Two Days of Gaudi-ness

You can walk down nearly any street in Barcelona, gaze upward, and be surprised and delighted by the rich architecture this city has to offer (just hang on to your purse or pockets if you do that - pickpockets abound).  Just when you have a plan to get somewhere, you can find yourself distracted by so many other things there are to see along the way.  This is how we've spent the last two days.

Our first orders of business the last couple of days have been to see works by Antoni Gaudi, modernist architect who was influenced by nature.  I was knocked out by the Casa Battlo, an amazing private home designed by Gaudi right in the heart of the shopping district.  With almost no straight lines, the home is influenced by water and sun with its tiles, stained glass, curved wood, and ergonomic brass handles.  The rooftop is designed as a dragon and the room underneath -- the attic -- carries forward that theme with a ribbed room and other features that lend the feeling of being inside the belly of the beast.  Colorful tiled chimneys make the rooftop the place to be on a sunny day.

We couldn't resist taking in a glass of champagne and sitting in Gaudi-designed chairs before we left.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casa_Batll%C3%B3

Yesterday we continued our Gaudi tour by heading to Parc Guell, another amazing work.  Curvy benches made of colorful tiles adorn the main square, but to get up to it, you need to ascend the double staircase, filled with tile designs, iron work, an area of columns and nature-colored rock pillars that give the feeling that you have entered a wondrous cave.  This is a huge park that were to be exclusive residences when Gaudi started the work.  Eventually the project failed and the city took over the area and finished it in the original style as a park for the people of Barcelona.

Now, this park isn't easy to get to.  We walked from our residence -- just blocks from the water -- all the way up to the entrance, about four miles.  Dusk found Rachel and me at the very top of the mountain snapping away photos of the city below.  How far did we walk yesterday?  I would say about six to eight miles all told by the time we got home.

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parque_G%C3%BCell

Other Barcelona musings:

• La Rambla in the 70's was filled with meat and flower markets, and cafes.  Today there are street performers galore with these squeaky eerie mouth whistles, pet shops where you can get those little turtles, baby chicks and ducks -- all those things some of us had as kids.
• The first day we stopped to have a coffee and Rachel's 'crack' - morning Coca Cola, since we both need our caffeine fixes.  We got to talking to the barista, an older man.  Now, I still can get by quite well with my Spanish language, so when he asked what brought us here, I told the story how I lived in Valencia and might not have even gone back to the U.S. had I not met my husband-to-be just before I had left for Spain with a 1-way in 1975.  Then I pointed to my left ring finger explaining I was now 'divorciada' and 'here I am.'  An older woman to our right had been eavesdropping and nearly fell off her chair laughing when I said this last part, and she insisted we take in the Parc Guell.  A lively conversation ensued with all four of us at that point, part of which included the barista's proposal that I marry him and stay in Barcelona.  Some things about Spain don't change.
• We arrived to Sagrada Familia in time, but the line to buy tickets was too long and we wouldn't have had time to see it well before it closed.  To take in as much as possible on the walk home, we thought we'd walk by the 'monument' to toros - bulls.  Imagine our surprise as it wasn't a monument at all, but the actual bull ring -- now repurposed for shows such as the upcoming circus.  This is a change I like!
• Women wear stylish clothing here.  You won't find a t-shirt and jeans anywhere.  The leopard print is very in, as are Ugg boots and boots of all kinds.
• Bathrooms are clean, and the toilet paper is soft - finally, and a contrast to the famous 2006 bathroom commentary tour of Europe by Adrienne and Wendy.
• There is not as much graffiti here as in Portugal, the latter being pretty covered in the stuff.  In both cities, however, graffiti seems tolerated, not washed over or cleaned up.  It's almost as if this urban scrawl has found its way as art.
• Yesterday found us in Old Town looking for a place to have dinner -- after so much walking.  Of course, we couldn't pass the Mexican restaurant when we saw it -- an opportunity for margaritas.  I had a frozen 'lemon' margarita with salt and coriander on the glass rim -- not just salt.  It was really tasty!  Try it!
• Speaking of Old Town, it's now filled with fine stores -- clothing, art, etc.  While it's the place to be for food and fun, it's not the same as in the 70's.
• Men and women appear to be more nurturing toward their children than I observed in the 70's.  Back then both mothers and fathers screamed at their kids and spanked them on the street as the kids ran wild.  I haven't seen this at all this trip.  Quite the opposite.
• Our B&B in Spain is much better than the one in Portugal.  Here we have clean, dry towels, a wonderful breakfast each morning, a mountain of toilet paper rolls, a hair dryer, and a heater that doesn't spew fumes at us when we turn it on.

It was supposed to rain today so we planned a low-activity day. However, the sun is out, so we'll likely get out there to find some adventure. We've been sleeping well.  In spite of all the walking and climbing, we feel good -- just as we did in Portugal.

Cheers and love for a fun Sunday!
W.