Ella and I were outside the gate of Park Güell waiting for our guide to show up when we were distracted by the loud screech-chattering of birds up in the drooping leaves of the short palm trees. We aimed our cellphones and caught two green parakeets working on their nest. What a beautiful bird, we thought,…
Walking Gaudi’s park
Post by Ella It seems one can’t walk more than a block in Barcelona without seeing reference to the famous Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi (1852 – 1926). Known as a Catalan modernist, his style is distinctive. Yesterday we headed to the hills to explore Park Güell, a park designed by Gaudi in 1900. We opted out…
Homage to Catalunya
The Museu National d’Art de Catalunya had quite a lead up with an avenue of decorated steps rising to the terraced columnar entrance below its dome. The approach was a cross between Versailles and Monte Carlo. The museum had the size of one of Chicago’s Columbian Exposition buildings. Inside it was sectioned off into four large gallery…
Hey Marc
Post by Ella For my maritime loving cousin.
My favorites, Picasso and Catalunya
Post by Ella Grubb is doing separate posts on the Museum Picasso and the Catalunya museum Here are a few of my favorites.
Pablo in Barcelona
Today (Saturday) was a different story when it came to wandering the streets of Barcelona. There was breathing room to the boulevards and back alleys. It was like a stadium full of people had been dispersed through a multiplicity of exits and spread out. We paused at a building designed by Gaudi where a crowd was waiting…
Ambling for discordant art
Post by Ella We made a pact that we weren’t going to push it here in Barcelona. The city is rich in art and architecture, food and drink, and like any big city, full of contrasting cultures. We thought, just relax. Walk. Look. Smell. We’d booked advance tickets for the Picasso Museum today at 3:00…
La Rambla
Getting off the Blah Blah bus in Barcelona was like waking up from a medieval dream and finding myself in Buenos Aires. A big busy city where the high stone apartments shadowed the streets. A lot of people were out marching at a quick pace. After we checked in the fifth floor apartment with our Ukrainian host,…
Lunch at Soma, Barcelona
Post by Ella A small restaurant serving small dishes. All divine. Cured anchovies and bread with tomato Crunchy risotto biscuits with olives, aioli, kale and honey Sautéed mushrooms with chestnuts and topinambur cream Roasted eggplant with burrata, sun-dried tomato and almond pesto Croaker in coconut and dill jus
Barcelona first photos
Post by Ella Yesterday, after arrival and check in, we headed for the Gothic Quarter which abuts a bay on the Balearic Sea. We are staying in the neighborhood Eixample. Straight down our boulevard to La Rambla where we joined mobs headed towards Rambla de Mar. I was unrealistically hoping that the crowds had died…
The BlaBlaBus to Barcelona
Post by Ella Our journey started in the dark, frozen air. It was 1°C which is about 34°F. I’d made a deal with our talkative Tesla Uber driver, Dominique, to give us a ride to our bus stop. At 5:45am, we were trundling our luggage down cobblestone steps to the dirt path that followed the…
Medieval matryoshka
We trooped out the Aude gate of Cité Carcassonne this morning. Then took a steep path down to the walking bridge spanning the Aude River. We were headed towards the Bastide Saint-Louis, a section of the old city settled around 1260 by Cathar citizens expelled from their homes in the fortress where we were currently…
Gargoyles
Post by Ella Carcassonne has the Bastid (old city) and the Cité, the medieval village). We are staying within the ramparts of the Cité but it is an easy walk down off the hill and across an old bridge into the bastid. We spied the Cathedral Saint Michel from the ramparts of the Cité. And…
Taking a poll
Post by Ella Grubb says “hey look, another carousel” “You’re kidding, right?” No, he wasn’t. I say NO. What do you say? And how about this? Reindeer going on a track, like a train? Grubb says yes, I say no.
Another cosy French meal
Post by Ella Dinner last night (Thursday) was cassoulet. It’s a big thing here in Carcassonne. Every restaurant menu has at least one cassoulet on its menu. I might have mentioned before, a cassoulet is a rich, slow cooked stew. A medley of meats (sausage, mutton, pork and goose are the classic combo) and haricot…