Bilbao's Guggenheim - a pilgrimage...
Bilbao
was the highlight of our Amsterdam to Barcelona cruise - Frank Gehry's
Guggenheim Museum has been on my bucket list ever since I was bowled
over by his Walt Disney Music Centre in Los Angeles. This trip was for
me a pilgrimage to see the his architectural masterpiece in Bilbao. The
New Yorker had described it as "a fantastic dream ship of undulating
form in a cloak of titanium" - it could have been applied to the L.A.
building as well except this one is bigger and more sensational and has
the environmental advantage of being on the banks of a river. The
inside was also more spectacular than the Disney Music Centre, which was
relatively tame compared to the Guggenheim.
We
were lucky that it turned out to be a beautiful day and the photo ops
were plenty. I was at first disappointed that the bus didn't stop
across the river from the museum to allow for a full frontal shot. So
after we've had a tour of the museum and the old town of Bilbao, we
followed the bus tour back to the ship terminal, then took the bus
shuttle back into town just so I could walk across the river to take
that panoramic shot. Afterall we've come 6,000 kms across the ocean to
see the museum, what's another bus ride back into the city!
As
is typical of art galleries and museums inside architectural
masterpieces, one couldn't help but be distracted by the architecture,
the art almost became secondary (for me at least). There was an
excellent exhibit of Guggenheim masterpieces, including artists like
Mark Rothko, Yves Klein, Andy Warhol, Anselm Kiefer (love his "Land of
the Two Rivers) and Gerhard Richter together with Basque sculptors
Eduardo Chillida and Jorge Orteiza. We also happened upon a temporary
exhibit "The School Of Paris" drawn from the collection of the
Guggenheim in New York - a lot of familiar works that were not
sufficiently unusual to dim the exciting architecture.
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| Dramatic
man-made fog mark the opening hour at the Guggenheim - to add to the
surreal ambiance. Here the panorama was a bit squished because I was
standing directly in front of the building, not far enough for a true
panorama yet dramatic enough for an opening shot. |
"Tall Tree & The Eye" by Anish Kapoor outside the museum
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| The atrium in panorama - Gehry called it the "flower" |
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| Tulips by Jeff Koons on the terrace walkout from the atrium |
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| Richard
Serra's "The Matter of Time" - a sculpture of oxidized steel built for
the main floor gave people who walked through the angled sheets a unique
experience of shifting space and perception, which could be dizzying at
times |
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| Plaza Nueva in the Old Town, a gathering place with many taverns and restaurants in the arcades, and a flea market on Sundays |
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| Streets of Bilbao |
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| A house with very beautiful facade and balconies |
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| Dry goods store in the Old Town |
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| Salted fish store |
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| Painted ceiling on one of the arcaded streets |
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| Interesting store built into the side of a church? |
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| No lack of variety in terms of music on the streets |
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| Add caption |
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| Our first encounter with the pilgrim route in front of this church |
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| This
steel sculpture that reminded me of a thumbprint was in a garden at the
top of the hill overlooking Bilbao, we could get an almost aerial view
of the Guggenheim |
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| Yes, a full view of the museum but it's not the same as a full frontal view! This was why we went back for more. |
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| Came across this interesting footbridge that took us across the river |
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| A late afternoon side profile |
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| The
full frontal view that we came back for. We began and ended the day
with this breathtaking, fantastical piece of architecture. |
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Next stop: Ferrol, Spain for the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella
Labels:
"Tall Tree & The Eye
Santiago de Compostela - another pilgrimage
Posted by
rarecat
at
19:13
Picturesque Porto
We had quite a welcome when the ship docked in Porto - the fireboat did a
display with its waterjets for a good 20 minutes using various
configurations and playful tactics dousing neighbouring boats in the
process. It was a fun way to start a discovery of a colourful, diverse
city, the second largest in Portugal.
