Monday, August 14, 2017

Barcelona........I left my heart in Catalonia May 1 - 8, 2017

Hardly ever been to a place that won me over like Barcelona.  Just hearing that word warms my heart.  A busy city, but interestingly it isn't a fast city.  Lots of diversity, all types of interesting people and it seems everyone just goes about their business.

One surprise was pastry..........an amazing bakery on every block and, of course, that had an impact on winning my heart.  Until you taste one of their chocolate croissants, or churros and chocolate, well you are just missing out.

This is what I would call the "City of Architecture".  Gaudi is evident all over the city, along with many other famous architects.  I fell in love with all things Gaudi.

A great city to walk in and there is an architectural treat in every block.  If you can't find interesting things here your eyes must be closed.  I can't even express how I love this place.  I want to return to Spain, maybe even rent a car and see more, more and more.  We saw a lot of the outside, so on my return I want to concentrate on seeing the inside of buildings, museums, churches.  Seven days was not near enough and hopefully I'll have time to go back and see lots more.

Picture time.............. (again, mostly overcast days so detail is lost).

We arrived on May 1st, May Day/Labor Day. We had to wait for our apartment and sat and had coffee (for 2 hours) and all of a sudden we were right at the intersection where the labor parade was starting. Interesting seeing all the people, flags and surprising to us to see Communist flags, hundreds of them. There is also the faction in this area of Spain that wants to be independent Catalonia. So many groups were represented and it was just fun to be in the middle of the action.

It is not a parade without these giant puppets.





Barcelona Cathedral
Constructed 13th - 15th centuries

Beautiful art work.

So adorable.



Motor scooters by the thousands.


Poor guy, I think some folks from the parade yesterday poured red paint on him. See paint can on his head. The next day there was a screen all around him, and then the next day the had him all cleaned up. Pretty quick action.


Window display, flower made out of bottles, 
vase is a bottle and filler is shredded paper.


An essential part of my life, churros. Very big in Barcelona. They like to serve it with rich, dark chocolate to dip it is.   I prefer mine just with sugar.   Hard to make them understand you don't want chocolate, but just coffee with it.  I could eat this every day.







  Erik, our guide for the Walking Tour.  Great way to
learn about the core of the city and history.

Saint George (Sant Jordi) slaying the dragon.  You will
find this all over Barcelona., statutes, buildings.  He is
the patron saint of Catalonia.

Musicians all over the city and it was nice to hear
the Spanish guitars echoing off the courtyard.




 Picasso, he lived in Barcelona for many years and 


Again, St. Jordi and the dragon.

The flag of Spain, but with the white star it represents
someone who wants to separate from Spain and be an 
independent Catalonia.  You see these flags everywhere.  I 
think there is a great desire by many to become separate.





Not for the weak of heart.  Really packs a wallop.












Blackberry liquor from the Azores.
Wonderful.







Gondola ride over city.





New Blog location

I have started posting my blogs on Facebook, just a little easier to mess with.  So if you'd like to read any the link is:  https://www.facebook.com/pg/GOINGTOSEEITALL/posts/?ref=page_internal

I did Barcelona here and in new spot, great city so it can have two blogs, LOL