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| Leaving Madrid |
At Atocha, Madrid´s main station for the high speed AVE trains, we boarded a beautifully clean and quiet coach for a three hour trip across northeastern Spain to Barcelona. Atocha will be remembered always here when on March 11, 2004 Islamist extremists planted bombs in four commuter trains, both in the station and close by, that killed 191 people and wounded over 1700. But it was a clear and sunny day, with little signs of the past other than increased security when we left Madrid and we were soon reaching speeds of over 300km, arriving exactly on shedule at the Sants terminal. Barcelona was warmer than Madrid and we shed our coats for the first time as we made our way to the hotel Balmoral in the heart of the tourist and
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| 300 km\hr! |
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| Marie in front of Hotel Balmoral, via Augusta, Barcelona |
commercial district of the city.
After refreshing up Marie and I headed down av Diagonal, the main east-west avenue in Barcelona, towards the Sagrada Familia. It was a forty minute walk past shops and cafes that crowded every corner and back alley and it wasn´t long before we could see ahead of us the masterpiece of Antoni Gaudi.
Mixing architecture and nature in the most spectacular and imaginative way the Basilica has been rising slowly since 1882 and is still under construction. This was made obvious by the forest of cranes towering over the site but they could not distract from what is now the most visited attraction in Spain. Words cannot describe the first sight of this amazing monument and Marie and I stood silent for many minutes as we looked up at the eight spires and the facade. We would be back later in the week to tour the inside as the lines queuing to enter were too daunting after travelling that day.
The next day we wandered about the city, taking the metro to the old port (Port Vell) and strolling alonside the piers. I put my feet in the sea to cool off; both of us got sunburns and retreated to the shady side of the streets whenever we could the rest of the day. On the Porta de Pau square we came across one of the best known symbols of Barcelona - the Monument to Christopher Columbus (that´s Cristobol Colon in Catalan). He stands at the top arm outstretched pointing out west and to the Americas. We went to the Gothic quarter, one of the oldest parts of the city where you can still see Roman influences everywhere in the narrow streets, and then into the cathedral of Santa Eulalia. Afterwards we made our way to one of the most mythical streets of the city, Carrer Montcada, lined with tiny shops, sumptuous palaces and mediavel architecture. Here we found the Picasso Museum which unfortuneately had a line up of 2 hours and again a daunting prospect in the hot sun. But restaurants and Catalan food awaited.
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| Barcelona Cathedral |
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| Christopher Columbus |
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| The Old Port |
We walked to the Sagrada Familia our last full day in the city and after an hour or so in the line we joined the throng of tourists who come all over the world to wonder at this awesome, or awful, depending on your point of view, church. Hemingway incidentally thought it ugly, but for me, after Canterbury cathedral, the most beautiful I have seen. And the only one that I have seen still under construction! And since 1882, except for a brief time during the Spanish Civil War when parts of it were damaged, this place has been a beehive of masons, stonecutters, carpenters and sculptors all trying to finish, in their own lifetimes, a small piece of the dream of Antonio Gaudi and those who took up the torch after his death in 1926. And it continues today. And tomorrow. And for another half century. Perhaps my grandchildren will be able to look up at this magnificent human endeavor to the glory of God and be as humbled as I was...
After Madrid we found Barcelona to be rowdy and dirty, energetic and ready to party. But we couldn´t leave until we stopped in on Cerra Reina Cristina, and found La Champanyeria, a tiny and crowded Barcelonian cafe Fernanda had insisted we visit. Here you stand shoulder to shoulder with dozens of other clients reaching for a glass of Rosat and manchego cheese and their delicious sandwiches, the babble of Spanish fading as the bubbly fills you with the very essence of this city on the Mediterranean. (I noticed the camera was set to show 2012 instead of 2014 but changed it finally. We were not here 2 years ago!)
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| Old port and beach |
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| Outside Museo Picasso |
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| Arc de Triomphe, Barcelona |
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| La Champanyeria |
Our next stop after Barcelona is Montpellier in southern France. We will take a train along the coast and stay in a tiny studio apartment for a few days. I'm looking forward to some French wine and more great food! See you there!
Gws
