Sep 5
Our first full day in Barcelona started with a challenging bike tour focused on the Modernisme movement in Barcelona with a focus on Gaudi highlights. Modernisme (Catalan Art Nouveau) was a way of life a Barcelona burst into the 20th century. Gaudi is their most famous Modernista artist along with uis Domenech i Muntaner and Josep Puig i Cadafalch.
We scheduled the Ultimate Gaudi Bike Tour which is run by Steel Donkeys and includes an ebike, a guide, entrance to Parc Guell and outside visits to several famous Gaudi designs. Riding bikes in a busy city was challenging – we finally got the hang of it – but decided urban rides were not happening in our next few cities.
We started at a motorcycle shop near the Sagrada Familia. No helmets were even available and we didn’t have to sign any release of liability or even give names of everyone in the group. We rode through traffic up and up to get to Parc Guell. This park was originally designed by Antoni Gaudi in the early 1900′ for a wealthy Barcelonian named Guell to be residential community for the wealthy. The development sits high on a hill with views of the city and the sea. However it never was successful as a real estate venture. After Guell died, his family donated the land to the city. In 1926 it became a municipal park – free to local residents and 10 euros to visitors. The park is full of quirky eclectic structures designed by Gaudi and is a popular destination for tourists who want the full Barcelona modernisme experience.
We ended the tour in front of the Sagrada Familia church where we learned a bit more about the church. One little detail our guide pointed out was that long after Gaudi’s death, his image was added to the Passion Facade that faces west. He is the man on the left of this picture. He probably would not have wanted himself inserted into the design but after he’s dead he doesn’t get a vote. Next to Gaudi are the helmeted Roman soldiers – George Lucas supposedly borrowed the design for his Star Wars helmets after visiting Barcelona.
Our evening was just delightful with one wierd incident. We met with the kids at Tosca Tapas y Vinyo where we had made a reservation. The restaurant is located just across from the Palau Musica de Catalona where we were attending a concert after dinner. Each of us chose one tapas to share with the table. Everything was delicious – best food in Barcelona. We had one very wierd encounter with a black guy, possibly from Jamaica or Africa, who was very upset that Kasey and her friend Daryl were sitting at a table with white people. He came in looking for a confrontation, yelling at us and disturbing the whole restaurant. Eventually he left without incident and the police showed up 15 minutes later. We went back to our drinks and wrote it off to drugs or a disturbed mind. Kids have nicknamed him “Batman”, swooping to save the blacks of the world from interaction with whites.
The highlight of the evening was the Barcelona Guitar Trio & Dance performance at the beautiful Palau de la Musica Catalana, a performance venue in old town of Barcelona. The venue itself is breathtaking – an architectural jewel built in the modernista (Art Nouveau) style in early 1900’s. The walls and ceiling are covered with sculpture, mosaic, stained glass and ironwork. The performance far exceeded our expectations. A trio of guitarists were entertaining on their own but the flamenco dancing by a talented pair of dancers was the icing on the cake. I snuck a couple of pictures, but here is a promotional video produced by the venue. Our seats were close to the stage and well worth the 45 euro price tag. To buy tickets, visit the venue’s website at https://www.palaumusica.cat/.
