Barcelona!

Barcelona is a fantastic city on the edge of the Mediterranean, nestled in a valley between two hills that rise up on either side; to the south is Montjuic and to the north Tibidabo. Our hotel was near the last stop of the metro line up towards Tibidabo. The neighborhoods up there are full of mansions built in the 19th and 20th century, where the rich families of Barcelona used to perch, lording over their city. On the first morning we ventured out in the late morning, had breakfast in a nearby cafe and took the metro down to Plaça Catalunya. It was a beautiful day so from there we walked the mile or so over to Plaça Espanya and the base of the National Palace on Montjuic. It is an impressive castle, but young, built in 1929 for the World's Fair. Now it houses the National Art Gallery of Catalonia. We didn't go in, but we walked through the grounds and up to the entrance where there is a fantastic view of all of Barcelona.

From there we made our way over to the Poble Espanyol - another construction made for the World's Fair. It is a mini village meant to represent, architecturally, all the regions of Spain. It was supposed to be dismantled after the World's Fair, but due to its success they left it standing to, as it turns out, lure Euros away from gullible tourists. Unfortunately, we fell for it. It's one redeeming quality was that it boasts one of the two traditional glassblowing ovens left in Spain. And the glassblowers were hard at work, making amazing glass figurines in front of our wide-eyes and open mouths. Three rugged middle-aged men, cigarettes dangling from their mouths and beer cans within reach, moved back and forth with red-hot globs of glass and created horses and flowers and vases and candle-holders as if it were no effort at all - in front of a goggle-eyed crowd.

At this point we were ready for lunch. So we hopped on the metro once more and made our way towards the beach. I thought it would be nice to have a picnic on the waterfront. I may not have mentioned, but this was Good Friday and big city or not, EVERYTHING was closed. This is Spain we're talking about. We were feeling weary and despaired of finding a place to buy a sandwich - when lo and behold, there was a cafe open. It didn't look promising surveying the counter but I asked anyway if they had any bocadillos. They did! They went in the back and whipped us up two bocadillos de tortilla de patata. Finally, pushing my luck, I asked if they had any beer in a can that we could take with us too. Two cans of Estrella coming right up. Success! This is Spain we're talking about. So we trooped down to the beach with our lunch fit for a king and found it mobbed. It was wonderful and the sandwiches were delicious, the beer was cold and the entertainment was very "international". There were several volleyball nets and one crew was playing as if they were playing soccer, without using their hands. Their control was incredible. There were a couple of topless sunbathers, and a family of five children playing in the sand right in front of us. When we finished lunch, we both put our feet in the Mediterranean for the first time. Brrr!

That evening we ate dinner in a Japanese restaurant that was so-so, but it was located in the Born neighborhood, which I find enchanting every time I am there. On the walk back, at around 11pm or so, we crossed the Ramblas and came upon a crowd of people and a religious procession for Good Friday.

The next day we got up and moving a bit earlier, with the intention of getting some breakfast and making Park Güell our first stop. It was nine years ago that I was last in Park Güell and I remembered it as this magical place, designed by Gaudi, with enchanted paths, forests and gardens and even the gingerbread house from Hansel and Gretel. All those places were still there when we arrived, but so too was every tourist in existence. It dispelled the magic to wade through a sea of people. So we didn't stay long. Next stop was the Sagrada Familia, another Gaudi masterpiece, albeit an unfinished one. The construction of the Sagrada Familia began in 1882 and is not expected to be finished until 2026. Antoni Gaudi, who died in 1926, was a brilliant architect who was very influenced by the natural world and always incorporated aspects of nature into the structures he designed. In the Sagrada Familia, one is meant to feel as if they are inside of a forest, the ceiling resembling a canopy of trees with little shafts of light filtering through. It is stunning.

The exterior portrays various scenes from the bible, chiseled into the stone facade. The three main facades represent the Nativity, the Glory and the Passion. They are moving in their artistic magnificence and the sheer magnitude of the project still at hand.

That evening, Saturday, we had the great fortune of attending a Barça game at Camp Nou. Our friends here in Solsona knew someone with season tickets and so we went for free and had really spectacular seats. It was Barça against Bilbao and it was a great game. Barça scored 4 goals and Bilbao 1 - apparently it is not very common to have such a high scoring game. How lucky we were to see so many goals! There was energy and singing and excitement in the stadium. It was a lot of fun.

We went back to Solsona that night and the next day enjoyed Easter dinner with Roser and her family. And of course we ate La Mona!

Bona Pascua! Buena Pascua! Happy Easter!