|
Excerpt from: |
Amsterdam - Barcelona Journal |
|
|
September 1999 |
Barcelona - Spain |
|
|
September 11
Saturday
|
The
Fantastic is one of 2 smaller ships and has a "Carnival
Cruise" type atmosphere - mostly Spanish and Italian spoken. Best
coffee since home! Around 1:30 p.m., we were sitting in the lounge with
2 people playing "techno" music - he on brass (sax and flute),
she on keyboard and guitar - doing phonetic vocals and very good at it -
waiting to debark. There were no taxis at the pier, so a good hike with
luggage out past customs. Very hot day out, called for taxi, quick ride
up Barcelona's La Rambla to Hotel Toledano. Stunning architecture! This
will be fun. Small but very clean room with French windows, firm beds
and bathtub! By 6 p.m., had finished a much needed batch of laundry,
ready to siesta. Up by 7 p.m., we headed up to Placa de Catalunya,
checked out the tourist info office for a good map, sat in the park and
watched the world pass by. We found that we were near to the Battlo, so
walked up the wrong street, then cut across to Passeig de Gracia and up.
What an incredible sight - truly breath taking - out of dreams - full of
sky and sea and beauty. It was well lit on all the balconies - peeks at
carved wood doors, bowed internal elements, vitrine in colors to match
the exterior tiles - an ice cream castle! We crossed the street for
another view and found Tapas y Tapas where we dined on shrimp,
bruschetta, pan, beef, mushrooms, pasta salad, mixed olives along with a
nice full-bodied Rioja. Around 10:30 p.m., we dropped back down to the
Placa de Catalunya and caught the Moon Express for an hour long tour of
the city - past great architecture, the palau de mar, gothic cathedral.
Stopped for an ice cream on the way back to hotel at 1 am. Wondrous
first day in the grand city that is so like Paris and San Francisco! |
|
|
September
12
Sunday |
10
am rise and walk La Rambla - stop at Dunkin Donuts for coffee and a
roll. Took a side street toward Barri Gotic past small shops, tall
buildings with fanciful wrought iron balconies. Took a few turns here
and there to find ourselves in Placa Real - nice square with lots of
good smelling bistros, then on to Placa St. Jaume - toured Casa de Ciutat
(open free on Sunday) - great gargoyles. Not far away, through a
tall dark alley where a flutist played, we came to the Cathedral in the
center of the barrio. Sitting in the square in front, still enjoying the
fine strains of canonical flute music. It is a cool corner to stop, cats
play on the ground and in the walls below us. People wander past. A stop
in at the Hard Rock after buying a charming hand made "olive
dish" from a local artisan, gave us a cool refresher. We next took
the Metro up to the stop nearest Guell Park - it was not all that close
and gave us a couple of miles uphill (very steep) to get to the park. It
was worth the effort and proved to be a true gem - huge public bustling
place with delightful colors, an ingenious irrigation system, great
columned pavilion, miles of paths and an outstanding view of the city -
all the way to the sea. The walk down was much easier, bus to Placa de
Catalunya where we found troubadours and ladies dancing. A brief clean
up at our hotel and off to dinner - tried the Nuria on the
recommendation by several guide books - bland, pedestrian and touristy.
Had a good coffee at Il Roma later - peeked into Café de L'Opera for
its Nouveau interior - very loud and busy. On the way back to our room,
we heard some good guitarists and spotted several gypsy tarot readers. |
The mosaics in Guell Parc are plentiful
|
|
September
13
Monday
|
Dark
clouds to the north - bright sun here. Found La Vaca Paca for brunch
with their all you can eat fresh salads, good grilled meats,
pizza and strong coffee for 985 pesetas each - menu had paella and also
great variety for vegetarians. Our first stop was the Moderniste Office
where we bought a pass and guide book for 600 pesetas. We'll be back for
their tour - but first, off to La Pedrera. We peeked into the downstairs
areas of Casa Amatller and Casa Battlo on our way. At the Pedrera (or
Casa Mila) they show excellent videos, slide shows, restored apartment
with furnishings of the period. Stunning panoramic views from the top.
Steps up and down all around - fluidity of space. Good architectural
models of Gaudi's other work and nice mis en scene slide shows. Stopped
for a Hagen Daz to cool off. Finished the afternoon with our tour of
Casa Lleo Morera - ornate woodwork in floral motifs - carved and inlay
- vibrant stained glass windows around dining area. St. George theme in
archway. We had viewed the lower level of Casa Amatller earlier, our
guide pointed out its blend of Modernisme and Moorish architecture -
exterior with animals and gothic gnomes hold the "new" cameras
and musical instruments. Then Battlo with its varied spectrum of blue
tiles that darken as they climb the interior walls - soft curves in
ceilings, spine-like Now at 9 p.m. off for tapas and cava at La Tramoia.
