Sagrada Familia, the Gaudi Cathedral

Gaudi's architecture was influenced by nature as reflected by his use of curved stones, twisted iron sculptures, and organic-like forms, all traits of Gaudi's Barcelona architecture. Visit the Cantabrian Mountains near San Sebastian to find natural formations which inspired Gaudi's work.

The cathedral was 44 years in the making and was unfinished at the time of Gaudi's death in 1926. It is referred to as the Sagreda Familia, Sacred Family, or sometimes as the Unfinished Cathedral.



Barcelona is peppered with his works, and when walking you are likely to come across one of his surrealistic architectural interpretations.

There is also a park in the north part of the city where Gaudi lived that is devoted to his architecture.

futbol

Nothing makes Will so happy as a soccer game. In Valencia and in Barcelona, Will was able to get into some street soccer games. There is no language barrier where there is a soccer ball.

His second biggest thrill was a visit to the Real Madrid soccer stadium and then the one in Barcelona.

The TV is 24 - 7 soccer, so Will is in soccer heaven.

the princess

Honestly, there is so much to see in Barcelona, that I have had very little time to say anything about the Hotel Princess, which we have been staying in for the last two days. The hotel is located off the Ronda Litorial at the intersection of the Diagonal, so it is easy to find. The best time to stay here is on the weekend when you can get a rate of 80 euros, after that it is the standard 130 euros.

Well, you get what you pay for, and then sometimes a little more. There is a spectacular view of the Mediterranean from our room. It is not, and this is important, in a tourist area, but rather it is right by the beach and close to the Metro so that you can get anywhere.

The staff was ever so helpful in recommending a great restaurant, el Asador de Aranda, where Will and I had the best lamb in a Moorish inspired building.

La Rambla, Barcelona

All tourists in Barcelona and a few locals, converge on La Rambla, a street, or more properly a series of streets, off the Plaza Catalonia - in Catalonian, Placa Catalunya. If you are looking for "what to do" in Barcelona on a Satruday night, this is the place with its vendors of exotic pets and varied choice of street performers.

Just off of La Rambla is the Barcelona market which is a must see on any day but Sunday.

la boqueria

Barcelona's best known merkt or mercado, is located off la Rambla, in the heart of downtown Barcelona. A visit to la Rambla is itself an adventure on a Saturday night - thousands of tourists walking this way and that, more than a few pick pockets, and so many street performers. But, it was the market that we came for, since it is closed on Sunday, and we were not disappointed.



There is everything for the palate: fish, cheese, meat, eggs, fruit, vegetables, spices, wines, and then there are the bars and restaurants where one can take their selections and have them prepared.


This market is not for the faint of heart. Be prepared to see rabbits and chickens skinned and displayed with head, feet, and torso. Then, there are the cow's tongues and intestines.


Give yourself plenty of time to take it all in, and, of course, plan to eat your selections at the market itself.

la asador de aranda

The reservation for dinner at la Asador de Aranda was for nine thirty. We were late as the taxi went up the hill of the fashionable Avenida Tibidado.

The taxi ride was long and for a moment we despaired, thinking that the driver had gotten the address wrong, or that the helpful hotel clerk, Veronica, had sent us off on a quest for something not as fine as we had anticipated. Then, the taxi pulled off into a side street and there rising above us was a vision of a Moorish inspired building brightly lit in the dark night.


We climbed the colorfully tilled floors of the restaurant and eyed the arched windows and timbered ceilings.

The hostess greeted us with a smile, and offered us the choice of sitting inside in the beautiful dining room or outside on the patio in the coolness of the night air. Each choice being equally as fine, we chose the patio where we were seated under an old bouganvilla vine.


For a first timer at the restaurant, the only meal to get is the house recommended dinner which consists of an appetizer plate of Spanish meats, a main course of baby lamb on the bone, and a desert of sweet Spanish liquor and a pastry.

Dining in Spain is a leisurely activity. One is seated and you talk. The waiter only comes after you have had a chance to gather yourself and admire the surroundings.

Patience is a virtue and should be practiced. Drinks come with the meal and not before as is the American custom. The servings are generous by anyone's standards and come only when the first course is completed and not one on top of the other, as so often happens in America.

Our lamb was cooked to perfection. The meat fell from the bone. The salty and sweet juice of the lamb dripped from each forkful. The desert liquor had the taste of licorice. The pastry reminded me of a Napolean.

Is it possible that each restaurant can be better than the one before.

La Asador de Aranda.