Old town Porto was laid out on a hill, a rather steep one and we were
lucky it was a dry sunny day so we did not have to worry about slipping
on steep, often cobblestoned streets. The good thing was there were
always landmarks in view and it was easy to see if you were going in the
right direction. We headed down the hill towards the Ribeira
riverfront where all the action was, visiting the Mercado building and
the stock exchange building on the way.
The Ribeira was lively with some colourful structures and lots of action
on the river. We enjoyed a snack of salted cod cakes at one of the
roadside cafes - how could one not sample this in Portugal?! I have to
confess though, we have had better homemade salted cod cakes here in
Toronto. Having been enticed down the hill by one colourful street
after another, we did not realize how far we had actually gone so it was
quite a climb to get back up the hill to see the Cathedral and back to
our bus pickup point. At some points along the climb, we were the only
people in the rather deserted back streets but it was broad daylight and
at no point did we feel unsafe. Again the good thing was we could
always see our destination and could easily find our way to the
Cathedral keeping twin towers in view. The cloister attached to the
cathedral was very beautiful.
Walking back along the outside of the old town we noticed how much of a
big city Porto really is with pedestrians from different ethnicities
spilling off its sidewalks. It was amazing how different it was from
the old town.
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| First panorama of Porto including the riverfront from a terrace half way down the hill |
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| Welcome waterworks from fireboat |
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| Lush back garden with mural |
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| Colourful balconies |
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| Houses stacked on steep streets |
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| Plaza Infante with the Mercado Ferreira Borges |
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| Mercado Ferreira Borges, a market built in the 19th century although
never really used as one - now a venue for concerts and other events. The iron building was considered as the last tribute to the
iron period in Porto. |
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| Central courtyard of the Palacio da Bolsa (stock exchange building), a fabulous neoclassical structure from the 19th century. |
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| Tram along the waterfront |
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| The River Douro with many boat cruises and other commercial traffic |
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| View of the Ponte Luis I from the Ribeira |
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| It was a nice walk along the Ribeira, lined with picturesque houses |
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| Fresh baked Portuguese tart |
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| Cod cakes |
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| Close up of the Pont Luis I with pedestrian, train and vehicular traffic |
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| Here's an unusual promotion in Portugal - how to use chopsticks! |
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| First of many stairs on the steep climb up to the Cathedral |
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| Panoramic view of Porto from the front terrace of the Cathedral |
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| Cathedral outside and in |
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| Rose window and organ |
The blue-tiled cloisters
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| Looking up the grand avenue to City Hall |
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| The Torre dos Clerigos - baroque granite landmark in Porto from the mid-18th century |
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| The prison turned into Portuguese Center for Photography |
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| Inside the former prison |
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| Another stunning piece of architecture - the new terminal building (architect Luis Pedro Silva) |
Lisbon - charming neighbourhoods
When
we visited Lisbon the first time, we spent a few days there and did the
historical highlights. This time around, since we only have one port
day, we decided to focus on one area of the city that we haven't
explored before - the Alto Bairo district, just a funicular ride up the
hill. It took us a little while to find the funicular as the directions
at the tourist information booth were a little vague and there was no
big sign indicating funicular ahead so we went by blind faith that we
would find it somewhere ahead of us. It turned out it was just a few
blocks beyond the train station with its stunning twin horseshoe
entrances and the funicular took us all the way up to the top.
The
Alto Bairro, a working class neighbourhood established since the 16th
century, together with neighbouring Chiado, were supposed to be very
lively at night with lots of fado clubs, bars and restaurants. It was
very interesting during the day too with its cobbled streets and
colourful facades. At the top of the funicular (Elevator de Gloria) was
a lookout terrace that offered a panoramic view of Lisbon. A short
walk from here took us to the Church of Sâo
Roque, the earliest Jesuit church in Portugal from the 16th century.
It had a plain facade on the outside but the inside was very baroque.
