Barcelona in a whirlwind...

The 1992 Olympics spurred Barcelona to revitalize everything, including building a beachfront. Apparently, the palm trees were flown in from Hawaii and the sand for the beaches was brought from Eygpt. It all adds up to an amazing city with way too much to do - I love it.

Bullfighting is much less of a draw in Barcelona - Catalonians aren't huge fans of it. Instead, they appreciate the donkey for it's steady strength and perseverance. Their main 'cultural performance' is the Human Castle.







The streets of Barcelona's Barri-Gotic are wider at the base and get progressively more narrow - something about best use of space for traffic. It's also a good hint as to whether you're close to a main street when you're lost ha.



Antoni Gaudi's favourite church - apparently he never missed a sunday service. They used to hold executions here during the civil war, evidenced by the pock marks along the walls...




The is the courtyard of the Barcelona City Archives.




Placa Sant Just and the oldest source of water in the city.


Gothic church I can't remember the name of...


This is where Picasso had his very first exhibition - the most prestigious gallery in the city.



Some of the stones in this wall were taken from the Jewish Quater - you can still see the Hebrew inscribed in them.


Strangely, the School of Architecture is the ugliest building I've seen here.

But those scribblings prominently displayed there? Yeah, that's Picasso. I heard he scribbled these to tease a well-known artist friend (I think it was Joan Miro, but I can't quite remember).

Apparently Picasso grabbed the nearest napkin or piece of paper, saying "You want a Joan Miro?...there, you have a Joan Miro" and cast it away to be picked up by someone who obviously kept it.



One of the coolest things I heard is about Placa de George Orwell (I went there but no pics, sorry). It was named after him to memorialize his support for Catalonia during the civil war. It was more recently nick-named Placa Trippy because it was the preferred spot for druggies to gather at night.

Ironically, it was the first square in Barcelona to have security cameras installed (1991).


You never know when you'll be strolling down the street and come across a giant black boy-cat statue...

Why do I assume it's a boy, you ask?


Proportionally they're not that impressive (his bell is twice the size), but someone took the time to mold those balls, specially for this-here kitty.



Ah the Dali Museum. Favourite museum so far, hands down.




The Image Disappears, 1938


Portrait of Pablo Picasso in the Twenty-First Century
(One of a Series of Portraits of Geniuses), 1947


Inaugural Gooseflesh, 1928

Best. Title Ever.

Self-Portrait with "L'Humanite", 1923


Soft Self Portrait with Grilled Bacon, 1941

No wait, this is the best title ever...

Not sure of the title of this one, but to get an idea of scale, see the tiny little white spec in the bottom left corner? That's some guy's very obvious toupee.


Untitled Nude, 1974


Dematerialization Near the Hose of Nero, 1947



Also not sure of the title for this one but after seeing some of the paintings at the Prado with this sacred breast-milk theme, I'm far more delighted with Dali's version.


The Pearl, After the Infanta Margarita by Velazquez, 1981

Same goes for this one - the actual Velazquez is less interesting. But who am I to judge fine art.



I absolutely love this one.


Untitled Male Nude Standing (unfinished), c. 1938-39


"CUANT CAU, CAU". When It Falls Down, It Falls Down, 1972-72


Untitled Nude, 1974


Bal Onirique, c. 1934

I went to most of Antoni Gaudi's places but I only went into the Sagrada Familia - with long lines and expensive admissions, I had to be a bit choosy.

This is Palau Guell, his first - an extension of his parents' house (1889):


This is Casa Mila de Pedrera (1912):


The most amazing exterior - Casa Battlo (1877):


The Sagrada Familia is pretty much monumental. After over 40 years of working on it, he was struck my a tram (he actually had a lifelong phobia or trams - go figure) in 1926 and because he had been living as a hermit for years while concentrating on this masterpiece, he looked poor and no one recognized him. Finally someone took him to the poor hospital where he died three days later. His close friends knew that something was wrong when he didn't show up at his favourite church one sunday. It's scheduled to be completed in 2026.










A lot of the interior is covered in cloth while the construction continues but this place is grand.

There are columns made of red porphyr from Yaza Iran, sandstone from Montjuic, Barcelona and granite from Orrius-Ull de Serp, Valles Oriental.

