I know many of you are waiting for a punch line or a smart-ass remark, but for once I’m being serious. So bear with me, I’ll get there.

We flew from Boston to Rome, and then on a Ryan Air flight to Barcelona, which is akin to taking the Fung Wah bus from Boston to New York; cheap, with lots of pushing and shoving. The flight attendant was trying to tell us we needed an extra ticket for Steve’s guitar, which easily fit into an overhead bin. Not my best flying experience complete with screaming baby in the row behind. Traveling with my cousin Anita and her husband Mike is always a good time. Puns and quips fly. As we were landing in Barcelona Mike said, “I’m not having a good time yet, but I’m getting close.” And he was right; things improved from there. As we flew in I remarked that we must be over the port because there were a bunch of ships below us. Deadpan, Anita looked at me and said, “It’s called a fleet.” I told her in Spain it’s called a bunch. She wanted to know, then, if in Spain they had fleets of bananas.

It was a decent place that could have used new towels, but after what felt like 4 days in an airline seat in the same clothes I probably would have been happy with a bed of nails and a garden hose.

The Eurostar Cristal Palace hotel was our home for the night. Located in the new city it was pretty convenient to the old city and the sights of Barcelona. It was a decent place that could have used new towels, but after what felt like 4 days in an airline seat in the same clothes I probably would have been happy with a bed of nails and a garden hose. Our balcony overlooked an urban courtyard where I could envision sophisticated Barcelonans entertaining with great bread and lots of olives.

On a tip from friends we visited Café L’Academia in the old city, which indeed had great bread and lots of olives. We showed the address to the cabbie, who conferred with several other cabbies at the taxi stand and determined you can’t get there from here. The old city’s alleyways make it near impossible for taxis to get to some of the hidden gems in the city. He used my Google maps printout and managed to squeeze down places we’d never have attempted (at least without pulling in our mirrors) and deposited us at the door where a formal event was happening in the courtyard. Undeterred, he beeped and flashed lights to make his way back out after dropping us. It was impressive, as was our meal.

The café was booked solid, but the bar was wide open and they welcomed us to dine there. I love a good tapas place and this Catalonian bistro didn’t disappoint. Three of us shared a bottle of Rioja and Mike had a cognac Manhattan. Hmm. He seemed to enjoy this new experience. As they say, necessity is a mother. Most everything was served in half or full portions so we ordered multiple halves to share. Steve and I dined on grilled squid in it’s ink, risotto with duck liver and Catalan sausage with a perfectly poached egg and asparagus; all excellent and all perfectly sized. The grilled squid was my favorite. Squid can get rubbery if not prepared correctly and this was as tender as pasta. Desserts were abundant; white and dark chocolate tart, apple tatine, cheese filled pastry, and chocolate orange tart. I didn’t share. It was as though they infused the apples with butter and cooked them sous vide; soft, perfectly sweetened and delicious. We walked to the hotel via Las Ramblas, the pedestrian boulevard lined with shops and restaurants that links the old and new cities and ends at the port. We were all exhausted but happy for some exercise after a long plane trip and dinner. And we all slept well.

I had booked a Barcelona tour with Forever Barcelona for the morning prior to our embarcation on our Azamara cruise. Our guide and her driver picked us up at the hotel as planned. Our happy surprise was that they picked us up in a Mercedes minivan. Montserrat Marti, our guide for the tour and her driver Didac (who she decided to call Victor for the day) showed us the Old City, the Cathedral, Park Güell, and Sagrada Familia. If you go to Barcelona I highly recommend Forever Barcelona tours and Montserrat. She was amiable, funny, well informed and flexible with our needs. There wasn’t a question she couldn’t answer. She was delightful.

In the Old City Montse showed us the remains of the Roman Wall and the columns of a 2000 year old agora inside what is now an apartment building. This was a surprising discovery at the strategically chosen highest point in the Old City. We entered a courtyard, which was a stable as well as food and wine cellar back in the day, and a quick right brought us to a room (open to the public) with the Roman columns. The cathedral, also impressive, had chapels along the side-walls that were owned by guilds and wealthy families prior to being absorbed by the church. One housed the icon of a Black Madonna. I found the use of electric candles interesting; the church finally realized that the black soot that had coated the ceilings and icons for hundreds of years could be alleviated with this simple change. The cathedral houses a beautiful cloister with resident geese, palm trees and fountains.

What came next was my reason for booking the tour, the architecture of Antoni Gaudi and his best-known works Park Güell, and Sagrada Familia. Park Güell was a housing development named after its owner, a wealthy businessman who admitted to not liking Gaudi’s work but knowing it would be important. The development wasn’t successful as only one man, a doctor, bought a plot there. Güell’s family sold the development to the city of Barcelona for a nominal fee after his death, and the 3rd generation of the doctor’s family still lives in the house. The common areas of the development make up the park. For the uninitiated, Gaudi chose to bring nature into his work and many of his pieces evidence this. Roofs that look like they are frosted with melting ice cream, wavy lines, bright colors, non uniform shapes, the many features found in nature. Much of it is whimsical, but all of it is based in geometry and logic, a true left brain/right brain split. Lots of tile was used because it was plentiful, easily replaced and easily cleaned. Benches were ergonomic. Pillars acted as conduits to a cistern. Its water was used in caring for the landscape and also circulated in the fountains. And when he designed he designed the whole project from furniture and fixtures to the building, and in the church Sagrada Familia even the tone of the church bells, which he knew wouldn’t be commissioned until long after his death.

In 1883 he took over the neo gothic church project called the Sagrada Familia. His significant changes are evident, and the plan for the completion would take many, many years. Gaudi died in 1926 and the estimated completion date is 2026. After seeing the church and the model that identifies the construction that still needs to be completed we feel they are optimistic. It is not for lack of funds; an average of 8000 people per day visit the church and are charged 15 Euros per person (about $22).

This church is nothing short of magnificent. The east facade depicts the nativity with soft shapes, animals, wise men, the North Star, angels and the Holy Family, the Sagrada Familia. Doors of colored metal make the entrance to the east façade. They look like ivy with pumpkin flowers and ladybugs, and were created by a Buddhist sculptor who converted to Catholicism to understand the meaning and feeling of the religion. The western façade depicts the Crucifixion. The sculptor Josep Maria Subirachs was commissioned to design these statues after Gaudi’s death, and the foundation chose well. The severity of the statuary, the harsh lines and strong angles are well suited to the event. His nod to Antoni Gaudi is evident in the shapes of the soldier’s helmets. But it is what is between these facades that was awe-inspiring. The interior of the Sagrada Familia is a testament to light, soaring space and color.

I am a traveler. I have seen the onion domes of St. Basil’s Cathedral in Red Square at the Kremlin, I’ve meditated inside the Great Pyramid, seen the Sphinx of Egypt, and experienced the savannahs of Africa, but I have never experienced anything like this. When the doors opened and we entered I began to cry. The stained glass colors of sunrise on the east and sunset on the west flooded the church with colored light. The depiction of Christ on the cross and what I presumed to be heaven above were inspired and overwhelming. And I am a lapsed Catholic. Twelve bell towers will be completed, one for each apostle. Brass doors at the main entrance will depict the Padre Nostra, the Lord’s Prayer in multiple languages, with the Spanish version being the primary prayer. And with no change to the design the letters used to become the door handles just happened to be, of course, A. G. (Antoni Gaudi).

Divine.

Deborah

Tomorrow – The Spanish Islas