We
wandered around the neighbourhood streets and then into Chiado. The
highlight for me was the Carmo Convent ruins from the 14th and 15th
centuries. The church was considered one of the most beautiful Gothic
temples in Lisbon until the earthquake of 1755 and I could understand
why. Reconstruction started in 1756 but was abandoned in 1834 when the
religious orders were abolished in Portugal, leaving large parts of the
church uncovered and the chapels incomplete. But I found the ruins
spectacular and likely even more so because they were ruins - stripped
of adornment, the pure beauty of the structure stood out in all its
splendour.
Just
next to the convent we discovered the elevator Santa Justa which
offered a viewing platform and a direct descent into downtown Lisbon. A
short walk took us back to Rossio Square where we started off. We
enjoyed the walking tour very much.
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| Lisbon from the harbour |
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| I could still recall these beautiful Lisboan pavements from the last trip |
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| The 19th century Rossio train station with its twin horseshoe entrance (revival of the 16th century Manueline style) |
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| Art deco apartment hotel on the way to the funicular |
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| Toy car? |
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| The Elevator de Gloria saved us a steep climb up to the Alto Bairo |
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| Panoramic view from the terrace beside the funicular stop |
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| The Church of Sâo Roque - 16th century Jesuit church |
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| Beautiful tiled apartments on cobblestoned streets |
The streets of Alto Bairro
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| Look at these colourful building facades! |
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| Entrance of the Carmo Convent |
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| Carmo Convent ruins |
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| The chevet from the old church is now part of the Archaeological Museum |
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| One of the apses in the old church |
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| The view from the viewing platform of the elevator Santa Justa. I am amazed at the size and height of the Carmo Convent. |
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| View of Rossio Square |
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| Looking towards the Castelo de
Sâo Jorge in the distance |
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| The amazing elevator which took us down from the Chiado |
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| Performing for the lunching tourists |
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| Clown getting ready for performance in the square |
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| Rossio Square with the Column of Pedro IV on one side and the fountain on the other with the wavy pavement in between |
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| The impressive Terreiro do Paço |
Next port: Cadiz, Spain
Posted by
rarecat
at
18:03
Cadiz - a Spanish wedding!
Cadiz
was our ninth port since we left Amsterdam and we had been sightseeing
every day. By this time, we had been on the cruise for 10 days without a
single sea day. Not that I'm complaining but it would have been nice
to have a sea day in the middle for a break. Most people used Cadiz as
the hop off point for a tour of Seville but we had been to Seville
before so decided to stay and have a relaxing day in Cadiz - it was also
a very hot day.
Cadiz
is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Spain and one of the
oldest in Europe. We knew we wouldn't be disappointed if we hung around
and just wandered the streets for a few hours. And we were right! It
was a Sunday and also happened to be an important Catholic feast day so
we were
fêted with the
sight of Cadiz' important people in procession down the cobbled
streets. The only negative was we didn't get to go inside the Cathedral
for that same reason. But we figured we'd seen enough Cathedrals for a
while and there would be more in Barcelona, so it was not a huge loss.
We
lucked out again when we hit a small old church around the corner from
the Cathedral. This turned out to be the old Cathedral, the Iglesia
Santa Cruz dating back to the 13th century. A wedding party was on its
way but we were allowed inside. In fact, we could have stayed for the
ceremony as some tourists did. The hosts were very relaxed about who
attended their party even though at least one side was from the military
establishment. I wondered if this was the case everywhere else in
Spain. And what a find that was! Some of the guests were glamorous -
great subjects for some nice shots on their way in and then again on
their way out after the ceremony when we were on our way back from the
ancient Roman amphitheatre. The Spanish wedding made my day!
