Barcelona 4

18.5.13

Today we ventured onto the metro and the public buses for the first time and found them very user friendly for non-Spanish speakers! One multi-person, multi trip ticket was all we needed for both of us for trains and buses... easy!

We went to Park Guell, outside Barcelona, where Spain's famous architect Gaudi, turned his hand to landscape gardening. The park is world heritage listed and gets an estimated four million visitors a year. Three million were there with us!

 

 

 

It is a strange and enchanting place with the main entrance flanked by Hansel and Gretel gatehouses that remind me of gingerbread houses crusted with shiny icing. Then there is the mosaic salamander, a forest of 88 stone columns with mosaic patterns on the ceiling, and, further on, a gallery of twisted stonework columns and a roof that resembles a cloister beneath tree roots. Above that there is an open, flat space edged with a sinuous bench, decorated with small tile pieces and jammed with people sitting and taking photos. The space is called Banc de Trencadis. The ever creative Gaudi designed it as a catchment for the water running down the hillside, which was then filtered through layers of sand and stone into an underground cistern.

 

 

 

There were a lot of hawkers here (and other places in the city) who set up very mobile displays of their wares ... fans, sunglasses, jewellery, souvenirs etc. displayed on squares of fabric with a pull cord. Every now and then they would grab their wares and scatter in every direction. We noticed one who was too slow and a policeman confiscated his goods and marched him off to be booked. We watched for quite a long time and were fascinated by the signaling system from lookouts they had, to warn of an approaching policeman. We thought the police tolerated them but sometimes nabbed one because they had to! The hawkers didn't take long to set-up again after the policeman did a sweep.

Hawkers with goods on ground sheets. Not at all aggresive but very watchful!

 

 

 

The force was with us!

Gaudi's show house where he lived for some years with his father and niece, is a beautiful building with views of the Mediteranean. It also houses some of his private possessions.

 

 

This church pew is carved from oak and is designed in such a way that two seated people have their backs slightly turned towards each other to facilitate a more prayerful position. It is typically fluid and organic in form.

 

A model of La Sagrada Familia flanked by admirers of his work.

 

NB the unusual toilet seat designed by Gaudi for comfort!

 

In the garden of Gaudi's house where he lived for most of the last 20 years of his life before moving into La Sagrada Familia during its construction until his death in 1926.

 

Palace of Music Barcelona.

 

After a day at Gaudi's garden we went to the stunning, opulent Palau De La Musica for the Grand Gala Flamenco Concert of Barcelona. We bought tickets when we first arrived in Barcelona and were in the dress circle, second row with a clear view of the stage. We have never seen classic Flamenco before so didn't really know what to expect. I was tired after our big day of walking and hoped the 9.30pm start was not too late. Little did I know of what was in store for us!

The stage was set with a line of musicians; two guitarists, a celloist and a Catalan drummer. Sitting alongside were two people. One was a female singer/dancer/clapper and the other a male singer and clapper (clapist??). Sometimes two additional people joined them as clappers.The clapping accompanied almost every dance and set the tempo and was remarkably varied in speed, volume and sound depending on whether the hands were flat or cupped.

The costuming for the women was richly coloured, with closely fitted bodices and heavily flounced skirts which swished and shook. Most wore red, fanned combs in their dark hair.They all wore sturdy high-heeled shoes in strong colours so the tapping could be appreciated when they lifted their skirts. The male dancer wore very fitted trousers and a shirt and waistcoat, 'matador style' and similar high-heeled boots.

The singing was dramatic and emotional in the extreme with what I thought was an underlying Middle-eastern sound some of the time.

The dancing was just amazing. I have never seen anything as precisely controlled, energetic and complex. If I hadn't seen it, I would not believe feet could tap and stamp, twist and turn and counter turn, with such speed, balance and endurance. I think the entire audience was gasping with disbelief along with me. The applause was thunderous after every segment.

It was a very memorable night.