Monday morning, I caught an early train to the airport half a block away from my hotel. The Estació de França has a direct connection for 2.5 euros which not only consts less, but allows one to avoid the hassle of hooligans and the stairs up and down the metro and then the bus to the airport.
I checked out the cheese counter, but the MENCHANGO were 70 euros which is more expensive than my hood's gourmet cheese section, so I skipped that. The flights were uneventful and I made it home intact.
HIGHLIGHTS:
La Sagrada Familia is a world wonder
Santa Maria Del Mar
I loved walking in the green spaces
Favourite museum was FUNDACION MIRO
Favourite museum building: the Picasso
The Walking Tours suggested in my guidebook were very useful
FAVOURITE FOOD
Basque cuisine
FAVOURITE WINE
Merlot from the NAVARRO region
Monday, March 26, 2007
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Day Five: One more nature spot
Sunday is a lazy day in Barcelona; my favourite coffee spot was closed so I wandered around La Ribera and finally found an old cafe near "Santa Maria Del Mar" -- which gave me yet another opportunity to visit the interior of the church. This is a beautiful place to be day or night.
I was feeling a little tired after eating a very late dinner on Saturday, at a highly recommended restaurant, where I queed for about an hour. It's called CAL PEP and is a narrow and very long bar where you can see the chef cook in the kitchenette. There is a small room in the back for groups but you have to make arrangements very early.
While I was queeing, they stopped letting people in so I was the last in. I got a nice bar stool finally and ended up enjoying 6 small courses: spinach with bacon and chickpeas, razor clams, regular clams with bacon, steaks with "patatas bravas", grilled giant calamari and bread with tomato sauce and olive oil. I turned away the desert!
No wonder I was feeling tired the next morning. Europe changed hours during the course of that night, so it felt like I woke up at the crack of dawn. After a second coffee and sandwich I walked up to catch the metro at Jaime Ier and went quite far to the Palau Reial which is another green space, with a small bamboo forest, bird estuary and beautiful pinetum. I walked up to the Palace which includes a decorative and ceramics museum.
The Ceramics museum's collection was surprisingly different from what I have seen in other places. Sure there were tiles, and works showing the Arab period, but the collection was well represented, the panels were in Catalan, Spanish and English, and organized under the major cities were the kilns were located.
Dinner was a simple tapas bar at La Barcolenata, the harbor area near my hotel, and then an early sleep.
I was feeling a little tired after eating a very late dinner on Saturday, at a highly recommended restaurant, where I queed for about an hour. It's called CAL PEP and is a narrow and very long bar where you can see the chef cook in the kitchenette. There is a small room in the back for groups but you have to make arrangements very early.
While I was queeing, they stopped letting people in so I was the last in. I got a nice bar stool finally and ended up enjoying 6 small courses: spinach with bacon and chickpeas, razor clams, regular clams with bacon, steaks with "patatas bravas", grilled giant calamari and bread with tomato sauce and olive oil. I turned away the desert!
No wonder I was feeling tired the next morning. Europe changed hours during the course of that night, so it felt like I woke up at the crack of dawn. After a second coffee and sandwich I walked up to catch the metro at Jaime Ier and went quite far to the Palau Reial which is another green space, with a small bamboo forest, bird estuary and beautiful pinetum. I walked up to the Palace which includes a decorative and ceramics museum.
The Ceramics museum's collection was surprisingly different from what I have seen in other places. Sure there were tiles, and works showing the Arab period, but the collection was well represented, the panels were in Catalan, Spanish and English, and organized under the major cities were the kilns were located.
Dinner was a simple tapas bar at La Barcolenata, the harbor area near my hotel, and then an early sleep.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Day Four: Another hike
But before I proceed with today´s agenda, I must say, I had the best food yet last night. I dined at the Restaurant and Social Club for the Basque, Euskal Etxea. For all those who believe there is a connection between the Basque and the Armenians, take that theory right out of your mind.
