Spanish Spree - April 2009
Day 3: Barcelona
We were happy to sleep in a little bit - until 8am - since we were still tired from our flight. This morning would be easier since there was a hotel shuttle into the city at 9am, allowing us to avoid the combination of shuttle, train, and metro that we had to take the day before. The shuttle got us into the city within 25 minutes, giving us some time to walk through the Barri Gotic (Gothic Neighborhood). Both my mom and I loved this area and thought it was a beautiful, quiet area to walk through, away from the hustle of the city.
This morning, our first stop would be the church of Santa Maria del Mar (or Saint Mary of the Sea). The church was built in the 1300s and absolutely shines in beauty. After visiting the Cathédrale Notre Dame in Strasbourg, France, I never thought I would be able to see such a beautiful, sacred space again - but Santa Maria del Mar made my heart soar as soon as I stepped inside.
This morning, our first stop would be the church of Santa Maria del Mar (or Saint Mary of the Sea). The church was built in the 1300s and absolutely shines in beauty. After visiting the Cathédrale Notre Dame in Strasbourg, France, I never thought I would be able to see such a beautiful, sacred space again - but Santa Maria del Mar made my heart soar as soon as I stepped inside.
The beautiful columns, stained glass windows, and architectural simplicity was incredible, and the connection with the sea with the carved ship on the altar helped me realize how important the Mediterranean was in the everyday life of the worshippers when the church was built hundreds of years ago. We took our time walking through the church and enjoying the artwork in the small chapel behind the altar.
catedral basílica de barcelona
We continued walking through the Barri Gotic to the Barcelona Cathedral (also known as La Seu). The cathedral is not much older than the church of Santa Maria del Mar but is architecturally quite different. Inside, there are more decorations and it is "busier", not as simple as Santa Maria del Mar. The stained glass windows again are beautiful, and the cloisters are a treat. But the throngs of tourists stronly detracted from its atmosphere, and both my mom and I agreed that we preferred Santa Maria.
Several weeks before our trip, we had purchased tickets to see a dance performance at La Palau de la Música Catalana (The Palace of Catalan Music). We had seen pictures of the auditorium online and they were absolutely incredible, so we knew we had to stop there at some point. Unfortunately, the only entry to the theatre is by guided tour or ticketed admission to a performance. When we went to pre-book a tour, we noticed that there was a dance performance for only 1€ extra, so we decided to "splurge". Certainly the best way to enjoy a theatre is by going to a performance, even if our initial reason to go was to see the architecture and design.
tea near la palau de la musica
We had some time before our show was scheduled to start so we decided to take it easy and relax instead of cramming some more sightseeing in. We found a lovely coffee shop to sit in less than a block from the theatre and decided to get comfortable and enjoy our beverages. I had the sweetest coffee I have ever experienced - a tiramisu inspired latte - and my mother had a tea flavored with basque fruits.
Afterwards, it was time to enjoy our performance. We arrived at the theatre early, in order to spend some time enjoying the decorations of the theatre. Every square inch is decorated, with mosaics, or paintings, or even printed carpets! It was hard to know where to look and I loved all of it. There are so many decorations that I am sure I missed many of them, and in that respect, a guided tour would have been great. I will certainly be back to appreciate it some more on my next visit to Barcelona! This was by far a highlight of our brief visit to Barcelona.
Shortly after being seated, an usher approached us to ask if we wouldn't mind sliding down a seat in order to accommodate a family who had been split up when they purchased their tickets. The reason I bring this up is because I initially didn't understand him - I speak Spanish (though I am not fluent, I know more than the average conversationalist), but in Barcelona, most people speak a dialect known as Catalan. The language is quite different from Castillian, or "regular", Spanish...and in my opinion, Catalan is more similar to French than Castillian. After seeing my confused look, the usher switched not to Castillian, but to English to translate. My mother then looked at me with a confused face, not realizing he was speaking her native language! This would be a continuing trend throughout our vacation due to the strong accents most people spoke with. In many cases, I found it easier to speak Spanish than English.
factoria mascaró dancers
The dance was performed by a group known as Factoria Mascaró. They are a modern dance troupe based in Barcelona. The title of today's performance was El Fantasma del Palau. The main idea of the dance was to show everyday activities, such as riding the metro, in a dance form. Admittedly, some dances were better than others. Ultimately, we knew we were in for quite a performace when they passed out small cardboard musical pipes for the audience for when they recreated the organ dance! The kids in the audience loved being able to participate.
At this point, I'd also like to comment on a general observation. Children seem to be loved by the community in general in Barcelona. Everywhere you go, you see adults of all ages smiling and laughing when they see children playing. While you certainly see this at points in the United States, we noticed that no one ever seemed annoyed by kids' endless chatter or play. To be fair, I also noted that children, in general, were very well-behaved and well-mannered, which is unfortunately not always the case back home.
At this point, I'd also like to comment on a general observation. Children seem to be loved by the community in general in Barcelona. Everywhere you go, you see adults of all ages smiling and laughing when they see children playing. While you certainly see this at points in the United States, we noticed that no one ever seemed annoyed by kids' endless chatter or play. To be fair, I also noted that children, in general, were very well-behaved and well-mannered, which is unfortunately not always the case back home.
The rest of our afternoon would be spent touring Gaudí's architectural sites. Our first destination was theTemplo Expiatorio de la Sagrada Familia (Temple of the Holy Family), better known as simply La Sagrada Familia. This church has been under construction since 1882 and is still unfinished!
