SPAIN DAY 5 - Hanging With The Familia

I wake up, disoriented. Hmmmmmm. Pretty room, lotsa sunshine streaming in through the sheers. Bit foggy. Oh, yea, lotta wine. Spanish wine. Ooooh, I just woke up in Barcelona. That’s nice. Let’s sleep 5 more.

(click on the image to see full size pictures)

An hour later, we wake up and it sticks this time. Pad downstairs to the very lovely patio for caffeine and the Continental. We’ll call yogurt and a Croissant a healthy breakfast, especially if we grab some of those fresh cheeses.

This morning’s adventure is taking us to the Segrada Familia, the huge basilica most famous for perpetually under construction. We have been in dozens and dozens of ancient European churches - every village has one that comes up as “must do” - and of late we’ve taken to avoiding them as they are all running together at this point. We’re making an exception for the Segrada Familia today for two reasons. First, we’re exploring the Eixample neighborhood today and it’s smack dab in the middle of it. And B) it’s nine enormous towers look like giant drip sandcastles visible from virtually everywhere in the city.

Before we go in, our guide explains that since they broke ground in 1882, they have completed 9 towers and have gone through countless contractors, budget busts and papal regimes with each leaving its mark on the project. Not to worry though, as the current contractor says that they will get the final 9 towers done in 4 years. I told Mandy that if I worked for the GC, I’d keep my resume very, very fresh.

Barcelona, and all of Spain for that matter, celebrates their art and artists unlike anywhere we have been. Art is woven into the fabric of everyday life, and the larger-then-life artists are wholly reviled. The Segrada Familia was designed by Antoni Gaudi, a favorite son of Barcelona who combined architecture and art to spearhead the Catalan Modernism movement. Gaudi’s creations dot the city, with the giant church in front of us as the massive exclamation point. We spend time admiring the exterior details before passing through the 30-foot-high doors. The inside was captivating, more airy and brighter (both lighting-wise and less dark-gothic) then traditional European cathedrals.  The ceiling of the main sanctuary is an homage to nature, the massive columns appearing as tree trunks and the highest windows all clear so the net effect when you look up is light filtering through the forest canopy.  The stained glass windows – reds and oranges on one side, blues and greens on the other – suggested sunrise and sunset and flooded the space with color.  If the point of a big church is to suggest the presence of God, the point is well taken. We finish our tour by going to the top of the one of the towers for some birds-eye pix of the city.

We get our bearings out front and head towards Parc de la Ciutadell to check out the Arc de Triomf.  Instead of honoring some epic battle victory, this Arch of Triumph was built as the showy entryway to the 1888 Barcelona Worlds Fair in Ciutadella Park, the fair celebrating the city’s triumphs in art and architecture and building and technology.  Like in Philadelphia’s Fairmont Park, several remnants of the the World’s Fair are well preserved and just as impressive today as they were 130 years ago.  Wandering through the park, we stumble across Castillo do los Tres Dragones (Three Dragons Castle) with one of the most spectacular fountains we have ever seen.  After exploring the castle, we enjoy the perfect weather and wander the park, but our stomachs are starting to grumble.

We head to Mercat Santa Carina, one of the city’s famous markets, this one near the university and more geared towards locals then tourists.  The market was renovated in 2005 and received a wildy undulating roof finished in equally wild colors, another example of fine art being woven into everyday life.  We wander past the rows of fish mongers, spice merchants and farm stands and take seats at Barestaurant L’Univers.  Big glasses of Sangria and we pick some raw veggies and very fresh sardines, a local seafood specialty.  The provisions are put on a very hot flat top grill, doused with copious amounts of the legendary Spanish olive oil and sprinkled with course salt and five minutes later lunch is served.  We enjoy our lunch slowly, taking in the scene and enjoying the afternoon. 

After lunch, we explore El Born, a funky, fashionable neighborhood with offbeat shops and bars in traditionally European historic setting.  We stop in a few shops, our favorite being Soul Lady, a luxury leather shop selling only locally designed and manufactured goods.  We connect with the store and Mandy falls in love with a few pieces, perfect mementos of the trip.  We finish back at the hotel for a leisurely lounge by the rooftop pool, where we are expertly cared for by our Sicilian bartender, Francisco.

Well rested, we head to dinner at Eldiset Wine Bar, a café back in El Born featuring creative takes on classic Catalan tapas plus an excellent selection of craft drinks and vino.  Our server makes excellent recommendations and we continue our study of Spanish wines well into the night.