BARCELONA

The original Roman colony was founded in 1 BC  by Favia Augusta Paterna Barcino.  For hundreds of years it fiercely maintained its individual style and language.  It was interesting listening to the TV as Spanish is second to the original language Catalan.  The people are very proud of their art and commerce.  It has 51 museums and lots of famous artists.  Picasso’s Bohemian Barcelona and his life is smattered around in the thriving artist community.  I really enjoyed the fascinating walk and you finish at the museum where his work and life all come alive. 

Joan Miro is a world-renowned Catalan artist who knows how to create his own poetic universe and worked in many mediums

including sculpture, ceramics, and tapestries.  The museum and art galley in his name holds a place of honour by the buildings

And parks erected for the Olympics.

I found a small local hotel in the old district of Gracia which was an independent town until 1897.  It seems the city expanded its borders quite a lot by incorporating many new districts in the few years around 1895.  The narrow streets and small squares run diagonal to the rest of the city and it retains the small village atmosphere. 

It is the hip-en-happening area where traditional shops vie for visitors with unique bars and restaurants spilling out onto the sidewalk.  There are bands playing at all hours of the day and night with dancing by the young and young at heart. 

The two biggest attractions of this district are

Gaudi’s Sagrada Famila and

the Hospital de la Santa Creu I Sant Pau.  Gaudi was very religious and The Sagrada Familia was his biggest dream and his last project.  It began construction in the late 19th century and occupied the last 40 years of his life. 

It still is not completed and relies on private donations (church goers and fees for the tour) to fund various sections of the church.  When he died in 1926 only one of the towers had been completed so he will never see his biggest dream completed.

The hospital is still in operation and has tours of its architectural fantastic detailing and interior decoration.  Domenech I Montaner, the architect, was a contemporary of Gaudi and they were friends.

LA RAMBLA

This is the marina area and it is the place to be.  It has the Royal Shipyards, beaches, restaurants, Port Vell, art/art galleries, and

the Columbus Monument which boast a panoramic view of the area when you climb to the very top.  This district has played an important role in Barcelona’s history and in the 1980’s saw a resurgent of tearing down the dilapidated warehouses and erecting modern buildings. 

The city celebrates the arts and gives many architects a free reign in designing the fascinating array of buildings throughout the city. 

Because of this celebration for creative design, architects from all over the world are trying to leave their mark on this district.  I would have loved to have been moored in this marina as there was so much to see and do.  The “World Trade Center” at the very end of the pier looks like a ship at dock and houses tons of restaurants and an luxury hotel.

Lunch on the marina was a seafood extraganza

PLACA de CATALUNYA

This is the central park that links the old town with the new extension laid out in the 19th century after the demolition of the medieval city walls.  It marks the beginning of the famous Rambla which slope gently down to the sea.  The main boulevard showcases a unique and colourful universe:

the flower stalls with the colourful tile roof and the Meuse de L’eroticia.  The park itself is teeming with pedestrians, street vendors, and the art is everywhere,

The Gothic area is the old town and has some fine examples of gothic architecture in pristine condition.

Bordering the park is The Quadrat d’Or or Golden Square in the Eixample district. It is the focus of modern Barcelona at the end of the 19th century with many examples of architecture including the works of Gaudi and

Domenech I Montaner.  Walking down the tree lined boulevard is like an open air museum.

GAUDI

You cannot think about Barcelona without thinking of the artistic talents of Gaudi. 

The Casa Mila was built by Gaudi from 1906 to 1910.  The stone façade with its wrought iron balconies evokes the motion of the waves.  In front of this building the sidewalks are lined with Gaudi-designed tiles

(a favourite building material for Gaudi) and produced in the outlying areas of Catalan. 

Walk down the Gaudi designed streetlamps that line both sides of the boulevard and you will be standing in front of one of his best works.  Homes in this area are designed to have a storefront on the street level, the owner’s home on the second and rented apartments for the next 3 - 5 levels.  Another one of Gaudi’s patrons commissioned him to design and build Casa Batllo. 