Friday night´s mood was quite festive. While I was dining, a band was practicing and a group of thirty somethings were learning some basque dances in a room in the back. The front part, the bar, was jam packed with people eating small appetizers and drinking their worries away.
I had a salad with goat cheese, stuffed baby squid with black ink sauce and vegetable couscous, and some 2001 Merlot from the Navarro region. The waitress just popped the bottle in front of me, and asked me to help myself: for the record, she just charged me for a glass.
Today, I felt a little homesick, as I realized that the post office gave me the wrong stamps even though I stated that the postcards were intended for the USA. I turned on my iPod for the first time, and went to Park Guell, a forest in another hilly part of town. It is a UNESCO world heritage site, where one can see more views of Barcelona from high up. I walked uphill to the site of three crosses, the highest point, then down to Gaudi´s house, and around heading out towards the mosaic zoo.
This time though no teleferic ride to the beach -- I had to walk 1.2 kilometers AFTER leaving the parc to get to the next metro station.
In the afternoon I headed to the MACBA -- museum of contemporary art of Barcelona, but the temporary show was not of interest so I checked the bookstores there and around the university faculties. The art gallery next door had a show on the Danish painter Hamershoi, but I had seen the show in Paris and New York.
I got my mother a book on Gaudi, and looked for some ceramic tools, but no luck.
I headed for a short mass in Catalan, to say a special prayer for a friend of mine who is sick. I know she´d appreciate it. Catalan is quite different from Spanish, but I was able to grasp some things being said. The music was quite soothing and it was a little rest before heading to the internet cafe and tonight´s dinner.
Friday night´s mood was quite festive. While I was dining, a band was practicing and a group of thirty somethings were learning some basque dances in a room in the back. The front part, the bar, was jam packed with people eating small appetizers and drinking their worries away.
I had a salad with goat cheese, stuffed baby squid with black ink sauce and vegetable couscous, and some 2001 Merlot from the Navarro region. The waitress just popped the bottle in front of me, and asked me to help myself: for the record, she just charged me for a glass.
Today, I felt a little homesick, as I realized that the post office gave me the wrong stamps even though I stated that the postcards were intended for the USA. I turned on my iPod for the first time, and went to Park Guell, a forest in another hilly part of town. It is a UNESCO world heritage site, where one can see more views of Barcelona from high up. I walked uphill to the site of three crosses, the highest point, then down to Gaudi´s house, and around heading out towards the mosaic zoo.
This time though no teleferic ride to the beach -- I had to walk 1.2 kilometers AFTER leaving the parc to get to the next metro station.
In the afternoon I headed to the MACBA -- museum of contemporary art of Barcelona, but the temporary show was not of interest so I checked the bookstores there and around the university faculties. The art gallery next door had a show on the Danish painter Hamershoi, but I had seen the show in Paris and New York.
I got my mother a book on Gaudi, and looked for some ceramic tools, but no luck.
I headed for a short mass in Catalan, to say a special prayer for a friend of mine who is sick. I know she´d appreciate it. Catalan is quite different from Spanish, but I was able to grasp some things being said. The music was quite soothing and it was a little rest before heading to the internet cafe and tonight´s dinner.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Day three: walking and hiking
The concert last night was a pleasant diversion, Robert Schumann´s piano and choral music, and I sat near a German couple. We had a nice chat about the city and music in general -- first time I speak so much German in years!!! (One hears a lot of Italian and German in Barcelona´s touristic center).
I thought I´d take it "easy" today, to give my feet a rest, and just do one thing. Well it turns out that the Miro Foundation and its surrounding Montjuic Park are HUMONGOUS and it was a two hour hike to just get there, luckily well worth the fresh air and the view. The Miro Foundation has a very nice collection, much larger than the Picasso and Tapies ones here, and includes some sculptures in bronze and other media.
A highlight was to take the teleferic down to the beach, which is within walking distance of my hotel.
Weather wise, it was also the best yet, although it got chilly once again after sunset.
