October 1 – 13
To begin this year’s travels, we joined our Nashville friends, Emily and Van, as they were “House Sitting” for their Nashville friends Evert and Deborah, who now live in El Prat, a suburb of Barcelona. Their apartment provided our home base, shared with Van and Emily, until they left. Then, after a day on our own, Deborah and Evert returned from their visit to the States. We now met them for the first time and really enjoyed spending the next few days with them.
With Emily & Van: On our first night in El Prat, we took a longer than expected walk to Can Pizza for a dinner of unusual, and unusually good, pizza.
A visit with Nan C. in Sitges: On a previous visit, Sara and I had met Nan C., an expat from the USA who now lives in Sitges, a short train ride southwest of Barcelona. This time we took Emily & Van with us to meet Nan. We spent another lovely day exploring Sitges and sharing travel stories. We visited a local museum and had lunch along the beach. Nan C. also invited us to visit her small apartment and to look at her beautiful artwork. A thoroughly enjoyable day. Thanks Nan.
Montjuic with Emily: While Van was off shopping in Barcelona, Sara, Emily, and I took the funicular and then the cable car up the mountainside of Montjuic to the historic fortress overlooking Barcelona. Sara and I have done this before, but it was Emily’s first time. There’s quite a history of conflicts over Barcelona, and the fortress has been ruled by both attackers and defenders, as well as serving as a prison. From the top of the fortress, we enjoyed magnificent views over Barcelona. The hillside of Montjuic features lovely gardens, a few museums, and the preserved site of the 1992 Olympic Games.
Museo Europeu D’ Art Modern: MEAM: In central Barcelona, we visited this small but intriguing museum that featured works of “modern realism.” There was quite a variety, from paintings surprisingly indistinguishable from photography to works of fancy and humor.
Palau Guell: Sara and I thought we had seen all the major Gaudi sights in Barcelona, but we hadn’t. So Emily & Van took us to visit Palau Quell, a home that Gaudi had designed and built (1886-1891) for his patron, the wealthy industrialist Eusebi Guell. Palau Guell is in the center of the city, just off the Rambla. But on our first visit, it was closed. (Reminder: always check dates and opening times / never assume it’s like America. It’s not.) So we returned another day to enjoy one more unique creation of Barcelona’s amazing artist Antoni Gaudi.
An Evening of Jazz at The Velvet Room: For a night out in Barcelona, we found The Velvet Room, an intimate venue to enjoy some jazz. Unlike what we hear in Jersey City, the jazz players in Europe are more likely to play their versions of recognizable jazz standards, rather than unknown tunes and over-indulgent, discordant show-off solos. Sara and I really enjoyed this more melodic entertainment.
Emily & Van both celebrated their birthdays with us in Barcelona:
For Emily: It was lunch at a restaurant in the former Bullfight Ring at Plaça d’Espanya, followed by an evening Sailboat Ride. Sailboats competing in the America’s Cup were in the harbor, so we could see some of them, although not in action. Our boat ride was a little too crowded for comfort, but our captain and her assistant gave us some lovely views of Barcelona from the water.
For Van: It was a Steak Dinner at the “National Burger” restaurant, near Palau Guell. From there we split up as Van went on his own to a special store where he could test and order his own special chef’s knife. Van loves to cook, and he’s a great chef, so this was a very special purchase for him.
Daytrip to Montserrat: On our own Sara and I took the daytrip to Montserrat. Montserrat refers to a mountain range near Barcelona. From a distance, the jagged peaks appear to be “serrated,” like the teeth of a saw, hence the name “Mont + Serrat.” Our guided daytrip involved a long bus ride to the foot of the mountains, and then a Rack Railway up to the Benedictine Monastery high up the mountainside. The Abbey of Santa Maria de Montserrat, a venerated pilgrim destination, features a beautiful church, a Boys’ Choir, the throne of the Virgin Mary, a museum, and a Gift Shop (of course), where we could sample and purchase the liquors made by the monks. After our time in Montserrat, the bus took us to a winery for a light lunch and some wine tasting. Then back to Barcelona.
With Deborah and Evert: We had just a few days with Deborah and Evert, but we enjoyed meeting and spending time with them. We didn’t explore much of El Prat, since we used the Metro every day to have fun in Barcelona. But Evert and Deborah took us around the older part of El Prat which we found delightful. The restaurants in town were having a special event to celebrate their local and special large chicken, the Pota Blava, known for their blue legs. During this event, each of some 30 restaurants offered a Pota Blava Tapas and a Beer for just 5 euros. Evert led us to one of his favorite spots, which we really enjoyed. Then on another day, Sara and I made our own pilgrimage to El Prat for more “Pota Blava Tapas & Cervezas.”
Flamenco Concert with Israel Fernandez at the Palau de Musica: The focus here was on the singer; there were no Flamenco dancers. He was accompanied on stage by a fantastic Flamenco Guitarist, a percussionist, and two other young men whose job was the clap in rhythm. (I wondered how much training this required, and where I could get a job, onstage as a clapper.) The singer and guitarist were both amazing, and the audience loved it, responding throughout. Unfortunately, the singing and comments were all in Spanish or Catalan with no accommodation for my reliance on English. The sounds were spectacular, but we could not understand what was said or sung. This was our third visit to the Palau de Musica, an absolutely gorgeous concert venue. Even if you don’t speak the language, go for the music and this stunning concert hall.
Leaving El Prat and Barcelona, we flew on to our next destination, Normandy in France. We took a flight to Paris, the Orly Airport, and then a train to Rouen where our adventures in Normandy would begin.
