Off to Barcelona

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Faux Blondie is on the go again. Up at 7:00, pack, do a bank run and off to the airport at 11:00. Bag weighs exactly 50 lb. I’m getting good at this. I’m put on an early flight that is delayed till my original flight time. Arrive in Philadelphia and chat with folks that are going to cruise on Celebrity and Princess. We compare ports and ships and the time passes quickly until I’m onboard my flight to Barcelona. We are treated to a glorious sunset and head across the pond for a seven- hour flight. Surprise, surprise! Musical seats and I have a row to myself. My seatmate wanted to sit with her husband and that left me all alone. Boo Hoo. The flight was uneventful and the passage through Barcelona airport quick. The drive to my hotel passed by the modern commercial buildings, some ugly graffiti and then passed some wonderful apartment. It is a sunny day. The temperature is about 55. My hotel is in the Gothic Quarter, the oldest part of the city, and located down an alley. It is pedestrians only and I drag my bags downhill. Getting back up the hill with the bags on Monday will be worth a video.
It is very early and my room isn’t ready so I plan to rest a while and then go out and explore. I have a tour this afternoon to see the Gaudi architecture.
I stopped at a café near the tour meeting place and order tapas and a glass of vino. So I thought tapas were small portions, not. A had an empadada carne, seasoned ground meat encased in pastry and deep fried. It would make a meal in itself. Unfortunately I also ordered deep fried Camambert and especial patatas, potatoes, (you guessed it) deep-fried and served with tomato sauce and cheese. It was more food than I could possibly eat. So now I know, one tapa, two tops. Each one was delicious.
It has not taken me long to realize that this city is worth at least a week to explore. The vast majority of buildings are no more than eight stories high. The architecture is varied and imaginative and very well maintained. The old street lamps are works of art in iron. Their bases are benches of mosaic tiles. Iron balconies adorn the facades and plants abound. There are marvelous main boulevards and steep and narrow street. In the Gothic district where I am staying, there are many narrow twisting alleys with shops and cafes.
The first stop on the tour was Park Guell, designated a world heritage site. It was originally designed by Gaudi s a sort of gated community for the Catalan wealthy but it didn’t catch on. It was too far away from the business district. This park is easily worth a half a day or more. Paths and stairways meander through it and there are Gaudi buildings on site. We had one hour.
It is hard to describe Gaudi’s style except to say that it is gaudy. It is organic, colorful, whimsical, magical and, as far as I know, unique. Tiles are used in the Catalan tradition, broken and placed in cement in mosaic patterns. Fanciful critters are everywhere. A tile bench surrounds the plaza. It was designed as much for comport as for beauty and succeeds at both. I spot my first green parakeet. They have made Barcelona their home just as they have Southern Connecticut.
Next we make our way to the Familia Sagrada, church of the Holy Family. We have forty minutes to explore, I could have stayed for hours. The church is still under construction since the late 1900’s. The entire construction is paid by donations so during tough times not much was accomplished. The latest estimated completion date is 2030. The design was Gaudi’s and he worked on it for the last forty years of his life. He is buried on the grounds. We walk around the church, not enough time to go in, and I’m amazed and enchanted. I had researched Gaudi’s buildings but nothing can prepare one for the actual building.
Our third stop is the Picasso museum. At this point I am truly tuckered out and stay on the bus. Not a huge Picasso fan anyway and I have basically been walking since 2:00 and it’s now close to 7:00 pm.
After the tour I walk back to my hotel for an early night. Tomorrow more exploring and the Opera Carmen!

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