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| In the Plaza de Espana, the monument
to the 1812 Spanish Constitution with allegorical figures of War,
Peace, Agriculture and Industry. It was significant because Cadiz was
where Spain's first national sovereign assembly took refuge during the
Peninsula War and this was essentially Spain's first constitution. |
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| The narrow streets of Cadiz |
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| Religious procession |
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| The Plaza de la Flores, a rather unusual place to find a statue of the Roman agronomist Columela |
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| The Cathedral |
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| Nice surprise - Henry Moore in Cadiz! This one appropriately named "Knife edge" |
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| Looked great amidst the old stone |
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| Cathedral Plaza Sunday morning (above) and Sunday afternoon (below) |
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| We practically followed these wedding guests to the old Cathedral |
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| Iglesia Santa Cruz used to be the old Cathedral from the 13th century, rebuilt in the 18th |
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| Bridal party arriving |
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| Married! Note how guards stopped the couple from proceeding |
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| Yes, they had to kiss first |
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| then the Champagne |
Some of the wedding party and guests...
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| Mrs. Peacock? |
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| Related? |
After all that excitement, the ancient roman amphitheatre was almost an anti-climax...
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| The tunnel under the theatre |
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| This
amphitheatre (discovered in 1980) likely dated from the 1st century BC
and considered one of the largest ever built in the Roman Empire.
According to Wikipedia, it was one of the few Roman structures mentioned
by classical authors, including Cicero and Strabo. |
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| Houses built around the amphitheatre - this reminded me of the one we saw in Durres, Albania |
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| Spectacular sunset - last one over the Atlantic before we rounded the corner of Europe and entered the Mediterranean |
Finally, a much needed sea day before we hit Barcelona!
Posted by
rarecat
at
17:14
Barcelona - Montserrat and Park Güell
Barcelona!
A place I had wanted to visit for more than twenty years! It was with
great anticipation that I looked forward to visiting it this time at the
end of our 12 day cruise. Our ship docked in the port early in the
morning and since it's to early to check in at the hotel, we took a
small group tour to Montserrat and Park Güell. The driver also took us
on a quick tour around the waterfront and up to Montjuïc to see the panoramic view of the city before we headed out to Montserrat.
Montserrat
with its spectacular mountain backdrop was awe-inspiring. We had
planned our visit to coincide with the boys' choir concert at 1 pm but
the church was way too crowded before it was even time for the concert,
literally packed from door to door, with hardly room to allow people to
leave if they wanted to. It became more of a spectacle than a spiritual
experience.
We
returned to the city and visited Park Güell, another crowd experience
and one almost had to learn to be skilled crowd dodgers, with practice,
to survive and claim a right to enjoy this magnificent piece of art
without always having someone posing in front of it. It was a challenge
but lesson learned - visit first thing in the morning or put up with
the crowds - and we got very good at it, as there were crowds everywhere
in Barcelona. According to the word on the street, Barcelona was
experiencing an unprecedented influx of tourists because of the fear of
terrorism in the other parts of Europe. And of course, it was also
thanks to the many cruise ships that either started or ended in
Barcelona throughout most of the year. I knew it would not be our last
visit so we did not rush to see everything in the four days that we were
there.
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| Panorama from Montjuïc,
the hill in Barcelona with the Olympic stadium and a couple of art
museums, including the Joan Miro collection and the Catalan Art Museum,
neither of which we got to see - but one had to leave some good stuff
for another visit! |
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| Sculpture depicting Catalan national dance the "Sardana" |
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| Barcelona Face sculpture by Roy Lichtenstein at the old port |
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| Montserrat was an hour's drive out of Barcelona - these mountains are over 4,000 ft. high with trails right to the top |
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| The
Benedictine abbey and the church Santa Maria de Monserrate, reachable
by road, cable car, or rack railway - and of course, by hiking trail! |
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| The trail and the rack railway |
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| Inside the Santa Maria |
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| The loggia between the church and the abbey |
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| Arthurian myth? |
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| Boys' choir in concert |
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| Park Güell entrance |
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| Gaudi built this as the Porter's Lodge of the estate - this is now the Barcelona History Museum |
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| The "monumental" flight of steps up the Hypostyle or Columns Room |
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| The star attraction here is the dragon - absolutely everyone must have a photo with it! |
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| Uncluttered view |
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| Detail beside the stairs |
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| Ceiling
of the Hypostyle Room - the room has 86 columns - directly above this
is the ceramic undulating bench of the upper square |
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| This was quite a photographic feat - finding a patch with no one sitting on it! |
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| The gardens |
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| The outside of the Hypostyle Room |
Dinner
tonight at a Basque tavern, with a nice surprise on the menu, was a
great way to wrap up our first day in this great city! Please visit Foodsparks to read more about the meal.
