Placa Espanya on our way to Montjuic. Montjuis has been used for ceremonis and recreation for centuries; the earliest iberian communities settled on the hill and the Romans performed rituals on the hill. More recently, Montjuic hosted the 1929 International Exhibition and the 1992 Summer Olympics. These events left a legacy of sports venues and art installations that have been developed over the years.
Caixa Forum, once a textile factory, and now a social and cultural center.
Going up to the Palau National (museum)
Fountains on the way up
Cascadng fountains
La Font Magica - Built in 1929, this is the largest fountain in Barcelona and supposedly spectacular by day, but at night it comes alive when the fountain erupts with mkusic, light and ancing water. Alas it is presently closed, either for repair or for the winter, we are not sure. Hopefully, we will see it before we leave the city.
Steps and escalators leading up to the Museum. I am developing a deep and abiding love for escalators.
At the top overlooking the City
a little coffee break in front of the Museum
Another day we tried to visit the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau. It was a hospital and could not be seen easily by the casual visitor until recently. In 209 the medical facilities were move to a new complex. It was designed as a community for those suffering from plagues and contagious diseases. The consept was for a group of individual red brick pavilian-wards connected by a network of underground tunnels to enable staff to move patients around easily. The buildings are being restored to their former architectual glory and we look forward to going back to see them.
Since the hospital was closed we walked down a pedestrian street towards the Sagrad Familia
and then took the metro into the El Born area, a warren of narrow streets and home of the Picasso Museum. A market
where we found groups of costumed people and musical groups gathering for what we later saw as a Carnival Parade (just like New Orleans). Well maybe not quite as elaborate
Another day another stroll into EL Born and we came across the Petit Palau, another Gaudi building
Coffee at the Cafes El Magnifico - Rick Steves said best coffee in town - they roast and grind their own beans
We stroled back to the El Born Cultural Center which houses an excavation showing the vivacious, dynamic Barcelona of 1700 and the events of 1714 in the context of the War of the Spanish Succession. The archaeological site contains the remains of the neighbourhood demolished by King Phillip V of Spain.
11 September 1714 marks a crucial chapter in the history of Catalonia: the fierce siege of the Bourbonic troops of King Phillip V, which ended in the capitulation of Barcelona and the loss of Catalan liberties. The El Born neighbourhood was the scene of the final attack, and the episode became a symbol of the heroic fight of the citizens to defend the constitutions and institutions of their land.
El Born archaeological site is exceptional in terms of its size (8,000 square metres), its state of conservation and the historical sequence it bore witness to. The notary documents analysed have made it possible to identify the names and surnames of the inhabitants of the neighbourhood demolished by Phillip V and to describe in detail the insides of the houses and the daily lives of the citizens of Barcelona in 1700.
We then wandered through the narrow little alleys peeping into the little independant shops, many with there shopkeepers working on there handmade goods. We saw shops with weavings, shoes, leather. Went into a purse shop and really like their designs. There was one I really liked in soft as a baby's butt leather of gray and another with a little strip of yellow. Left it in the shop, but I really liked it.
We headed home as Terry and Sandy had a "Foodie Tour" this evening and need to rest their legs a bit. I chose not to go, as I was sure in included fishy stuff that I would not eat. Anyway, they ended up having a good time and there definitely was fishy stuff on the menu.
The next day, we went out in the afternoon to look for a shop Terry had seen the night before that had a little statue of a lady she was interested in and a perfume shop that carries her favorite perfume. We found both, but were only successful in getting the little sculpture. The perfume shop was closed. As we made our way back to the metro, we saw these little rental go-carts going by. Sandy and I thought these would be fun. Not sure Terry was so keen. We saw these in Lisbon also. The ones there had GPS' that guided you through the city. Not sure abut the ones here.
We jumped on the metro and headed down to the Ramblas and Placa Reil to try and get tickets for tonight at a flamingo show. It was closed also but we got the web site and will purchase tickets online. We decided to amble back into the El Born to look for the bakery that has the "Best Chocolate Cake" in Barcelona. Terry read this in something, So off we went passing through the Placa Jaune where all the festivities took place for the festival of Sant Eulalia. There was so much going on we didn't notice these really neat flower baskets on the lamp posts.
We crossed the square and headed down Princessa Street to the El Born. With our nose for chocolate, we of course found the BuBo bakery.
This is it, the "Best Chocolate Cake" in town according to somebody. That is a little macaroon on top. I can't even imagine the calories, so my morning workout at the gym is for nought. Ha.
More like a chocolate mosse, but it was delicious.
On chocolate overload, we headed back up the street where we stopped in a little hat shop where Terry and I both bought a hat we had seen yesterday. Next stop, we went back to the purse shop, where the gray purse was calling to me and it became mine.
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