The facade is basalt from Castellfollit de la Roca, Garota - as are the cornices - and limestone from La Floresta.

The interior facade is limestone from Calafell Baix Penedes, Tarragona.

The buttresses and nativity foundation are made of sandstone from Garraf, Barcelona.

There are sculptures carved out of Limestone from La Floresta, Guatemala and roman travertine from Bagni de Tivoli.

The arches are limestone from Sant Vicenc de Castellet.

The Crypt and staircases are marble from Baix Ebre, Tarragona.

The choir stalls are white crystal granite from Cadalso de los Vidrios, Madrid.

There are doves carved from white marble from Macael, Almeria.

And they're not even finished...


This is Parc Guell - a kind of architectural complex designed by Gaudi (1900-1914):

It was crazy busy, but very very cool.













This is the largest market in Europe, and apparently one of the greatest in the world. It's on La Rambla where not only do street vendors sell flowers and souvenirs but goldfish, birds, roosters and chickens, lizards and who knows what else.


This is another smaller market I just stumbled across that reminded me so much of St.Lawrence that I had to sneak a pic.


This is the Temple D'August, where a few roman columns are still standing. It used to be the highest point of the city - where artistocrats prefer to be. There is a little oval plaque to the right of the entrance that says "Mont Taber 16.9 M", above sea level that is.







One of the coolest things I heard is about Placa de George Orwell - named after him to memorialize his support for Catalonia during the civil war. It was more recently nick-named Placa Trippy because it was the preferred spot for druggies to gather at night.

Ironically, it was the first square in Barcelona to have security cameras installed (1991).


After all this ancient history, I was in need of some contemporary stuff so I headed to the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Center for Contemporary Culture for a few art exhibits. I'm so glad I did - it was a welcome return to the familiar: images, ideas, provocations, art.

I think Jose Luis Guerin's La Mujeres Que No Conocemos was my favourite, only because of the potency of the images and text, a lot which stuck in my head:

Testimony of a revelation...hardly a trace of light...

So alas... I sometimes go searching, lady, as far as is possible in others, for the true desired form of you...

A promise, another. I witness with uncertainty the revelation of an identity.


Oooh I also went to the Museu de la Xocolata.
The Aztecs used cocoa beans for currency: slaves cost one hundred beans, but for ten beans you could get a rabbit or the favours of a prostitute - hmmm, it's a toss up...


Like a grand finale to my time in Barcelona, the Magic Fountain at Parc Montjuic.
It sings, it metaphorically dance, it does the whole sha-bang...pretty mesmerizing actually.




I took some video of the classical-music part - the spanish guitar is pretty nice. For a while there it was rockin out to some pop/hip-hop. Pretty versatile...for a fountain.



Speaking of music, I keep hearing that freakin Timbaland song "Apologize" all the time.
I think the wave of its popularity is following me across Spain, perpetually at it's peak wherever I happen to be...


So - that's it for Spain. What did I learn? Let's see...

* Flamenco is closely associated with blacksmithing (?)

* Old Japanese women will literally push you out of the way to get two feet closer to a painting.

* A free bottom sheet does not necessarily mean you won't be charged 3 Euros each for a top sheet and a blanket.

* I can sleep quite comfortably without at blanket - righteous indignation can keep me toasty warm all night long (along with my own sheet).

* Bus drivers that don't speak english have no problem singing along perfectly with The Stones and Bon Jovi.

* When the french part of the menu says "Filet a Aoili" it might just turn out to be a plate full of thinly sliced, well done meat with whole, watery, raw garlic gloves on top. That's it. For 9 Euros.

* Some hostels think stale croissants and thawed donuts constitute a breakfast to brag about. For one pre-germanic-viking-looking guy, literally twice the size of me, it was almost an atrocity. The sight of this puny-by-comparison donut in his hand might have been amusing were it not for the look of sad disappointment mixed with escalating fury in his eyes.

* I am indeed a creature of comfort. These matresses suck. Except for the one in Cartajima. I need a massage!

Now, for those of you who know me well, you're aware of my long-time fascination with Malta and Gozo. I intend to walk the entire way through those islands in the next week. Yay :)