Barcelona: Day One

Loads of sticky tabs

Two days in Barcelona--one of which was spent in a jet-lagged daze--gave us barely enough time to scratch the surface of all there is to do and see. The list of sites I wanted to visit was insurmountable, and I knew that from the start.

Simon/ukelele and John/travel guitar

We departed MSP on July 30 with a very short one-hour layover in Charlotte, NC, and then we were on our way to Barcelona. The flight was uneventful if long (8.5 hours). As usual, since we had individual screens in the seat backs, the boys gorged on movies. Admittedly, so did I, crossing While We're Young and 100 Foot Journey off my list. I read a bit from Go Set a Watchman, Harper Lee's controversial, previously unpublished first novel. I managed to sleep just a little bit and so didn't feel like a total wreck upon arrival.

Happy travelers pre-boarding in CLT

The plane landed in Barcelona around 7 a.m. We went through border control quickly, collected our luggage, declared nothing, grabbed a cab, and headed to our hotel. I sat in the front seat of the cab, wishing I spoke even just a tiny bit of Spanish to break the uncomfortable silence. Instead I watched the cityscape transform from the sort of European architecture that is often a mixture of street-level storefronts with apartments above. As the taxi rolled down Avenue Diagonal, I caught my first glimpse of what could be nothing other than Gaudi's genre-defying buildings. It was one of those defining moments: when you identify a landmark you have long associated with a city, like Big Ben in London or the Eiffel Tower in Paris. I knew we had arrived, and I couldn't wait to explore.

Our hotel, on the corner of Passeig de Gracia and Diagonal, had rooms available for us at 8 a.m., which was a pleasant surprise. I had planned on just dropping our luggage in storage and heading out but we were able to brush our teeth, splash cold water on our faces, and generally revive ourselves for a big day of walking around.

But, first, breakfast. On Passeig de Gracia, not far from our hotel, we found a bar with outdoor seating that offered pastries (Winston's choice, always) and bocadillos, Spanish sandwiches with fillings such as prosciutto, potato/egg tortilla, and dry sausages. The tavern, I later learned, specialized in pintxos, Basque tapas, which I had enjoyed on a previous trip to San Sebastian. Since this visit to Barcelona was one part scouting mission, I have added Txapela to our list for the next trip.

Before we could even order another bocadillo, it was time for us to find our way to Park Guell, one of architect Antoni Gaudi's masterpieces.

mosaics

 I had no idea how long it would take to get to Park Guell. I didn’t feel like figuring out mass transportation so we walked to the taxi queue at the end of the block. Taxis in Barcelona are super easy to take. You can’t hail them as you would in London, Paris, or New York City. Rather, you hire one at the well-marked taxi stands that are on nearly every block in pedestrian-heavy areas. Now because I am so clever and did my research ahead of time, I was warned that Gaudi sites have timed entrances and often have hours-long waits. The good news is that most sites sell advanced tickets so I bought ours before we left home.

Since taking a taxi was so efficient, we arrived well in advance of our 11 a.m. reservation and spent a bit of time wandering the tacky tourist shops in the neighborhood. Imagine my surprise when we finally got in line and learned that I had purchased the wrong tickets?! Apparently, one buys tickets to the park, which includes free admission to Gaudi’s house, or one buys tickets to the house, which does not include admission to the park. The website is a little unclear on this, but still I thought I selected the correct option. We were all a little bummed, but we were also really tired and hot so made the most of being inside with a moderate amount of air conditioning. And, the house did not disappoint.

The park was originally intended to be a "garden city" and would have had homes that featured the latest amenities, situated as far away as possible from the pollution of urban industry. Only two houses were built; neither one was designed by Gaudi, although he did move into one. That house (pictured below) is now a museum that features plans, furniture, and his death mask.

Gaudi's residence

bronze object

a mirror under bench showed back details

that arch will make a reappearance

ceiling tiles and lovely stained glass lamp

The Monumental Zone of the park has been described by Rough Guide Barcelona as "an almost hallucinatory expression of the imagination." You absolutely cannot see the magnificently tiled creatures from the top terrace. What you can see is a representation of the fantastical structure, heavy with vines and foliage.

