car (teleferic, just like in Romanian!).

Montserrat at the top of the mountains on the right

The monastery of Montserrat is set below the cliff and is famous, I found out only after I returned from the trip, for the statue of the Black Madonna, patron saint of Catalonia. The statue, more than 800 years old, overlooks the basilica from above the altar. In her honor, a famous boy choir sings Gregorian chants every day. We were so overtaken by the natural beauty of this place that totally missed the Black Madonna (aka, La Moroneta) and the rich art museum.  All good reasons to return one day to Montserrat.  There is also a funicular that goes up to the top of the mountain (~1200 meters), but that is closed over the winter, too…

Montserrat 

To end the day with a short walk around Barri Gotic – I was falling apart, really – I went to Plaça Reial and admired the Gaudí lamp posts and then visited Catedral de Barcelona.  Majestic and classic. 

November 21, 2017

Confession: we ate breakfast at Starbucks again.

We took the subway to Park Güell, an entire park sowed with houses and gardens and other odd constructions created by A Gaudi.  Despite the fact that I bought tickets for the early gate opening, there must have been another gate from where Chinese and Japanese tourists poured in with fury. There was not one place where to admire the surroundings in peace – phones and selfie-sticks slashed through the air like bayonets in a fierce battle.  We visited the Monumental Zone (https://www.parkguell.cat/en/park-gueell/visit-of-the-monumental-precinct/) - somehow - and then explored the less crowded alleys of the curious park. The terrain was uneven and wild, but this did not deter Gaudi from building some odd columns and viaducts.

Park Güell

Park Güell

Park Güell

Gaudi Home - Park Güell

We returned today to La Boqueria and ate some fresh (and expensive) fruit – a tray with gooseberries, strawberries, blackberries, red currant and raspberries. Sweet and refreshing!

True "knock - knock"

In the afternoon we embarked on the most awaited part of the trip – the visit to Sagrada Familia (http://www.sagradafamilia.org/en/architecture/).  Gaudí worked for 43 years on the basilica, and in 1914 he left all other work to concentrate exclusively on this sole project until his death on 10 June 1926. The moment we came out from the subway hole, the basilica took over the sky with its multitude of statues, pointy towers, and parade of detailed architectural and artistic elements. This basilica is a temple dedicated to the Christian faith, to all Christians, and in fact it tries to bring together everyone for a moment of meditation and spiritual elevation. It is so much to admire inside and outside, there are probably books covering this – I will only say that the outside overwhelmed me and the inside soothed me. The interior columns split in many branches like trees and support the entire roof, which has no buttresses. The light filtered through the painted glass has almost spiritual power.  

I need to return in 2026 to see this monument finished. 

We went up 50 meters in the Nativity Tower and saw Barcelona from above.

Inside Sagrada Familia

Barcelona seen from the Nativity Tower

Magical light - Sagrada Familia

Inside Sagrada Familia

Subway is very reliable and frequent in Barcelona, but watch your pockets, purses and phones. We went to Ciudadella Olimpica by the beach, ate paella and then, almost falling apart with exhaustion, we returned to La Rambla. We tried the ice cream at Rocambolesc (http://www.rocambolesc.com). 

My pannet - SCRUMPTIOUS! 

Another pleasure newly discovered – an ice cream like an empanada – light and delicious – pannet with strawberry and hibiscus ice cream. That’s life!

November 20, 2017

I’m ashamed to admit that I ate the first breakfast at Starbucks. Why? What a sacrilege! Why? Starbucks was right across from the hotel, the girls really wanted to go there, and I thought I could count on Starbucks serving me a good yoghurt granola. And wi-fi? Well, coffee was good, granola was delicious, and the pain au chocolat did not disappoint, so I forgave myself for acting so American in Spain.

I wish for a room here...

Cristopher Columbus Column

Maritime Museum

We walked down La Rambla all the way to the monument dedicated to Christopher Columbus in Port Vell (sadly, the first time I heard Romanian was when a beggar asked me for change).







From there, we walked to our destination of the day, Casa Batlló – one of the many Antoni Gaudí masterpieces we set to see on this trip. Next to it is the elegant but strikingly different Casa Amatller, on a block called Illa de la Discorda.

Casa Batllò

Casa Amatler

The story of the dragon spread on top of Casa Batlló is that of Sant Jordi (aka, Saint George). A scary dragon was terrifying a small village close to Barcelona, where he ate first all the animals and then moved on to people – preferring virgins. Each year, the residents of the village put all the names of the virgins into a hat and one terribly unfortunate one would be chosen to be eaten by the dragon. When the king’s own daughter was chosen for the sacrifice, San Jordi killed the dragon with his sword, saving the princess. A red rose bloomed in the place where the dying dragon’s blood spilled. San Jordi married the princess and became Catalonia’s beloved saint, who is celebrated every year on April 23. On this day, men give roses to their ladies, who in turn give books to their gentlemen because two of the greatest writers, Shakespeare and Cervantes, died on April 23, 1616 (St. George’s Day). Gaudi was inspired by this story in creating the roof of Casa Batllo, which has the shape of a dragon’s back and shiny green-blue tiles representing the scaly dragon skin. At the top of the building there is also a small balcony in the shape of a rose. I’ll let the pictures speak. This house is like a magical walk through the whimsical world of Gaudi.

Dragon back roof and chimney - Batllò

Through the glass - Batllò

We walked back to La Rambla and ate a killer sandwich with jámon iberico and cheese in La Boqueria Market.

La Boqueria

That was lunch, since it was 2:30PM. If I ate that late back at home in California, I’d starve and faint every day before 2:29PM. Lunch and no coffee?








Carmen took us to Caelum, a small Café in Barri Gotic, an intriguing place offering deserts made by different nuns from several monasteriies. Here is a sample menu from their website: “fried milk. Panellets of all saints. Polvorones. Rose of Santa Catalina. Tocinillo de cielo. Turrones. Yolks of San Leandro. Bienmesabe. Cherry flan Ascension. Figs in syrup.” I ate the “tocinillos del cielo” (little pigs from heaven), and I was floored! A new taste coated my palate and I was in heaven with the piggies. Literally. They were soft, eggy and sweet, with a subtle velvety flavor. That’s life!

Barcelonta 

El Peix

We walked to the port again and carried on from the Maritime Museum to La Barceloneta (most famous beach of Barcelona) and further on to Platja de la Nova Icaria. For dinner, Carmen took us to Tapas24, a place specialized in Catalonian tapas. My most favorite dish: eggplant with sardines in sweet carrot sauce. We walked more than 11 miles, but it was a fantastic day!