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Published: November 23rd 2021
Every single time we mentioned to someone that we were going to Barcelona they immediately said, "you've got to do Gaudi!"...... every single person! Remember we mentioned we threw this trip together a very short time before we traveled so our knowledge concerning the places we were going was woefully sparse. As world travelers we hated to admit to our friends we had no idea what or who Gaudi was so we smiled, nodded and kept quiet. Finally, we had time to google and found out he was an amazing Spanish Architect and Barcelona was a showcase for his works. OK, cool, we could get into that!
So, at this point, we'd been to Spain, then Portugal and now returning to Spain once again....who planned this? Uh....we did. We book-ended this around the river cruise with Brendan. And now...it was back to Spain, which is a rather large European country, about the size of Texas in the U.S. and there was still so much more to see. And to not venture to Barcelona? That was not going to happen....not to us, anyhow. We mentioned in our previous blog that we needed to get a COVID test to return to Spain,
Casa Batllo
Gaudi property in Barcelonaeven though the vaccination rate in Portugal is quite high. Much higher than the U.S. But we reckon that Spain was not going to turn away American tourist dollars after the previous brutal tourism year. Anyhow, the COVID test in Portugal was free and we got it a couple of blocks from our hotel in Lisbon...and so we were on our way to one of the more dynamic and interesting cities in Europe....and also to see our old neighbors in Pittsburgh, Marie and Ralph. This trip has been made even more fun as we've seen friends on four occasions!
Once again we were using Hilton points for free nights in Barcelona. As it turned out this was a "Curio" hotel that was in a great location within walking distance of several "Gaudi" museums. Our "neighborhood" was just around the corner of some very swank shopping in Barcelona. We had a touch of rain while we were in Barcelona so our activities worked around the sometimes inclement weather. One day toward the end of our stay, it cleared up and we rode the hop-on hop-off bus. We've taken these in other countries and prefer to do it early in our
visit to a city but we were busy with other things. It was nice to get an overview of the city and consider what we might look at on a future visit. One perk of this bus trip was that we got the opportunity to see Barcelona from above on a hilltop....a gorgeous view of a lovely city.
The Paella Club cooking class! We've taken cooking classes all around the world and this was by far the best one we've taken. The owner was charming, gregarious and entertaining paired with a great chef, they made all the participants look great. Lots of music played as we cooked and the free flowing wine made for a fantastic evening. In our class we had 13 participants. We were in couples except for one guy who was out with co-workers. Each team had a work space and several ingredients provided. We gathered around and learned we would make 6 different paelllas and at the end of the evening we would share a meal family style so we could sample all of them. We cooked the best one! LOL... black ink squid paella... others included vegetarian, chicken, pork, shrimp and octopus. All
of them were mighty tasty. This was a great place to celebrate a significant birthday!!
More about Gaudi Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926) Our personal opinion is his works remind us of a cross section of several artists Frank Lloyd Wright, Frank Zappa and Salvador Dali. We feel this way because Frank Lloyd Wright's work has blended nature into his architecture along with a splash of Frank Zappa's strange thinking and Salvador Dali's creative art.... we suspect they may have imbibed in a " drop of acid" to release their creative juices! Many feel his masterpiece is Sagrada Familia which has been declared a World Heritage Site. Gaudi was a faithful catholic and his architecture represents this..... we read his nickname is "God's Architect". So, yes we did three of the Gaudi properties. Strangely enough we were told he died being run over by a street car. Damn... what a way to go. We also went to Casa Batllo and Park Guell. Each location offers dramatic architecture especially if you consider the time period in which this was created.
Friends in far places take in the Familia Sagrada As we mentioned above, we were excited to learn that
Black Madonna
Monserrat, Spain our next door neighbors in Pittsburgh were going to be renting in Barcelona for three weeks and we would have an opportunity to catch up with them. Our first day together we toured the Sagrada Familia and it is an amazing building. We've seen many amazing structures, churches, cathedrals but this one has the absolutely most amazing stained glass windows we have ever encountered. The colors captured your attention when you walked in and enhanced the beauty of this significant cathedral. It was breathtaking. As you enter and leave Casa Butllo you are taken into rooms where you experience a light show that is nearly impossible to describe. You'll have to make the trip to Barcelona yourself. This home is several floors rich in history and the walking tour is done well. Even though it was raining we enjoyed our time wandering the Park Guell. Gaudi is a master of using color and glisinting tiles as he creates dramatic shapes . The raindrops richened the tile colors. Thank you Gaudi!
The Black Madonna We took a day trip from Barcelona via train to explore the mountain town of Montserrat. The one hour train ride takes you to a
Shrimp and Calamari Paella
The Paella Club cooking class! stop where you then take a tram the rest of the way up to the Abbey. There are still about 80 monks at the Abbey and it serves as a pilgrimage of sorts for Catholics. We were worried about large crowds but it was very manageable as we arrived early. As a result, we were able to obtain tickets to see the Black Madonna, which for us seemed a bit unique. At any rate, this Benedictine Abbey has a magnificent church and you can ascend the stairs which take you above where the altar is and you get to have an up-close view (and can touch the orb) of the Black Madonna. A little research indicates that there is no real reason or proof why this depiction of the Madonna is black. Some have speculated that the reason is due to the wood becoming darkened over time. Whatever the reason, folks were lined up and more than willing to get a look at this unique sculpture. We very much enjoyed this city and all it offers. The sights, the food, the history....it's all there....but alas, on to San Sebastian!
**** Barcelona Recommendations..... You must take a class at the
The Paella Club cooking class
Take this one when you are in Barcelona. Paella Club! It was outstanding!! The best cooking class we've had. Where we stayed: Hilton Curio (free with points)
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DaveandIssy
Dave and Issy Sheehan
Barcelona
Gaudi architecture is amazing. When we went to Montserrat our guide miscounted, and we got left behind! He only realised when they got down that windy road to the bottom of the hill, and they had to come all the way back up again to get us. Memories!!