Category Archives: Barcelona

Gaudi Day, the Sagrada Familia church

We were going to use our ICOM cards to visit Sagrada Familia, but it requires waiting in the long ticket line and then returning for the timed entry, often late in the afternoon. We caved and bought the online tickets. Even waiting until the end of October didn’t diminish the crowds much, though we gotContinue reading “Gaudi Day, the Sagrada Familia church”

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”

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”