Travels with Terri

Barcelona Spain has been on our “must visit” list ever since we moved to Portugal in 2018. Our friends who have been there rave about its beauty, history, architecture, culture, night life, and food. Since our Mediterranean cruise was departing from there, we arrived two days early to explore the city. Located on the northeast coast of the Iberian Peninsula, Barcelona is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia and the second most populous municipality in Spain. In the first century BC, the Romans established a colony there named Barcino. But the first human settlements date back to Neolithic times with tombs and dwellings discovered in the El Raval neighborhood from 5,000 BC.

No visit to Barcelona would be complete without seeing one of the many buildings designed by Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí. Born in 1852 in Reus, Gaudí moved to Barcelona in 1870 to pursue his academic career in architecture. He had developed a special skill for working with space and volume during his younger days helping his family in their boilermaker workshop. This experience allowed him to excel at three-dimensional creation. His brilliance was noticed and afforded him opportunities to collaborate with some of his professors. After graduating from the School of Architecture in 1878, Gaudí created numerous masterpieces including the Bellesguard Tower, Park Güell, the restoration of Mallorca Cathedral, the church on the Güell Estate, Casa Batlló, La Pedrera, and his most famous work, the Church of the Sagrada Família. Gaudí died on the 10th of June 1926 after being hit by a tram while on his way to the Sagrada Família. Most of the citizens of Barcelona attended the funeral of their beloved architect Antoni Gaudí.

Since our time in Barcelona was limited, we opted to stay at a hotel across from the Gaudí designed Palau Güell in the Gothic Quarter. The palace was built between 1886 and 1890 on a commission from politician, industrialist, and arts patron Eusebi Güell. The two had met at the World Fair in Paris in 1878 where Güell saw the young architect’s work at the Spanish Pavilion. They became lifelong friends with Güell becoming a patron of Gaudí. He commissioned other projects including the Bodega Güell Winery and Park Güell. We had a stunning view of the palace from our balcony and seeing the multi-colored tile chimneys glisten in the sunshine was truly special.

After a wonderful day catching up with our friends, the four of us spent the evening at a flamenco show followed by tapas and drinks. The ancient art of flamenco was declared an intangible heritage of humanity by UNESCO in 2010 and Los Tarantos Flamenco is the oldest tablao in Barcelona. If you’ve never seen a flamenco show, I highly recommend trying to see one or watching some videos. Flamenco combines artistry, passion, and energy, with the dancers, singers, and musicians totally absorbed in the moment.

Our post-show tapas at nearby Expat Café were included with our tickets and we were treated to an amazing selection including Iberian ham croquettes, sausages in wine, king prawns in garlic sauce, spicy meatballs, and homemade bread with tomato and olive oil. One drink each was also included. A bargain at 40.00 euros (44.00 dollars) per person!

Good things to know:

• The restaurants along La Rambla are very touristy and over-priced (we paid about 54.00 euros for a pizza, beer, and a soft drink!) Instead, go to Plaça Reial with numerus dining venues and good prices in a lovely palm tree lined square.
• Check out the Kebab places for cheap but plentiful and yummy eats.
• Head to the side streets for souvenir shopping. Same selection as you’ll find on La Rambla but much better prices!

In my next blog, we’ll take a Tuk Tuk tour of Marseille France. Stay tuned!