Gaudi oversaw all the construction of the work and because of

the organic curves in the woodwork, tiles, and stone he hired only the best workman.  He believed air and natural light should flow through all parts of the home and so

oak doors had movable grills. 

There was a central atrium the full length of the building and the tiles changed their bluish-green hue to give more height and dimension to the space. 

Even the attic had its air flow.  Instead of being a stuffy, musty place air flowed so well that the laundry was on this level.  He took his inspiration for the supporting roof from the bones of the whale. 

Lighting was creatively hidden in recesses and coves to accentuate the organic ribbing of the space.  The most awesome fact to me was that he had no building plans and made it up as he went up the stories to

the dragon inspired roofline.


Eusebi Guell was Gaudi’s patron and friend.  At the family estate the

magnificent iron railings in the shape of a dragon fiercely protect the estate.  Guell also bought 16 hectares and wanted to turn the hillside into a walking open air museum for the rich. 

Gaudi laid out the walkways and designed several staircases but soon they both realized it wasn’t profitable and sold it to the city.

How I wish I could stay longer in this part of Spain and taken the bus to Dali’s city of Girona.  Now there was an artist with some innovative ideas in architecture.  Alas, I must continue my journey if I am to find a sailboat to finish my dream of sailing around the world.

When I went to the train station to buy my ticket I found out the next day (Monday) was a major holiday and the trains were full.  I told him to just issue me a ticket for the following day (Tuesday) and he gave me a ticket which I thought was a little pricy.  I also thought this was a bonus and I had one more day in the city I was growing to love.  Not until Monday did I notice that the ticket was for Monday only on the high speed train.  Bummer, I missed it and spent 3 hours standing in 3 lines till I found someone to reissue me a ticket.

No way was I getting any money back so they put me in first class and I settled down in a recliner for the 12 hour train to Cordoba where I had a 4 hour wait for the train to Algeciras by the border with Gibraltar.  I struck up a conversation with the couple next to me and they were going to Cordoba too.  Great!  I had someone who understood Spanish and could tell me when we were ready to disembark.  I fell asleep and was awaken by the stressful couple who said we just missed our stop and were on our way to Seville.  There was no announcement or conductor to let us know our stop was next. 

Upon reaching Seville I knew where to go so I didn’t have to stand in too many lines.  The couple explained our dilemma and they asked us to have a seat.  Later, I was motioned to grab my ticket and hurry to the train that was leaving in three minutes.  The beauty of this station is that they had moving sidewalks and as I was descending to the platform the ticket agent was yelling at me that he had given me the wrong ticket.  Back to the office, another ticket was issued and I was on the high speed train back to Cordoba.  I sat on my luggage and tried to still my fast beating heart.  A tall American and his Spanish wife helped me get my luggage off the high platform.  I made it with 45 minutes to spare for the train to Algeciras.

The terrain changed several times as we neared the coast and then went back into the coastal mountain range.  At a small station with no name we stopped and waited…and waited.  The conductor came through and jabbered something in Spanish and left.  Everyone had a blank look on their face so I searched for the American and found out the train operator was sick.  Over an hour passed and the conductor again came through and jabbered something in Spanish and left.  The train operator was really sick and they were getting us a bus to take us the rest of the way to Algeciras.  Another hour passed and then we had to illegally cross three sets of tracks, the length of the station and cross the street to our air-conditioned Mercedes bus.  Once again the American came to my rescue and helped me get the luggage across the tracks.  I heaved all my worldly possessions into the belly of the bus and piled on for the rest of the journey.  The mountain passes were narrow and the views expansive.  Two hours later I saw the ocean and 45 minutes later we were driving past the huge commercial port of Algeciras.  Finally I had made it to the end of Spain and the tiny country of Gibraltar.