Cramming some of the world's most impressive architecture into 72 hours, we opted for a balance of classic Gaudi and lip-smacking Catalan cuisine in Barcelona.
But first, a tribute to the victims of the 2017 terrorist attack on La Rambla, which occurred two weeks prior to our arrival. As guests of this great city we stand together with Catalonia. No tinc por.
Outside Sagrada Familia we witnessed the full force of mass tourism that Barcelonans have been griping about -- seas of megaphone-touting tour guides with their flocks, herded in and out of Gaudi's unfinished masterpiece every 15 minutes or so. Clueless stragglers overflowed onto city streets and often blocked traffic in their blissful mayhem.
That is the price of living in one of the world’s most desirable cities, a rare combination of dreamy architecture, terrific culinary traditions, a vibrant arts scene and sunny Mediterranean beaches. The world wants more Barcelona, and sporadic protests from its fed-up citizens haven’t bucked the trend.
Reality of this backlash hit us even before our trip. Our original Airbnb reservation was cancelled as the apparently-illegal rental suite was raided by the police, and we were lucky to find a last-minute replacement, a scruffy 1-bedroom flat off Placa de Catalunya that charged twice the price of our apartments elsewhere in Spain.
We also arrived at one of the most volatile times in Barcelona’s recent history -- just two weeks after the deadly terrorist attack on La Rambla and four weeks before a looming secession referendum that poised to launch not just Catalonia, but the entire Spain into uncharted territory.
This was the backdrop of our arrival in Barcelona in an atmosphere of anticipation and nervous energy, amid road blocks and officers with automatic weapons at every major street corner on La Rambla. The frailty of life was always at the back of our minds, but it wasn’t going to stop us from enjoying it. No tinc por.
Day 1 – Check In, Gothic Quarter and Block of Discord
14:00. Thank God for at least one prehistoric pay phone on La Rambla that actually worked -- two just gobbled up my precious Euro coins in our frantic attempt to reach the lady who held keys to our apartment. Lesson learnt: try to pick up a Spanish SIM card ASAP, unless you arrive on a Sunday like we did.
15:00. First meal in Spain and we unwittingly stepped right into the rhythm of the locals -- a late lunch by North American standard but perfectly normal for Spaniards. Our first choice of Casa Agusti remained closed for the summer, though we did manage to find another place for the local specialty of Fideua.
16:30. Outside Palau Guell’s elegant facade we learned the significance of arriving on the first Sunday of the month -- all city-owned museums were severely besieged by tourists and locals seeking free, limited-quantity tickets at this monthly bonanza. We ended up skipping both Palau Guell and the Picasso Museum, opting for ticketless attractions at the Gothic Quarter such as the 2000-year-old Roman temple and the enormous medieval Cathedral.
19:00. A sunset stroll along the famous Block of Discord, crowned with Antoni Gaudi’s unmistakable Casa Batllo on Barcelona’s main boulevard, never requires tickets or queuing of course. Just classic Barcelona at a leisurely pace, as long as one watches out for pickpockets.
Arguably the finest collection of Art Nouveau buildings in the world, all marshaled along a kilometer-long stretch of Passeig de Gracia now mostly occupied by upmarket fashion retailers. Not the best neighborhood for dinner options, but a typical taperia (Ciudad Condal) would do on a Sunday evening when most restaurants were closed.
Day 2 – Sagrada Familia, Lunch @ Cal Boter, Hospital de Sant Pau, Palau de la Musica Catalana
11:00. We did our best to hold back expectations heading into our reserved timeslot at Sagrada Famila, as everyone had told us to expect the single most impressive piece of architecture in the world.
And it was.
There was a moment when sunlight punched through the stained glass at just the perfect angle, spraying a dreamy canopy of lights and shadows upon the irregular array of sculpted columns. The above picture was not photoshopped.
Nobody breathed.
13:00. For lunch we booked a table at one of Barcelona’s authentic neighborhood joints for Catalan specialties (to be reviewed in the next post), then visited yet another UNESCO World Heritage Site two metro stops away.
15:00. In 2009 the 600-year-old hospital of Santa Creu i Sant Pau moved into its 21st century facilities to the north, leaving its former home, a modernisme masterpiece designed by Lluis Domenech i Montaner in the early 1900s, open for curious visitors like ourselves.
Handsome Moorish pavilions and lush palm gardens on the surface; well-designed passageways and medical facilities underground. For nearly 100 years this enchanting palace operated as one of Barcelona’s premier hospitals.
17:00. Our final stop on this busy day was a narrated tour and mini recital at Palau de la Musica Catalana, the only concert hall in the world inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Aside from Victor Horta’s former studio in Brussels -- which is a private dwelling on a much smaller scale -- this was my first time stepping inside such a majestic building from the height of the Art Nouveau era, still adorned with its vintage lamp stands and this inverted dome of magnificent stained glass above the concert hall.
We would have loved to attend a concert in the Palau’s turn-of-20th-century grandeur, but this short piano recital was the only scheduled performance during our three days in town. The pianist turned out far from perfect even to these untrained ears, though I’m sure it was the opulence of the venue that every visitor would fondly remember.
19:30. Headed down to Barceloneta with local seafood in mind, except that our top two choices for dinner were both closed for summer vacation!
Day 3 – Parc Guell, Casa Batllo, Casa Mila, Dinner @ l’Havana
11:00. We managed to cram three of Gaudi’s most renowned works -- all inscribed as World Heritage Sites -- into our final day in Barcelona, starting with our reserved visit to the whimsical Parc Guell before the midday sun became too ferocious.
Selfies with the comical salamander was compulsory, as was the panoramic view of Barcelona beyond the twirling, multi-coloured balustrades and gingerbread-like guardhouses. Half of the terrace was closed for renovations which made that ideal spot for the postcard panorama even more contested.
13:30. Back to the Gothic Quarter for a lunch of local tapas (Peus de Porc!), followed by some shopping and a quick nap. We’re slowly getting into the rhythm of the Spanish siesta.
16:30. At last, our favorite attraction not only in Barcelona, but perhaps anywhere in Spain.
A spectacular spiral staircase that took the shape of a dragon’s spine. A mushroom-shaped alcove with a fireplace and built-in seats. A roofline decorated with multihued scales of the dragon’s back. Every corner of the 5-storey residence was as stunning as the next.
Organic curves flowed so effortlessly that it became impossible to tell where structural columns ended and ornamental flourishes began. My wife’s favorite spot was the central well with shark gills for ventilation and variations of blue ceramic tiles that transported the visitor inside some ginormous aquatic creature.
18:15. We could have stayed longer at Casa Batllo, but Casa Mila’s famous rooftop sculptures beckoned just 500m away, 75 minutes before closing time.
Honestly I would have been content just admiring Casa Mila’s facade from a distance, but this summer the city offered 50% off entrance fees after 18:00 as part of the Estiu de la Ruta del Modernisme campaign. This was much appreciated after Casa Batllo charged the most expensive admission ticket of our 13-cities journey across Spain.
Scale models and demonstrations of Gaudi’s ingenuity were fascinating enough, but it was the army of twisting warriors on the rooftop that put Casa Mila on the World Heritage list. It was the perfect spot to enjoy the Catalonian sunset in late summer, above the Barcelonan roofline and in view of Casa Batllo from a distance.
20:15. We happened to saved our best meal for last at Restaurant l’Havana, a Barcelonan institution for traditional Catalan cuisine for over 70 years. A review will come in the next post -- stay tuned.