We had the Catalan specialty of snails (29 of them), bread (brushed with
olive oil and rubbed with tomato), cheese and tomato cold salad,
mushrooms in garlic and parsley, and a bottle of Cellars Juan Mestre
Tiana "Brut Nature" (a very toasty, brut with deep gold
color). |
Casa Amatller houses the center for modernisme
|
|
September
14
Tuesday
|
Woke
late again and headed out to Barri Gotic to see and tour Montaner's
opulent Palau de la Musica Catalana - a high point of the Modernista
movement. Raw bricks trimmed with ceramic tiles and molded flowers on
parabolic arches - dark wood doors open to a large foyer with a
"peopled" mural (not typical of the style) just inside - gold
tones in clear glass, lanterns, tiles from the stairway fascia - marble,
plush carpet. After a film history, we climbed the stairs to the main
hall - incredible tile work with an Egyptian theme - papyrus columns to
the second balcony ceiling, vibrant vitrine - sculpted front over stage
representing the Catalans and the Classics - grand German pipe organ -
Deco half sculpture and half mosaic ladies surround the hardwood
stage - great acoustics - double balcony above stage for use by chorus
in large productions. This theater is still used today for around 100
concert performances each year We dropped in to Casa Calvet to see the
beautiful wood work designed by Gaudi - the lower floor was once
offices, has been preserved and is now used for dining areas. Caught a
taxi back to Palau Guell. While waiting for our tour, we stopped to have
a snack at Casa Joan nearby. It's a clean and inexpensive place where I
had a tasty garlicky squid with salad and Mike had tender rabbit with
fries, this with an El Coto Rioja, followed with some
coffee. Again, I must consider how fine life can be. Our entrance to the
Palau Guell was still some time away, so we stopped into the Bosc de
Fades - a bar with the feel of an enchanted forest ala Disneyland. Also
checked out the fanals (lamp posts which were one of Gaudi's first
designs) in the Placa Real. It is the first rain we've seen in more than
three weeks - now stopped, the afternoon is cool and breezy - a most
pleasant respite from the dry 80+ degree weather we've had since
arrival. The sky is still gray and the Placa is a pleasant open space
with a fountain and few crowds at this time of day - colonnaded with
shops below and apartments above as is typical in this city. There is
little at street level except shops and restaurants. Stopped into
Barcelona's oldest Herbaliste shop in the side Alley of Bacardi for some
fresh chamomile before returning for our tour. At Palau Guell, we
started in the lower level carriage and stable area with its sturdy
forest of brick columns that for the support for the building. Climbed
back to the entry - fine rosewood - ingenious light panels, mirrors - up
to the "chapel" that did double duty as a music salon (still
had the old organ made of cherry and mahogany). In to the family dining
room, and salon hall, up 127 steps to the roof top with its 20 tiled
chimneys - the largest of these has cut outs which appears as the stars
and moon on the ceiling of the main salon and others relate to
fireplaces and the kitchen. All were recently refurbished (using antique
tiles) by a variety of Catalan artists. Their only change is that one
chimney has a tribute to the '92 Olympics on one of its four sides - all
the rest are done according to the original plans. On our walk back up
La Rambla to the hotel, we stopped in the lobby of the Hotel Oriente,
then Casa Beethoven, and lastly the enormous La Boqueria Mercado -
everything from fresh fruits to nuts, fish, meat, vegetables, herbs,
wines, olives - a true visual treat. Our evening was exhilarating, we
craved a good hamburger, so went up to the Hard Rock (about a block
around the corner from our hotel). It had been drizzling on and (mostly)
off all day. We had a nice show of lightening (later we found it was in
excess of 10,000 strikes) and thunder, but it was dry out when we left.
By the time we finished eating, it was blustery and torrential. We
waited half an hour (with no let up) before we chose to make the
"dash" back - arrived soaked, floor all wet, but now showered,
dry and very glad we didn't go farther away for dinner. We had heard
that Barcelona's weather can be changeable at this time of year! p.s.
great burger and fries! Sometimes you just NEED to have some plain food.
