winifredcreamer

Roman Barcino (Barcelona)

We spent two full days exploring Roman Barcelona and now, much later, a day in Tarragona (we could have stayed a week), visiting the Roman ruins there. Archaeology is alive and well in both cities. This post is on Barcino, the next on Tarraco. In Barcelona, there is an ongoing program of archaeological excavations inContinue reading “Roman Barcino (Barcelona)”

The apotheosis of Modernism–Lluís Domènech i Montaner

I started with a list of 130 buildings considered part of architectural “Modernisme” in Barcelona. I began collecting them like postage stamps. (some are on my post “Barcelona Modernism”). Whenever Jonathan decides to rest his knees, I go out and look at a few more buildings. This reached its logical conclusion the other day whenContinue reading “The apotheosis of Modernism–Lluís Domènech i Montaner”

A lighthearted look at the Romanesque

The 11th and 12th centuries were a busy time in the Pyrenees, people were building churches in every little valley and painting them from roof to doors with frescoes. That was a lot of work and a long time ago. Time passed. At the beginning of the 20th century when museums were building their collectionsContinue reading “A lighthearted look at the Romanesque”

A Cabinet of Curiosities in a park full of wonders

It was our week in Montjuic Park, where we spent one day walking from the castle along the ridge, looking at the commercial harbor. We watched a container ship back in to a slip. I was sure it would all be done electronically, after all, a person is so small that the idea of pullingContinue reading “A Cabinet of Curiosities in a park full of wonders”

One Weird Dude–Dali

Now that you know we’re talking about Salvador Dali, I can assure you that he was immensely creative despite being as weird as a two-headed cat. We rented a car and drove to Figueres to visit the museum that Dali designed himself. That’s part of the problem, letting a surrealist design his own space. ItContinue reading “One Weird Dude–Dali”

October’s bright blue weather and a semi-abandoned science zone

That was the name of a poem I had to memorize in about 3rd grade–I don’t remember anything but the title. The description is very apt, as the days have been exquisitely blue and bright, even as the sun rises a bit later and sets a little earlier every day. We’ve visited two large cityContinue reading “October’s bright blue weather and a semi-abandoned science zone”

Gaudi Week, Day 5. We blink.

Sagrada Familia, the still unfinished masterwork that consumed the final years of Gaudi’s life, is the single must-see work of Gaudi’s for anyone visiting Barcelona. That’s not my opinion, that’s from tourist statistics that suggest 85% of visitors to the city make a stop at the church. It’s now a ‘minor’ basilica (no resident cardinal)Continue reading “Gaudi Week, Day 5. We blink.”

Gaudi Week, Day 4–Museums of Catalan Crafts

After seeing places built by Gaudi himself, it’s not quite as interesting to go to a museum. On the other hand, museums often have the furnishings that have been removed over the years from the houses and buildings that Gaudi designed. The Museum of Catalan Modernism is a relatively small collection, but with some fantasticContinue reading “Gaudi Week, Day 4–Museums of Catalan Crafts”

Gaudi Week, Day 3–Casa Batlló

First, it’s Casa Bai-OH (skip the t, skip the ll sort of). This apartment building is arguably the most distinctive structure Gaudi worked on. He transformed an existing building by adding curved balconies to the exterior and adding two stories and an exotically curved peaked roof. There are a series of references to a skeleton,Continue reading “Gaudi Week, Day 3–Casa Batlló”

Gaudi Week, Day 2–Parc Guell

We have been to Parc Guell twice, once to see the section outside the pay zone and once with a ticket. There is more than enough for both visits. Inside the ticketed area is the best known feature of the park, a long sinuous tiled bench that runs around the perimeter of a plaza thatContinue reading “Gaudi Week, Day 2–Parc Guell”