Posted by
rarecat
at
19:40
Barcelona - Gaudi Casas
We
spent our second day in Barcelona in the Eixample, walking the Passeig
de Gracie between the Gaudi casas and exploring the adjoining
neighbourhood. We visited La Pedrera (Casa Mila) in the morning and
Casa Batllo in the afternoon (online tickets are a must) with a three
and a half hour lunch at Disfrutar in between. If you are interested in
the exceptional 20 course food experience at this Michelin starred
restaurant, please visit my food blog Foodsparks.
La
Pedrera, described as a "petrified wave" and built at the height of
Gaudi's career, was jaw-dropping amazing. We spent three hours there
without realizing the time passing because there was something to see
around every corner. We started at the unusual roof terrace with its
dynamic forms, artistic yet functional and which inspired the figures in
Star Wars. Then we entered the attic where we marvel at one of the gems
of Gaudi's architectural creations - the 270 beautiful brick arches and
the exhibition on Gaudi's life and work. The apartments brought us back
to daily life in the early 20th century and how Gaudi designed for it.
By
the time we got to Casa Batlló after a long lunch, we were tired but it
didn't dampen our enthusiasm for the beautiful interior of this
remarkable house. I loved the many curves and arches that made up its
stairs, walls and ceilings. The rooftop was on a much smaller scale
than La Pedrera but still the same fascinating symbolic sculptures, this
time reminiscent of the dragon and St. George.
It
was a great day in the Eixample, with its many high-end shops
established in old houses, we enjoyed the fascinating mix of
architectural styles and streetscapes.
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| La Predrera |
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| The internal courtyard |
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| Roof terrace of La Perdrera |
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| Rooftop sculptures were all functional elements |
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| Beautiful brick catenary arches in the attic |
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| Inside the apartments |
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| Tile detail |
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| The colour glazed internal facade |
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| Lobby ceiling and front entrance |
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| Casa Batlló |
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| More curves! |
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| Fireplace and chimney on the main floor |
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| The front window |
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| Whirlpool on the ceiling of the main room |
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| Skylight |
Attic corridor and attic with catenary arches
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| Staircase to the rooftop |
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| The dragon |
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| Staircase from the lobby |
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| Passeig de Gracie |
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| Plaça de Catalunya |
Barcelona - Sagrada Familia
I
have been warned by more than one person not to expect too much from
the Sagrada Familia, a few even suggested that it's not worth the lineup
or jostling with the crowds. I have met at least one couple who was in
Barcelona several times but never went to the Sagrada Familia for those
very reasons - they visited the casas instead. I have to say while the
casas are interesting architecturally, they have nothing like the
ambiance or the grandeur of the Sagrada Familia. I
am certainly very glad I visited (with my online ticket)! Gaudi's
masterpiece was worthy of all the hype. While the outside was a little
bizarre in places, the inside was phenomenal! I was completely
awe-struck and dumbfounded.
The
temple was light-filled and uplifting - emanating a sense of
effervescent joy that was not often seen in cathedrals. Entering
through the Nativity facade and walking through the temple was like
walking through a forest, celebrating nature in its many manifestations.
The Passion facade, done by sculptor Josep Maria Subirachs, was in a
completely different tone but the sculptures were very powerful as you
can see below.