Hope tomorrow is clear. |
Palau Guell has some colorful chimneys
|
|
September 15
Wednesday
|
Stopped
for coffee and pastry at Le Fornet, one of the little bakeries we
spotted yesterday - tasty and fresh. Took a cab to the Museu National
d'Art de Catalunya - Museu d'Art Modern. Dropped off at the far side of
the Parc de la Cuitadella, we had a nice stroll across the park, past
the lake and to the museum with its collection of many of the Catalonian
artists from late 1800's and 1900's - of these, we especially liked the
very early Miro "Exhibition on a Corner" - so far from his
later style. Of special interest, was the furniture and fixtures from
some of the residences built by the Modernistes (saved from Battlo, Lleo
Morera) - fine inlay work, fluid brass and glass lights, tables, chairs,
a salon suite (very Deco by Homar's furniture in Lleo Morera). An
exquisite private "chapel" and models of several buildings. On
exit, we stopped at the cascade fountain area, then continued through a
market where we obtained olives, cheeses and bread. We sat across from
the Justice Buildings as we dined, then went up past the Arc de Triumph
to catch a bus to Sagrada Familia. Sagrada Familia is unusual to say the
least. There's a lot of new construction going on in an attempt to
continue the work begun by Gaudi, but the new façade has a harsh
angular feel (despite the arches) because of its modern sculptures. The
old side already seems ancient - more of a gothic nightmare than a
divine inspiration. It lacks the harmony and Tonight's outing took us to
Placa Real and Le Quinze Nits where there was a huge line and no sign of
diners finishing up, so…around the corner to Calle Fernando and the
Restaurant Chino International with fresh ingredients, Shanghai style
and open seven days a week. Good meal at a fair price. From there we
headed up the street to above Liceu-Sant Pau, and found the old Marsella
Bar. Owned by Scott, a big, friendly guy from L.A., this is one of the
last places in town that serves Absinthe. A note to those unfamiliar -
be sure you have no health contraindications - it can be dangerous.
Other than that is hot (55% alcohol), it has a pleasant and light anise
flavor. Our return up La Rambla had a good harpist, a so-so flamenco
guitarist and the usual gypsy fortune tellers. |
Sagrada Familia is "work in progress"
|
|
September
16
Thursday
|
Morning
coffee and pastry, then off to Hertz - way off in a neighborhood we
haven't seen before. It was an easy exist to Avenue Diagonal and to the
A-2. This took us through the new part of town - lots of steel and
glass, large businesses, industrial fringe, suburbs. Our first stop was
Codorniu with buildings dating back to 1659. We had a tour of the
gardens before entering the cellars. There we heard an explanation of
the process, size of the facility, etc. Then we rode a tram through a
small part of the miles of caves - they had names on them much like city
streets. A final stop at the bottling line provided some excitement as a
bottle turned sideways on its way through the "freezer" and
set off several bottles that followed into explosions of effervescence.
After that, we returned for a taste of their Brut Cremant and wished we
could sample others. After a few passes through
Villafranca, we found the road to Torres Winery. Here we tasted their
white and rose table wine (both available in the U.S.), both were tasty.
The white had a good nose, light straw color, dry clean finish. The Rose
was a more floral nose, peach pink, medium dry, clean finish. Our third
taste was the 1995 Reserva Cabernet - vibrant fruity nose, deep garnet
color, well balanced fruit, spice and wood, dry clean finish - 85%
cabernet and 15% tempranillo. The lands between Barcelona and this great
cava and wine country are verdant - dotted with houses, villages, olive
groves, vineyards. Quite picturesque, a wide valley accented by the
Montserrat to the northwest. Dinner at Le Quinze Nits was less than
expected - the food was over salted and bland, my veal with onions had
scorched in the pan and was tough, dry and tasted like pot roast. Mike's
parallada steak with Roquefort was not filet as he was told, but flank
steak with manchego cheese. Service was abhorrently rude. All this after
waiting an hour in line to get a table - the house tinto (red wine) was
barely complemented by the ultra acidic vinaigrette on the salad. Almost
everyone complained of poor quality food and service. As luck would have
it, there was an open table at Café L'Opera on our way back to the
hotel. We sat to enjoy a rich double espresso. Between the lively
atmosphere and charm of Art Deco ambiance, our evening was saved by a
most pleasant respite. |
Recent photos of Codorniu and Torres are seen in the Catalunya
on the Road Gallery |
|
September
17
Friday
|
Off
to catch the 9 a.m. train to Figueres. Strike delays us to 10:25, so up
to Passeig de Gracia for a coffee at Il Caffe de Roma and sitting across
from Battle watching the colors shift in the morning sun - pretty as a
jewel. The train is on time - smooth ride past a variety of views - the
urban industrial near stations to rural orchards and agricultural in
between. Sunny day with some clouds to the north. What can I say about
Figueres? If you're a Salvador Dali fan, you can't miss it. If not,
check out his work in a local library because there's not much else to
do in town. Any taxi ride costs 800 pesetas by day and 1700 pesetas by
night. The Teatre-Museu Dali holds a little bit of everything - from
sketches to oils, lithographs, furniture, jewelry, sculptures, even a
Cadillac! Great ovos (eggs), good humor, a bit crowded at times. As
fans, we easily spent three hours without retracing our steps - saw
everything - forgot to eat. Mind boggling art from 1918 to 198?. Pleased
to see C's lithograph on the wall with some of its companion pieces.