In the evening I met up with Carlos and Maria, an Argentinian couple, she of Armenian heritage, who have lived here since the early 80s. He´s a translator and she´s a university professor. We chatted for a few hours and then walked around. I met them because they corresponded with me about an Armenian author, and coincidentally they live in Barcelona.
Tomorrow, I hope to do some shopping and visit Park Guell, the grounds surrounding the home of Gaudi, the creator of La Sagrada Familia, the basilica.
I thought I´d take it "easy" today, to give my feet a rest, and just do one thing. Well it turns out that the Miro Foundation and its surrounding Montjuic Park are HUMONGOUS and it was a two hour hike to just get there, luckily well worth the fresh air and the view. The Miro Foundation has a very nice collection, much larger than the Picasso and Tapies ones here, and includes some sculptures in bronze and other media.
A highlight was to take the teleferic down to the beach, which is within walking distance of my hotel.
Weather wise, it was also the best yet, although it got chilly once again after sunset.
In the evening I met up with Carlos and Maria, an Argentinian couple, she of Armenian heritage, who have lived here since the early 80s. He´s a translator and she´s a university professor. We chatted for a few hours and then walked around. I met them because they corresponded with me about an Armenian author, and coincidentally they live in Barcelona.
Tomorrow, I hope to do some shopping and visit Park Guell, the grounds surrounding the home of Gaudi, the creator of La Sagrada Familia, the basilica.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Blogging in Catalan on day two
I am not fluent in Spanish, far from it, but this is a bilingual town, and Catalan is closer to French, so I am doing my best to channel the multilingual knowledge bank and making my way through Barcelona.
I started a second walking tour today -- very different from yesterday´s -- concentrating on the Modernism period. The tour walks you through all the different chichi neighborhoods where Gaudi and his contemporaries build modernist edifices in the beginning of the 20th century. Some are totally crazy!!!
After lunch, I went to the Antonio Tapies Foundation. This contains the library of Tapies, some of his work including annual contributions, and a space for other artwork, which contained a video series entitled B Zone: On the Margins of Europe. I was very much touched by the story about a man, trying desperatly to seek asylum only to be rejected time and again by various European countries.
This reminds me of the editorial I read on Tuesday in the International Herald Tribune regarding the new form of slavery. More on this later, if I can reread the original piece.
Nothing tops a visit to La Sagrada Familia, Gaudi´s incomplete masterwork, which after 125 years is a work in progress (yes, workers were inside and on the job). This is a beautiful cathedral and I had to walk around twice, and will need to visit the Gaudi house on another day.
Tonight I am attending a piano recital at the Palau Musical Catalana.
I started a second walking tour today -- very different from yesterday´s -- concentrating on the Modernism period. The tour walks you through all the different chichi neighborhoods where Gaudi and his contemporaries build modernist edifices in the beginning of the 20th century. Some are totally crazy!!!
After lunch, I went to the Antonio Tapies Foundation. This contains the library of Tapies, some of his work including annual contributions, and a space for other artwork, which contained a video series entitled B Zone: On the Margins of Europe. I was very much touched by the story about a man, trying desperatly to seek asylum only to be rejected time and again by various European countries.
This reminds me of the editorial I read on Tuesday in the International Herald Tribune regarding the new form of slavery. More on this later, if I can reread the original piece.
Nothing tops a visit to La Sagrada Familia, Gaudi´s incomplete masterwork, which after 125 years is a work in progress (yes, workers were inside and on the job). This is a beautiful cathedral and I had to walk around twice, and will need to visit the Gaudi house on another day.
Tonight I am attending a piano recital at the Palau Musical Catalana.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
First full day in Barcelona
Slept until 11am, and then after a quick coffee, walked into La Ribera, a neighborhood of beautiful rambling narrow streets, where after a visit to the Santa Maria Del Mar (our Lady of the Sea) I fell into this internet cafe.