Yes,
the site was crowded but most of the time the visitor would be looking
up anyway, so it did not bother me. I had less trouble taking photos
here than I did at Park Güell!
So if you are debating whether to visit or not, please don't miss this
stunning Gaudi creation. To find out more about the history and the
architecture, visit the official site - there is some interesting background information there.
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| While waiting for our turn to enter, we stumbled upon this reflecting pool in the park across the street from the basilica |
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| The Nativity facade of the Sagrada Familia |
Closeup of scenes from the Nativity façade
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| The view upon entering |
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| The vault with Gaudi's catenary arches, each column a tree with branches, each branch supporting a part of the vaulting |
Sculptor Subirach's bronze doors with the "Our Father" in Catalan at the exit to the Passion Façade
I found the sculptures in the Passion Facade very powerful - Subirach's style was in stark contrast to Gaudi's
The
"screwdriver" spiral staircase. According to the iconography of Gaudi,
helicoids (spirals) represent the rising movement that links the earth
with heaven.
The beautiful organ
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Sculpture of St. George above the Senior Portal |
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| Portal of Chairty bronze door installed in 2014, created by Japanese sculptor Etsuro Sotoo, inspired by nature, like the rest of Gaudi's Nativity façade |
We
spent the morning at the temple and then proceeded to the Sant Pau
hospital a short walk down the shady boulevard Avenue de Gaudi - also a
great place for lunch. More in the next post on the Hospital and the
Palau de la Muscica Catalana, both designed by architect Lluis Dominech i
Montaner. Barcelona is a treasure trove!
Posted by
rarecat
at
20:02
Barcelona - Hospital de Sant Pau and the Palau de la Musica
The
Hospital de Sant Pau and the Palau de la Musica Catalana, both created
by architect Lluis Domenech i Montaner in the Art Nouveau style of his
time, are great artistic and cultural treasures not to be missed in
Barcelona. The Hospital was a short walk from the Sagrada Familia but
had far fewer visitors so it was the perfect place to escape from the
crowds in and around the basilica. It was a peaceful haven and built
with that idea in mind. The hospital complex was built as an independent
isolated site, "a city within a city", with an area of 145 square metre
per patient, including the landscaped grounds - a concept unheard of at
the time (1930). The complex was made up of 27 pavilions (16 were
modernista), each with a specific medical specialty and linked to each
other through underground galleries.
Materials
chosen were the best, including brick, colourful clay tiles, glazed
ceramic or decorated stone, ceramic mosaic, wood, marble, glass, metal
and iron, to create pleasant natural surroundings for the patients. Not
just functional, the hospital was a work of art. You can see from the
photos below what an exceptional hospital environment this was.
The
Palau de la Musica Catalan was not just an architectural jewel, it was
also a "symbolic emotional heritage" for the people of Catalonia. The
building brought together all the decorative arts: sculpture, mosaic,
stained glass and ironwork. Guided tours were offered but we purchased
advanced tickets for a concert at the Palau to fully experience the
venue. We lucked out as the week that we were in Barcelona, there
happened also to be a concert commemorating the 50th anniversary of
Habaneras in Calella (a seaside town near Barcelona). We enjoyed an
evening of lovely singing and also participated in a bit of
nationalistic expression - everyone was given white kerchiefs to wave
along with the choirs on stage for the grand finale. Lots of fun even
though we have yet to figure out what the white kerchief signified
although it was clearly an expression of support to wave it together!
I
am also happy to report that despite all the warnings of thefts and
pickpockets in the city, we were able to walk back unmolested to our
hotel from the Palau after the concert. We felt safe because there were
lots of people on the street at night - of course, we were also
lucky...