And the spires of Sagrada Familia under the cranes.

 

At this point I felt dehydrated and the internal vibrations that accompany lack of sleep. We hit the taxi queue and went back to the hotel for naps. Sleep for just an hour--with another hour of snoozing--rejuvenated each of us enough to be able to make it until an early bedtime. Next, we needed to eat again, and, because we were in Barcelona, a tapas meal was in order. There are so many tapas restaurants on Passeig de Gracia alone, how does one choose? We were hungry and pretty much picked the first restaurant with outdoor tables and a visual menu: Tapa Tapa.

menu

truita de patates (potato tortilla) and Fuet de Vic (dry sausage)

anchoves de l'Escala amb oli verge (marinated white anchovies in smoked pimento & olive oil)

In addition to the tapas pictured above, we also ordered calamars a la romana (calamari, Roman style, i.e., fried), croquetes de pernil iberic d'agla (croquettes with Spanish ham), pebrots del Padro (small, mild grilled peppers), and tall Erdinger (German) beers. I love this style of small plates eating. Most of the food was inhaled before I could even snap a picture, which meant that the boys dug small plates, too. The menu was vast and many tapa went untried. We were here only for a snack.

Eixample's grid (photo credit: expatedna)

A post-meal walk around the Dreta de l'Eixample (right side of the Eixample) neighborhood served to revive and exhaust us in equal measure. Eixample means "extension". It was built in the 19th century on a grid system of wide, tree-lined boulevards, which stood in sharp counterpoint to the twisty, narrow, dark streets of the Barri Gotic (Gothic Quarter) and El Raval areas. The wide sidewalks even accommodate a taxi lane, which wasn't very obvious and meant that one really must watch where they walked and how they crossed streets at all times.

Passeig de Gracia, the grand street of Eixample--think Fifth Avenue or the Champs Elysees--featured luxury clothing stores, fine restaurants, and stylish apartment buildings. The latter served as a huge draw for me. As the Ruta del Modernisme (the Modernist Route), Passeig de Gracia was a showcase for Gaudi's and other's architecture.

walk of architectural stars

La Padrera (Gaudi)

ironwork details

Casa Battlo (Gaudi)

some organic forms resembled bones and joints

Casa Amatller (Cadafalch)

St. Jordi slaying the dragon at Casa Amatller

even the underneath part of a balcony is beautiful

Casa de les Punxes (house of spikes by Cadafalch)

Before we left home, we visited with some friends who had rented in apartment in the Eixample neighborhood recently. They recommended several restaurants and a great ice cream place. Hot and tired, once again, we searched for the ice cream place. Between my jet lag and occasional inability to accurately read my phone's GPS, we walked for a long time in the wrong direction. We saw nothing interesting. We never found the ice cream place, which also happened to be one of the best places in the city for orxata (Catalan for horchata, but made here with tiger nuts) and would have been super refreshing. Instead, we worked up an appetite for dinner and decided we should quickly find a restaurant.

El Nacional had been recommended by our friend Colin. Using our GPS and landmarks that were now familiar after walking PdG several times, we found the building. El Nacional was in a 19th-century industrial building that was off the street, tucked down a passage. The interior space boasted vast barrel-vaulted ceilings and had the vibe of a brasserie with lots of brass and glass and dark wood. This multi-space restaurant represented a new concept for Barcelona--four eating areas and four bar areas (beer, wine, cocktails, oysters). Here are the restaurants we had to choose from: La Paradeta (deli style with sandwiches and pastries), La Taperia (tapas), La Llotja (fish/seafood), and La Braseria (meat). For this meal, John chose La Llotja, with the giant blue glass and reed fish sculpture hanging overhead.

grilled turbot was ethereal

crunchy Andalusian-style shrimps eaten heads and all

With full bellies, we rolled back to our hotel and had a solid night sleep. Big plans for the next day!