If I’m not careful, I could get use to the French way of having mini-breaks every so often. This time the holiday was thanks to Bastille day and we took the opportunity to fly to Barcelona, queen city of Catalonia Spain. But we were certainly not lacking in French company as it seemed that the Spanish capital was chock full of travelers from Gaulle.
Arriving late at night, the difference was immediately apparent. The air was warmer and filled with that ineffable Mediterranean scent of pine mixed with a slightly salty tangy air. It immediately felt like vacation. For the days we were there, we were blessed with the most incredible weather—sunny and clear blue skies with fresh wind to refresh us as we walked. The rain had the good sense to pour only in the evening. That’s what I call cooperative weather.
Walking around Barcelona, we noticed right away the proud distinction that they make with their city. We were in Catalonia and as such, the language was Catalan and Spanish came only second. Street names were Passeig and Carrer instead of Paseo and Calle. Still and all, we were in Spain so we filled up on tapas and we exercised our meager Spanish. I found myself struggling to remember all the basic words I knew, and 400 years of occupation notwithstanding, all I could mutter was a regretful lo siento, no hablo espanol.
Arriving late at night, the difference was immediately apparent. The air was warmer and filled with that ineffable Mediterranean scent of pine mixed with a slightly salty tangy air. It immediately felt like vacation. For the days we were there, we were blessed with the most incredible weather—sunny and clear blue skies with fresh wind to refresh us as we walked. The rain had the good sense to pour only in the evening. That’s what I call cooperative weather.
Walking around Barcelona, we noticed right away the proud distinction that they make with their city. We were in Catalonia and as such, the language was Catalan and Spanish came only second. Street names were Passeig and Carrer instead of Paseo and Calle. Still and all, we were in Spain so we filled up on tapas and we exercised our meager Spanish. I found myself struggling to remember all the basic words I knew, and 400 years of occupation notwithstanding, all I could mutter was a regretful lo siento, no hablo espanol.
There is so much to see in this city that numerous visits are required. When you have only a limited time, choices must be made. Undoubtedly, the must sees are definitely the Sagrada Familia, the Picasso Museum and to my mind, the lush Park Guell.
The Sagrada Familia is probably the city’s most famous monument. It is an impressive site; the vision of Modernist genius Antoni Gaudi, who left quite a mark on the city. The first glimpse of the Sagrada is one to remember. Its’ only finished façade greets you as you exit the metro. There is almost too much to take in at once—the walls frescoed and sculpted with flowing lines so that every inch is covered in figures, both mystical and fanciful. At the same time, you see at once that it is still an on going project. Huge cranes loom alongside the towering spires and inside is a mass of impressive scaffolding covering a great deal of the interior. There is something moving about the people’s ongoing commitment to finish this vision of Gaudi, who lived only to see a very small part of his dream completed. And since the project is completely funded by private donations and the entrance fees, it could easily take decades for it to reach completion, if ever. A long queue towards the lift is well worth it once we reached the top and beheld the magnificent views of the city. From this height, you can see the Mediterranean Sea stretching as far as the eye can see. And it is from here also that we can see the words of praise frescoed onto the upper reaches of the tower. Gaudi, a devout man, when asked why the need to inscribe such words where no one could see them famously replied that “it mattered not, as angels could see them”. Its easy to see why he felt he could take his time to finish his project, since God, his client was in no hurry. 
After the modernism masterpiece that is the Sagrada, the city’s second most visited place is the Picasso Museum. Situated in the atmospheric La Ribera, it is a surprisingly rich collection featuring numerous early pieces by Picasso. It helps the visitor a great deal that the collection is housed in such an elegant manner. In fact it is housed in 5 medieval stone mansions gracefully linked together to form a wonderfully cohesive whole. We later learned that the collection was started by the personal secretary and life long friend of Picasso, Joachim Sabartes who donated all the pieces given to him by his friend. The artist later continued the collection by donating a huge amount of his works directly to the museum.
Having our fill of cultural and artistic monuments, it was a real pleasure to board the local bus and head towards the upper reaches of the city to visit the Park Guell. Funnily enough, it was originally conceived as a housing project with Gaudi as designer and landscape artist. Unfortunately, the idea was perhaps a little too ahead of its times as it was a commercial flop. Fortunately for us, Gaudi had enough time to design 3 kms of rambling walks and pathways, the delightful Hansel and Gretel gatehouses and plaza. It is here that you see his fertile imagination at work and up close. Clearly he was not a believer in straight lines, the paths and walks curve and double back, the stone columns that make up the plaza are slanted and there are sinuous curves everywhere. It is also here that his work is at its most accessible. It is a delightful place to explore especially on a beautiful Sunday afternoon with the sun shining and the air is scented with pine.
Having our fill of cultural and artistic monuments, it was a real pleasure to board the local bus and head towards the upper reaches of the city to visit the Park Guell. Funnily enough, it was originally conceived as a housing project with Gaudi as designer and landscape artist. Unfortunately, the idea was perhaps a little too ahead of its times as it was a commercial flop. Fortunately for us, Gaudi had enough time to design 3 kms of rambling walks and pathways, the delightful Hansel and Gretel gatehouses and plaza. It is here that you see his fertile imagination at work and up close. Clearly he was not a believer in straight lines, the paths and walks curve and double back, the stone columns that make up the plaza are slanted and there are sinuous curves everywhere. It is also here that his work is at its most accessible. It is a delightful place to explore especially on a beautiful Sunday afternoon with the sun shining and the air is scented with pine.
Sight seeing aside, it was nice just to stroll around and soak up the atmosphere. I loved the wide avenues which were wide enough to create islands in the middle with trees, creating both shade and walkways and where there are both, enterprising cafes put chairs and tables and voila you had the perfect place to watch the other people walking by. Inevitably, one’s steps take you to Las Ramblas, that stretch of road which starts at Placa de Catalunya and meanders its way towards the old port, now refurbished with Barcelona’s own version of a mall. Walked straight on, Las Ramblas takes a total of 30 minutes to traverse except that once you go off on the numerous side streets that take you in to the heart of Barri Gotic, you can get derailed much longer. Oh but what distraction it is when you walked into the nearly labyrinthine streets and discover hidden charming little plazas.
And because food is a subject quite close to my heart, it was an experience to discover a few choice restaurants including a gem of a place serving delightful churros con chocolate. Ah but that is a tale for the next time.
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire