Before we started on our Barcelona journey, we had one last beautiful night in Zaragoza, marvelling at the sunset from our balcony across the water to the cathedral! It was a lovely end to our stay!

Then it was into Barney for our trip to Barcelona. along with the rain! We stopped at the Monserrat Abby. It was founded in 1025 and rebuilt between the 19th and 20th Century. It’s location, built on the side of Monserrat Mountain gives you spectacular views….unless it’s raining and cloudy…which unfortunately it was for us.

We went up to the Monastery in a cable car which was a bit of fun. We went inside the Basilica because Rhonda particulay wanted to see the Black Madonna. According to legend , in the 9th Century an image of the Virgin was found in a cave by shepherds. She was named La Moreneta due to her dark skin and she became the patroness of Catalonia.

We enjoyed the visit in spite of the weather, and the photo below is what we were hoping to see…….

Barney then got us into THE MIDDLE of Barcelona. We have a great apartment in the Gracia district, more locals than tourists, just what we like!

We went out for dinner in the pouring rain the first night but had a great meal. The white and green asparagus was delicious as was the calamari, the obligatory potatas bravos and the fried chicken . We then finished with a creme catalan. Yum.

We also left our mark on the restaurant wall…..because we were allowed!!!!

The next day the sun was shining thankfully as we had a walking tour booked, “An Introduction to Barcelona Old Town”. It was quite good although Greg thought it was a tad information overload. We learnt the history of Barcelona from the Romans to present day. We wandered through the Gothic Quarter with its narrow medieval streets.

The Pont del Bisbe or Bishop’s Bridge is not as old as it looks, it was actually constructed in the 1920’s but thought it was worth a photo. The Barcelona Cathedral began as a Gothic Church completed in 1488 but its appearance has changed over the Centuries. Our guide told us it is not worth the 14 euro entry fee so we didn’t enter but we did like the gargoyles on the outside, particularly the unicorn.

After our 2 and a half hour walk we needed hydrating so went to the roof top bar opposite the Cathedral for a great view.

Then it was lunch time so we went to a great little rustic bar for their “Meal of the Day”. 18euros per person gave us a 3 course banquet!. The wok veges, cofit chicken, pasta, fish and apple pie. All were delicious!

There is a Pablo Picasso Museum in Barcelona but instead of paying to see his work we opted for viewing one of his free public pieces of art and it stands right in front of the Cathedral.

The Catalan Regional Government building combines Gothic and Renaissance architecture and we had a “manifestation” or demonstration happening in front of the building. Yes they happen everywhere. It was great wandering the streets and rediscovering the Gothic Quarter again after our visit many years ago.

WARNING WARNING WARNING! Heaps of photos to follow!

We were up relatively early the next morning to walk to the famous Sagrada Familia for our guided tour.It is the most iconic symbol of Barcelona and the most visited landmark in all of Spain and of course it’s modernistic architecture was designed by the “Legendary Antoni Gaudi”

It was begun in 1882 and is still unfinished. A “brief history”….In 1883 Gaudi took over as the chief architect of a project that was initiated the year before. He dedicated his life to it until his death in 1926 at the age of 73, sadly being hit by a tram!!!! At the time of his death less than one quarter of the Basilica had been constructed and the work slowed down due to lack of funds and the Spanish Civil War. He did however leave extensive plans and models as he knew it would never be finished in his lifetime.

His work was inspired by nature. The interior towers are inspired by trees and throughout the building you see turtles, sea shells, and fruits. the spires outside are laden with grapes, apples, wheat and oranges.It was hoped that it would be completed by 2026, the 100 year anniversary of his death, however our guide told us it would probably be another 10 years. We think may be longer as the last spire to be completed has a bloody long way to go!

The stained glass windows were magnificent with the sunlight streaming in and reflecting all around. The green and blue symbolising the birth of Christ and the red, yellow and orange the resurrection.

We could go on forever but in a nut shell it is an amazing place both inside and out. Antoni Gaudi was a man born well before his time! He is laid to rest in the crypt of the Sagrada Familia. Thanks Antoni for giving the world such a beautiful place. Words and photos do not do the Sagrada justice, Do yourselves a favour and get over here and have a look for yourself if you don’t believe us. Bloody amazing!

We needed to rest and hydrate and pause for spiritual reflection ( no we just needed to sit and have a drink) after our visit and then made our way to the Hospital St Pau, not because were ill but because it is a UNESCO listed site known as “The Old Hospital”

Due to the donations from a wealthy banker named Pau Gil, in 1902 construction began for a new hospital and it was a fully functioning hospital until 2009. The whole site consists of 27 buildings each of which has stained glass, sculptures, gargoyles and mosaics. It was stunning. The first heart transplant in Spain was performed here in 1984 and Antoni Gaudi died here after his “incident” with the tram.

The ceramics on the walls and ceilings are decorated with leaves and flowers to bring the outside inside for the bed ridden patients. We saw photos of the original operating theatre. They performed operations on 2 tables, maybe a 2 for 1 offer! It was a BIG day of walking almost 20 kms, but what a great day it was!

Today has been our last day in Barcelona and Julie organised a”Gaudi Inspired” day along with a guided tour of the Palau de la Musica Catalan. (The Barcelona Music Hall)

Our first stop of the day was the very colourful La Boqueria Mercato in The Ramblas. It has been a market since 1836. It was fun wandering and seeing all the different stalls of juices, meats, fish and an array of any type of food you could wish for.

We then wandered up the Ramblas to our first Gaudi building, The Casa Batllo, and we just viewed it from the outside. It is considered one of his masterpieces which he renovated between 1904 and 1906, It is known as “the house of bones”. Can you see the skulls and bones?

We then viewed Casa Mila which Gaudi designed for the wealthy Mila Family in 1905.

As we were making our way to the Music Hall, we came across quite a strange site. The Caganer. He is a typical figurine found in Catalkan Nativity scenes dating back to the 18th Century.It is said that through his defecation (shit) the land is fertilized for the following year bringing good luck, joy and good fortune to the family home. So check out the Roberts Christmas tree this year! After checking out Caganer, we needed our daily medication, our glass of vermut!

We then continued onto the Music Hall, UNESCO listed since 1997. Although it is a beautiful building on the outside, the inside was something to behold. It was built between 1905 and 1908. The concert Hall seats 2146 and has a very ornate glass ceiling dome inspired by the sun and the sky.

The pillars on the balcony are all decorated differently with mosaic patterns of roses and other flowers. It was absolutely stunning. We loved it.

Our 2nd last Gaudi stop was Palau Guell, a mansion designed by Gaudi for an Industrial tycoon and built between 1886 and 1888, another UNESCO listed site. The stables in the basement had a great ceiling. There is an ornate staircase leading to lavishly decorated rooms over 3 floors.

However the main reason for us to visit was to see the Chimny Stacks on the roof. They are covered in ceramics and simply outrageous for chimney stacks but it was worth the effort of climbing the stairs to the rooftop.

Our last Gaudi landmark for the tour was actually his first official commission from the Barcelona council in 1879.He designed gas powered lampposts, and they still stand today in Placa Reial. It was a relaxing spot to finish our tour, have a drink and marvel at what a man Antoni Gaudi was, and how he was well before his time. Thanks Julie for organising our Gaudi tour, and now Rhonda needs to find a biography of his life!

So it’s that time again, and after that marathon blog, that means bed time! Hope we haven’t bored you too much! It’s off to Valencia tomorrow for a 3 night stay.

Love to all

Greg, Rhonda and Julie.

xxxx