I have three words to describe the morning: Hot, hot, HOT! Greg would probably say that I spent most of the morning whining about being hot, the fact that I was stupidly wearing jeans, and wishing we would go back to the hotel so I could change into some shorts. Greg was also in pants (albeit not jeans), as he inexplicably thought that shorts would be unnecessary in Barcelona. I don't know what we were thinking.
I thought that the Olympic Stadium was interesting to see, though Greg was decidedly underwhelmed. The botanical gardens had some really cool plants native to different countries like Australia and South Africa - and had gerat views! - but an unfortunate lack of shade. :) We both really enjoyed the Castell, which was a really neat 18th century fortress with amazing views over the city from the rooftop. It was a long, hot hike up to it, but it was worth it, and we enjoyed rewarding ourselves with some delicious frozen push popsicles afterwards before heading back to the funicular.
Next, we took the Metro to the Arc de Triomf (not to be confused with Napoleon's Arc de Triomphe in Paris). Built in 1888 out of reddish brick, it is really a beautiful structure and is at the beginning of a lovely stroll down to Parc de la Ciutadella (Citadel Park). With some help from a friendly ice cream vendor, we found the nearby Museu de la Xocolata. All the sculptures in this museum are made of chocolate, and it was really cool . . . plus it smelled like cocoa inside and the admission ticket was a bar of dark chocolate.
After salad and pizza for lunch at a nice little restaurant along a by-street, we went into Parc de la Ciutadella and saw the Cascada, a huge fountain that Antoni Gaudi helped to design. We also grabbed a quick photo op with a nearby mammoth statue.
Our next stop was Museu Picasso. I specifically timed our visit to fall during their once-a-week free admission hours. :) The highlight of this museum was its collection of artwork and sketches from Pablo Picasso's childhood and youth and the great information that it gave about his history and his growth and development as an artist.
From here, we wound through the streets of the old city to the church of Santa Maria del Mar, a 14th century church built in the Catalan-Gothic style and considered by many to be the most beautiful church in the city. We wandered the maze of charming streets in the Barri Gotic (Gothic Quarter), seeing the remains of the old Roman walls that once surrounded Barcelona and the Catedral. After a while, all these old churches start to run together, but the Catedral, built in the 13th to 15th centuries, was still impressive. Thirteen white geese are kept in the cloister, apparently because St. Eulalia (to whom the cathedral is dedicated), was martyred at the age of 13.
Walking on, we came to La Rambla and strolled down it again, all the way to the coast, where I tried (and failed, due to the lighting at that time of day) to get a good picture of the Monument a Colon (Christopher Columbus monument). It was a really nice evening to walk around - beautiful weather, a great temperature. We ate dinner at a tapas restaurant by the sea and then walked along the coast, admiring the sailboats and gigantic yachts, trying to decide if we would rather have a private jet or a private yacht. :)
We still had one more day left in Barcelona . . . hopefully I'll be able to get to that post soon! Funny how much harder it is to keep up with blogging when you're back to working full-time. Once I've finished reporting on our Barcelona trip, I'll give you an update on what Greg has been doing since I've been gone.
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| From Loving the Life We Live |
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