It is incredibly unique and not beautiful in the way that most churches are, especially not ones tourists flock to! We had no intention of going inside due to time constraints (maybe on my next visit), but we had to see the exterior. The two sides of the church are very different styles, as can be seen below.
It is incredibly unique and not beautiful in the way that most churches are, especially not ones tourists flock to! We had no intention of going inside due to time constraints (maybe on my next visit), but we had to see the exterior. The two sides of the church are very different styles, as can be seen below.
After taking some photos, doing some souvenir shopping, and watching some street entertainers we were ready for lunch. We found a great restaurant on Avinguda Gaudí, near La Sagrada Familia.
Most restaurants in Spain offer a set menú del día (menu of the day) for a low, fixed price. This typically includes a basket of bread to share at the table, appetizer, entree, dessert, and a beverage. The restaurant we chose - Origen 99'99% - was no exception. We sampled several Spanish dishes and had a very enjoyable meal.
Refreshed after eating too much, we continued to our next Gaudí site: Parc Güell, a city park on a hill overlooking Barcelona. A short ride on bus #24 got us to the side entrance of the park cheaply and efficiently. The park has two distinct parts, a relatively undeveloped natural area near the top of the hill, and the more famous sculpture park below, which is very crowded.
Most restaurants in Spain offer a set menú del día (menu of the day) for a low, fixed price. This typically includes a basket of bread to share at the table, appetizer, entree, dessert, and a beverage. The restaurant we chose - Origen 99'99% - was no exception. We sampled several Spanish dishes and had a very enjoyable meal.
Refreshed after eating too much, we continued to our next Gaudí site: Parc Güell, a city park on a hill overlooking Barcelona. A short ride on bus #24 got us to the side entrance of the park cheaply and efficiently. The park has two distinct parts, a relatively undeveloped natural area near the top of the hill, and the more famous sculpture park below, which is very crowded.
the quiet, uncrowded part of the park
We began our visit, unintentionally, by walking through the natural area since that is where the bus dropped us off. We were surprised at the lack of visitors in this area, but given the vast size of the park it is possible for everyone to spread out on the many kilometers of walkways. The paths are peaceful and we enjoyed walking past the palm trees. From the top of the park, there is a great view of La Sagrada Familia in the center of Barcelona.
Though we enjoyed the calm of the upper part of the park, the main reason for our visit to Parc Güell was to enjoy the whimsical colorful areas that Gaudí designed. Unfortunately, we were unaware that a fence separates the two areas and we had to walk a good distance to get around the fence and to the attraction area of the park.
Though we enjoyed the calm of the upper part of the park, the main reason for our visit to Parc Güell was to enjoy the whimsical colorful areas that Gaudí designed. Unfortunately, we were unaware that a fence separates the two areas and we had to walk a good distance to get around the fence and to the attraction area of the park.
At the main entrance of the park, there are two buildings which look almost like gingerbread houses. From there, one of the first things you see is a colorful tiled dragon who almost seems to greet you as you enter. There are ergonomically curved benches for hundreds of people to sit on around a terrace. Everyone was laughing and children were playing and this was a great place to people watch. One of my favorite parts was the collonaded walkway, which made it seem as if you were walking through part of a cave. There was also a hall of columns, with even the ceiling intricately decorated.
Our last stop for the day would be L'lla de la Discòrdia (Block of Discord) on the Passeig de Gràcia in the Eixample district of Barcelona. What a mouthful!
On this block we would pass two of Gaudí's other works: La Casa Batlló and La Pedrera (also known as La Casa Milà). Both of these houses are distinctly Gaudí and they are very different from each other. We knew we only had time for one or the other, so we decided we'd choose which to see by which had a shorter line for entry. Unfortunately, the queues appeared to be much too long and we decided against waiting in line for an hour since that would leave little time to actually tour the house. We admired the exteriors and decided that would be all of Gaudí that we would see during this visit.
On this block we would pass two of Gaudí's other works: La Casa Batlló and La Pedrera (also known as La Casa Milà). Both of these houses are distinctly Gaudí and they are very different from each other. We knew we only had time for one or the other, so we decided we'd choose which to see by which had a shorter line for entry. Unfortunately, the queues appeared to be much too long and we decided against waiting in line for an hour since that would leave little time to actually tour the house. We admired the exteriors and decided that would be all of Gaudí that we would see during this visit.
dunkin donuts coffee
We decided to do some people watching near La Plaça Catalunya, a square further south of the Block of Discord and at the north end of Las Ramblas. We found a Dunkin Donuts, where we picked up some donuts for breakfast the next morning and got something to drink. Their coffee, an espresso really, is served in a small paper cup, which we found funny. The people-watching was really interesting, and even the locals of Barcelona take time out of their day to slow down, socialize, and enjoy the beautiful weather by sitting outside on the sidewalks and in squares. It is an important part of their culture.
We found a small internet cafe that also advertised cheap phone calls to the United States, so we phoned home to let everyone know we were doing great. At 10 euro-cents per minute, it might have even been cheaper than calling long distance at home!
Since we were still full from lunch, we had a light dinner of doner kebab (not Spanish in the least but quite tasty!) and then headed back to our hotel for a good night's rest. We would have an early morning and a busy day awaiting us.
We found a small internet cafe that also advertised cheap phone calls to the United States, so we phoned home to let everyone know we were doing great. At 10 euro-cents per minute, it might have even been cheaper than calling long distance at home!
Since we were still full from lunch, we had a light dinner of doner kebab (not Spanish in the least but quite tasty!) and then headed back to our hotel for a good night's rest. We would have an early morning and a busy day awaiting us.
Continue to Day 4: Montserrat and Granada