Lots of great things! Mythology series - fond of the Medusa and Argos
Back on train to Barcelona to arrive by 7 p.m. Walked from the Renfe
station a block west and down a couple of blocks to L'Estanq which
carries a nice selection of Habana cigars (excellent prices). Picked up
a few, then started to look for a place to eat around 8 p.m. We found
Txapela Taverna. Here they offer pictures of the food and a menu with
descriptions. Seven tapas each and a bottle of Finca Resalo (Ribera)
Negro wine - we were well fed and ready to head back to our hotel. Great
fun, great day! |
Figueres is best known for Salvador Dali's Teatre-Museu
|
|
September 18
Saturday
|
Last
full day in Barcelona! Started with coffee and pastry at La Fornet, got
some cash, sat in Placa de Catalunya watching the people, tons of
pigeons, workers setting up for a concert and whatever else starts
tonight. Hopped the bus for Les Arsienes to see Casa Vicens - what a
nice use of tile and brick - squared facades almost Moorish looking
with a gorgeous palm leaf iron entry gate. Prettily planted garden, nice
balcony patio - owner left the gate open (smiled and said hello) to let
us have a peek inside. A short walk to the corner and we caught a taxi
up to Park Guell. By saving our legs, we were thus able to take the
circuitous walk around the park. It serpentines past gardens, trees,
some sculptural details here and there. At the top, we came to a path
under the aqueduct that led to Casa Gaudi Museu (where Gaudi lived while
working on the Park). It's a charming two story with good sized entry
and salon on the ground floor - bedroom, office and bath on the top
floor which had a nice view across the park to the sea. We went through
Gaudi's personal garden and under a long parabolic arbor covered in
vines, then rose to the aqueduct to pass above the great rippling
plateau area, then began down hill on the opposite side of the park,
crossed a lower section of aqueduct before exiting. Just around the
corner, down the street on the left, we stopped to eat Conejo Al Monte,
pizza and beer. A bit further down the hill we caught the #24 bus back
to Passeig de Gracia where a two block line of bookseller stalls had
offerings in all areas of interest for good prices. We stopped in at
Pans for a cold drink, now in our room. As we passed Placa de Catalunya,
covered stands have appeared and the streets are blocked off We packed
almost everything and are set for tomorrow. So, took a taxi to Eglise
Santa Maria del Mar to find La Vinya del Senjor where we tasted a cava,
a white, and two red wines. From there, we taxied back to Passeig de
Gracia where we (again) stopped at Tapas y Tapas to enjoy a bottle of
Paxtet brut with fried scampi, olives and mushrooms in garlic and
parsley. We walked back to our room hoping to find an Italian gelato
place, but it was closed. Calling it a night. |
Casa Vicens is a great example of modernism
|
|
September 19
Sunday
|
Well,
it's time to start heading home. We went out for coffee and pastry
before settling our bill and took a taxi to the airport. On the way,
when stopped at a traffic signal, we had a good look at the bullring.
It's a good time to get out of town. Not only is the Placa de Catalunya
closed up and blocked off for the fair, but also the streets in the area
are due to be closed by 11 a.m. for the Tours d'Espanya bicycle race
that is coming through. At 10 a.m., the crowds were already very dense.
Athletes were out doing specialty displays. There's also a large Union
convention coming in this evening. Now sitting in Barcelona airport
waiting for check in at Virgin Express to fly up to Brussels - have an
hour before boarding. Already thinking about getting home, Deli, Cass,
the Crones, my own bed, my own pillow, fresh salads, tomatoes, crisp
cucumbers! It's 5:21 p.m., and we're sitting in Brussels
Nord train station - next stop Amsterdam. We flew from Barcelona into
the Brussels airport, caught a quick train (below the airport) to here,
have about 15 minutes to spare, getting hungry. We had no chance (or
change) to eat. We met a nice Nederland couple on the train who enjoy
travel and art as we do. The ride through Belgium was pleasant with much
chat, scenery a blend of French and Dutch. The couple had been to
Brussels for an Andy Warhol exhibit. They detrained in Roonsdaal and we
continued on towards Schipol airport through the rich agricultural and
dairy lands of northwest Nederlands, past Rotterdam, The Haag. After a
shuttle to our hotel, we checked in, then returned to the Schipol
station (again below the airport), caught the train to Centrum, where we
caught #5 bus to Leidseplein - just like we knew what we were
doing. We returned to the Palladium for a last glass of wine, carpaccio
of smoked salmon, spicy chicken satay and fries. Last stop was coffee
and chocolate cake at the Bulldog. (Just to round out the circle.)
Back to the room by 1 a.m. to rest and get ready for the long journey
back to California. |
|
| |