The first thing of note is the green and blue speckled façade of the building. It appears to be mosaics, but I’m not sure. The balconies look like masks, or tops of skulls. The roofline suggests a cresting dragon’s back, and there is a single, small window to the right, that could be an eye. I did not realize that St George is the patron saint of Barcelona, and he slayed a dragon. This house, therefore, has all these mythical elements. The mask like balconies and the “bone” pillars are supposed to be the dragon’s victims!
The audio guide was very informative, using i-phones. While holding the phone in each room,
pictures flashed across the screen depicting the room as it was probably
furnished.
One of the more curious features of the house is a mushroom
shaped fireplace, with built in benches.
The rest of the house had an underwater theme, so this “forest” element
seemed incongruous.
The stairwell, or light-well, was also interesting. Gaudi utilized a central skylight (basically
a huge rooftop affair, incorporating for the first time ever, metal struts,
giving the appearance of a greenhouse) which brings light into all the internal
spaces of the house. The tiled wall of this stairwell varied in colors of blue, with the lightest at the bottom, and rising to cobalt at the top. Some of the small squared tile looked to be lit from behind, but this was not the case. The light came from the skylight above, giving the appearance of being in an underwater environment.
We left the house, again super impressed by Gaudi’s
genius. Mare went shopping with the
girls, and we three remained home to relax and complete laundry.
Dinner was at Alba de Granados, right down the block. It was a welcome change.
Sunday April 16, 2017
Easter Sunday dawned bright and beautiful. Lenny and I went to Mass at St Ramon’s, and
sat amid the little “old” ladies in black.
Afterward we made our way to Mauri’s (my favorite spot for a cappuccino)
where we bought dessert for later. Last
stop – bread for dinner – now the shopping was complete!
The girls were going to the beach with friends, so we
decided to take in the Barri Gotic walking tour. With travel book in hand, we made our way to
the old city, and hit the points of interest as best we could. It never ceases to amaze me – the Roman influence
that is evident today. One can see the
two bold towers that flank the main street.
These once guarded the entrance gate of the ancient Roman city.
The walk took us to the Jewish quarter, where Jews were
forced to live in narrow passages, under the watchful eye of the
cathedral! Once more, oppressed. We also went to the Placa Saint Philip Neri,
where the walls of the church have been damaged by bombs during the Spanish
Civil War (1936-39). There is a plaque
honoring the 42 who died here, mostly children.
We decided to stop for a drink at the Placa del Rei. This has become one of our favorite spots. The buildings surrounding the square date
back to the 13 century. It was here that
a happy Ferdinand and Isabella greeted a triumphant Christopher Columbus upon
his return from the new world, with six natives in tow!
Our little snack consisted of vermouth (a sweet typical
Spanish treat), olives and crisps – potato chips to you!!
Expecting our guests by 6 (3of Alyssa’s friends), we made it
home in time for final preparations. The
kids arrived, the wine was flowing, dinner was great (Vinny outdid himself),
dessert was sweet, and I was exhausted!!
Tomorrow – Cadaques!
Monday, April 17, 2017
Lenny got the car at 8:30, we picked up Alyssa by 9 and were
on the road to Cadaques, a quaint fishing village with craggy coastline, about
2 hours from Barcelona. The drive took
us over a mountain, where the views were spectacular, though a little tough for
Maryann – heights you know! With the sun
so bright, and reflecting off the white stucco buildings, it was reminiscent of
Rhodes (Greece). It was here we had some
lunch, ambled through shops and drank in the warmth. We decided to return by a different route
which took us along the coastline to other beaches.
We drove through Begur, arriving at Platje de Sa Riera (?)
where we stopped for a while to sit on the beach and revel in its beauty. Access to the beach was down a narrow cement staircase, canopied by trees. It felt like the entrance to a secret garden. The steps opened to the beach. In
addition to appearing wealthy, this area seemed to be a hot spot for
activity. There were bowling alleys,
campgrounds, go-kart tracks, water sports, hiking, - a mecca for the
adventurous. We continued on, finding a
place for a cappuccino stop at Mas del Ares in Girona.
We arrived back in Barcelona by 7 ready for dinner!! Our last night together (the Palmas are
leaving tomorrow) we decided to have burgers!!
We ate right down the street from the apartment at the Burgerseria! It was
great! At the time of this writing,
Mare, Vin and Jill are with Alyssa saying goodbye to her friends – Joy, David,
Elizabeth, and Enrique.
It was a great 10 days with them, and as Maryann reminded me
today, it was all because 24 years ago, she borrowed an egg!!!!
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