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| The
front of the Hospital de Sant Pau faced the Avenue de Gaudi, a straight
line to the Sagrada Familia. The photo below is a view of the Sagrada
Familia through the front portal of the Administrative Pavillion, framed
by the reflection of another building in the portal glass. |
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| We entered through the basement - these were the decorated steps leading to the upper level |
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Beautifully
kept gardens were part of the planned concept - a new one at the time
since open-air areas for patients' enjoyment and wellbeing were regarded
then as unnecessary. Here the architect designed two gardens per
pavilion. The plants and trees served the purpose of purifying the air
and also modifying the weather.
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Beautifully decorated pavilions
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| The magnificent foyer of the Administration Pavilion and the stained glass cupola over the stairs (below) |
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| The
Dominech i Montaner Room, formerly the main hall of the hospital:
convergence of a host of artistic disciplines - architecture, sculpture,
stained glass, mosaic, ceramics and painting |
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| The Palau de la Musica Catalana |
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| Beethoven frowning down upon the street |
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| The grand stairs in the foyer |
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Stained glass everywhere |
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| Lluis Millet Hall - the double colonnaded balcony could be seen through the stained glass windows |
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| The main concert auditorium |
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| The skylight in the auditorium portraying the sun |
Mosaic covered columns
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| Waving the kerchief with the performers at the concert celebrating the 50th anniversary of Habaneras in Calella |
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| Customers waiting to get in to Tosca, just across the street from the Palau, as we were leaving the concert - we had great tapas here before the show. |
Posted by
rarecat
at
20:32
Barcelona - Old town
Our
first three days in Barcelona, we were confined by schedules for the
different venues, so it was a great relief to not have a schedule on the
last day and we were free to wander around the old towns, Barri Gotic
and El Born, stopping when we wanted to. It was also our first chance
to really see the much hyped Ramblas. The star attraction was La
Boqueria, the indoor market with its beautifully laid out stalls.
We
wandered over to the Cathedral as it was free only in the morning and
discovered another Holy Gate to walk through - this trip had unwittingly
turned into quite a pilgrimage! We walked through the impressive Plaça
del Rei with its medieval buildings and also found the Roman ruins
inside a courtyard surrounded by modern apartments.
We
made it to the gorgeous Santa Maria del Mar church while it was still
free and had time to admire its unique Catalan Gothic style. The church
staff was in the midst of raising a huge wooden cross above the altar
which added to its ambiance. The Picasso Museum, located in five
medieval town houses, took up the rest of the afternoon although by that
time, we were "museum-ed" out and the collection, comprising mainly of
his early works, required patience.
We were finally able to spend some time people watching as we sat in the Plaça del Pi
for an early supper while there was still enough light to see. We were
hugely entertained by a clown who was absolutely hilarious, so
outrageous were his people imitations. We lucked out once again as we
wandered back to our hotel we came upon the beautiful Santa Maria del Pi
Church which happened to be open because of a concert rehearsal. It
was wonderful to actually see what Catalan Gothic meant in the unusually
wide nave of the church, 54 ft of unsupported unreinforced stonework
(apparently one third of its length). It was a great way to wrap up our
visit to this amazing city.
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| Inside the market La Boqueria - it was not only the huge selection of goods but also how carefully they were arranged |
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| Santa Caterina Market in El Born was not as colourful |
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| The Cathedral - designated "Holy Door" on the right |
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| The vast nave inside the cathedral |
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| The famous geese inside the cloister |
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| The medieval Plaça del Rei |
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| Remains of the Roman temple from the first century B.C. |
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| The narrow stone streets were great acoustic venues for street musicians |
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| Collection of water fountains |
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| Lone animal activist spread out in front of the church |
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| Santa Maria del Mar - Catalan Gothic from the 14th century |
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| Beautiful rose window |
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| Raising of the crucifix |
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| The Picasso Museum located in five medieval townhouses |
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| Entertainment in the Plaça del Pi |
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| Santa Maria del Pi with its extra wide nave |
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| The Ramblas at night |
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This wraps up our Amsterdam-Barcelona trip. Watch out for posts on our next trip to Iguassu Falls and Patagonia.
Posted by
rarecat
at
19:26
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