#11 "Ola!” .. Barcelona, the home of Gaudi

and a great place to lose yourself...

Good morning to you, and welcome…

Barcelona is known to be one of Europe’s trendiest cities and is also known for its Art Nouveau architecture and of course Gaudi and the famous Sagrada Familia, so much to see and do and we are very happy to be back once again.

It was good that there was a shuttle bus from the ship, €4 return, which took us nearby to the Column of St Christopher Columbus which was built for the Barcelona World Fair in 1888, it towers 90 metres and is topped with a 7 metre statue of Columbus, sculpted by Rafael Atche. It represents Columbus pointing toward the New World with his right hand whilst holding a scroll with his left, an amusing detail is that instead of pointing west toward the New World the statue points towards his home town of Genoa. It is at the bottom of the famous street La Rambla which is crowded, not only with tourists, but market stalls, bars, cafes and sidewalk entertainers.

Column of St Christopher Columbus and La Rambla

Our plan was to stop at Carrer Nou de La Rambla 3-5 to see the Guell Palace, we missed the street due to walking up the centre of La Rambla but managed to find it on our return. Absolutely nothing like I expected from the outside and unfortunately we were unable to go in, but on looking at photos on the internet it is quite spectacular, I do recommend that you check it out..

I was also looking for Career de Colon which consists of the old and new neighbourhood, and is also one of the most expensive streets for shopping in Barcelona, but decided to cut through via another street and thankfully found the beautiful Royal Square where the Fountain of the Three Graces is located, it is decorated with the three goddesses, Earth, Charm and Fertility. It was created by Antoni Rovira i Trias in 1878. Also in the square are two magnificent lamp posts which were designed by Antoni Gaudi in 1879. I don’t know about you, but this is the first time I have come across Gaudi’s christian name, I had no idea what it was, but now I know.

Guell Palace, Royal Square, Fountain of the Three Graces and Gaudi designed lamp post

Meandering along we found a very nice shop which was not as touristy as some and they had some beautiful pieces to look at and buy, they also had some antique amphoras covered in barnacles which had been found locally, that was an interesting find. Next we located Place di Pi where the 15th Century Basilica de Santa Maria del Pi is situated in the Barri Gotic district, certainly not one of the most elaborate churches from the exterior, we didnt get to see inside due to time constraints. Then we saw the magnificent Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia, also known as Barcelona Cathedral, again built in the Gothic Style and is the seat of the Archbishop of Barcelona.

One of the delicious food shops, ceramics galore, Barcelona Cathedral and Basilica de Santa Maria del Pi

Have I mentioned before that I am hopeless with directions? Even though I had typed up directions as the maps were pretty useless, but you know it, I got us lost once again. I was positive that we just needed to walk straight up the street we were in, no, we should have gone in the opposite direction. Thankfully a lovely lady in one of the shops drew some directions for us which took us back to La Rambla where we found Passage de Garcia and several of the Gaudi houses. (As we have been to Barcelona before and have visited Park Guel, we chose not to go there again, but find new things to see.)

It was a pity we werent there to get the sun shining on the buildings, but nevertheless they were still spectacular

You can’t visit Barcelona and not try one of their many restaurants, the one we chose delivered in spades, it was called Taverna del Bisbe, we enjoyed a glass of Sangria and some Tapas which included a casserole of Marinated Pork, Tuna Tanaki with tomato marmalade, sprouted radishes and citrus fruits, Prawns with garlic and parsley and Salmon and Cherry Tomato brochette. Everything was delicious but I think the tuna was our favourite, I will have to see if I can find a recipe.

Lunch at Taverna del Bisbe

Once again we have been blessed with perfect weather, and after a long day walking around the city we headed off back down La Rambla to our bus and back to the ship, along the way noting a sign indicating that there are still issues between different entities in Spain.

With its Mediterranean climate warmed by North African breezes, Barcelona is a combination of many cultures influenced by Arabs, Romans, and Europeans. It is the fourth richest city in Europe and according to Minocle magazine is the 16th most liveable city on earth. The thrones of countless diverse rulers are still remembered as are the local indigenous Catalan people and their struggles to keep alive their heritage and language.

There is no man more than Gaudi who signifies the passion, creativity and love of Barcelona, he is recognised as one of the greatest designers of the 19th and 20th centuries, love or hate his work, he has to be admired for his individuality. You only have to look at Park Guel with all its curves and mosaics, Batilo House, Mila House and most significantly La Sagrada Familia.

I always thought Pablo Picaso was French, so how much do I know? Nothing when it comes to this famous artist who was actually from Barcelona, but there is no one in the world that would not recognise his art. Again love it or hate it, he is one of the most famous artists of the 20th Century.

I hope you enjoyed our day in Barcelona, pronounced Bathelona. Why? Due to Catalan having some unique sounds that differ from Spanish the “c” sound in Catalan with words like Baca or Barcelona, are pronounced like “th” in English. There you are, now you know. I say Barcelona, but my sister always says Bathelona, well, we can’t all be the same can we?

This weeks painting..

Until next week when you Come Away with Me when we arrive in Gibraltar, and because it is a Public Holiday we had a pretty quiet day, so I will also take you to Lisbon, now that is another fabulous place.

Bye for now

Sally