A little Spanish goes a long way. My restaurant vocabulary and reading comprehension have been enough to fend myself against a rude young man last evening, ordering food, coffee and so forth.
All is good -- Museum of Picasso was next, where I discovered that his sister´s name is ... Lola!!! The museum is housed in what used to be 4 small palaces now interconnected. Some of the rooms are preserved for historical purposes and don´t contain any of Picasso´s work. A lot of the artist´s early work is there, some representing other early periods such as the Blue and the Pink, and then the ceramics, ¨Las Meninas¨and the Pidgeons series.
In the afternoon, I did a walking tour (following a map and descriptions in my guidebook) of the Old Barcelona until just about dusk. This region includes Roman wall and tombs, Medieval period all the way to Gothic. It was a very special walk.
On the way, I stopped at the 4Gats cafe, where Picasso and other famous artists used to hang out about a century ago.
For dinner, I started with some tapas in Barri Gottic, and then walked back to my hotel´s hood for a nightcap.
Good night!
A little Spanish goes a long way. My restaurant vocabulary and reading comprehension have been enough to fend myself against a rude young man last evening, ordering food, coffee and so forth.
All is good -- Museum of Picasso was next, where I discovered that his sister´s name is ... Lola!!! The museum is housed in what used to be 4 small palaces now interconnected. Some of the rooms are preserved for historical purposes and don´t contain any of Picasso´s work. A lot of the artist´s early work is there, some representing other early periods such as the Blue and the Pink, and then the ceramics, ¨Las Meninas¨and the Pidgeons series.
In the afternoon, I did a walking tour (following a map and descriptions in my guidebook) of the Old Barcelona until just about dusk. This region includes Roman wall and tombs, Medieval period all the way to Gothic. It was a very special walk.
On the way, I stopped at the 4Gats cafe, where Picasso and other famous artists used to hang out about a century ago.
For dinner, I started with some tapas in Barri Gottic, and then walked back to my hotel´s hood for a nightcap.
Good night!
Via Munich .... missed connection 3-20-07
Due to bad weather in Europe, flights were delayed to North America, and we departed an hour or so late in New York City. I missed my connection in Munich, the next plane was full, therefore I had to wait 4 hours in Munich. Luckily I knew I could ask for a lunch voucher and got one for 10 euros, which was enough for an open faced sandwich and a double espresso macciato.
We landed in Barcelona on a sunny late afternoon. It´s sunny here, there are palm trees and a nice breeze. I took the blue Aerobus to the center of the city (Placa de Catalunya), then asked for a map at the information booth, took the subway to the neighborhood of Barcelonata, near the beach.
After a quick shower I walked around a bit, and passed by a restaurant which is highly recommended in my guidebook. Nice coincidence.
More walking but couldn´t find any shops open to get a SIM card or an internet cafe.
We landed in Barcelona on a sunny late afternoon. It´s sunny here, there are palm trees and a nice breeze. I took the blue Aerobus to the center of the city (Placa de Catalunya), then asked for a map at the information booth, took the subway to the neighborhood of Barcelonata, near the beach.
After a quick shower I walked around a bit, and passed by a restaurant which is highly recommended in my guidebook. Nice coincidence.
More walking but couldn´t find any shops open to get a SIM card or an internet cafe.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Flying tonight
I am flying tonight to Barcelona, via Munich.
It's been very cold in Eastern US and I am looking forward to some sunshine and mild weather.
Goodbye snow and sleet, fellow flip-flops :-)
It's been very cold in Eastern US and I am looking forward to some sunshine and mild weather.
Goodbye snow and sleet, fellow flip-flops :-)
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Barcelona, Spain
I will be travelling to Barcelona this month.
I am spending a week (6 nights) there. I have never been to Spain, so this is going to be great.
WHy Barcelona? Great food and wine, art and architecture never fail to attract me.
I am spending a week (6 nights) there. I have never been to Spain, so this is going to be great.
WHy Barcelona? Great food and wine, art and architecture never fail to attract me.
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