Walking Sant Pere and La Ribera <BR> <BR>Another great walk from BARCELONAWALKS. It starts at the Placa Catalunya, takes about three hours and ends at the harbour. The highlights for me were: <BR> <BR>1. Rambling through streets populated by the "ordinary" people living their very ordinary lives in an extraordinary setting. Wondering if their families have lived there from its beginning in the late Middle ages. <BR>2. The Palau de la Musica Catalana - WOW ….first building I have ever seen that would look out of place & odd in ANY setting, time, geography, culture ….OTT (over-the-top) at the extreme - don't miss it. (Quotes from early 20th century: "…the mixture of brick, ceramics, glass, stone and steel do not help me relax and listen to concerts …"; "horrible, and indescribably ugly" ). I remember a book printed years ago - the Encyclopedia of Bad Taste" - this SHOULD have been on the cover <BR>3. Carrer Montcada: An absolutely extraordinary street dating from the 12th century (houses built from 13th - 17th centuries approx)). Huge stone "town-houses" built by Barcelona's wealthiest families. Important museums (Picasso) and some high-end antique shops. <BR>4. Santa Maria Del Mar: Imposing and austere 14th century church that fills the square <BR>5. Carrer del Rec:: Medieval to 18th Century; is being "gentrified" as is most of the Ribera area. <BR> <BR>To be continued .......

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Thanks, Ger...more great write-ups about things to see in this wonderful city. <BR> <BR>The only place you mentioned I'm not familiar with is the Passatge Permanya. It sounds interesting...where is it?

Capo: <BR> <BR>This is what I posted: <BR> <BR>Passatge Permanya: <BR>Talk about a non-sequitur! - A little piece of England (or Raj India) in the middle of Barcelona. It reminds you of a stroll through Regent's park - two story, sherbet -coloured, neo-classical homes (apparently inspired by Nash). Completely out of context, but an absolute gem of an avenue in any city - if I retire to Barcelona THIS is where I will live! <BR> <BR>Location: East of Carrer Pau Claris; South of Carrer del Consell de Cent <BR> <BR>From "Barcelonawalks" … "a leafy stroll through a row of one-story houses with tiny gardens and a distinct English flavor, inspired in John Nash's neoclassical Regent's Park terraces with their formally designed town houses. Cerda's plan for the entire Eixample envisaged spaces of this kind, a more residential, less commercial atmosphere. But this vision was systematically rejected by the majority of the property owners, who built whatever they thought they needed ….." <BR> <BR>This little "passage" was an aborted prototype and is now a beautiful anomaly. <BR> <BR>Regards .... Ger <BR> <BR>P.S.: I was delighted with BarcelonaWalks, as were you with other books in the series. So I have ordered: Paris, Rome, Florence, Venice and London. Some of them come with tapes! <BR>

Thanks, Ger. I completely missed reading about that in the Barcelonawalks book when we were there. The thing I really loved about Cerda's design for the Eixample was the chamfered (i.e. beveled) corners of the blocks. Very unique; I haven't seen that anywhere else. <BR> <BR>We took the Barcelonawalks walk through the village of Gracia. One of the more poignant parts of this walk is a little square where a bronze sculpture of Antoni Rovira i Trias sits on a bench, with his plan for the Eixample embedded in the concrete at his feet. Trias had designed a plan for the Eixample that wasn't nearly as grid-like as Cerda's plan. but Cerda was (I believe) given the nod over Trias by the government in Madrid. So there sits Trias on his bench, gazing down at his plan that never came to pass (a plan that I think actually looks better than Cerda's.)

Please forgive me, but what is the CityWalks series? BarcelonaWalks, ParisWalks, etc. <BR> <BR> <BR>I'm not familiar with this... <BR> <BR>Thanks

Dee, these are books about various European (and a few other) cities, each one by a different author (who is very familiar with the city), and usually with 4-5 different detailed neighborhood walks. <BR> <BR>As Ger noted, there's a book for Barcelona, Paris, Rome, Florence, and Venice. And there's also a book for London, Berlin, Madrid, Jerusalem, Beijing, and Russia. There may be a few more but those are the ones I'm familiar with.

Capo, <BR> <BR>Thanks so much!! I'm definitely picking one up for Barcelona... <BR> <BR>dee

Dee: The book is out of print so you will probably only find it at Amazon.com or Barcelona.com. <BR> <BR>Capo: Yes, I passed by the statue on the way back from Park Guell. In that area, I particularly liked the little houses on the way down from the park - the few of the original residences that are left.

Ger, thanks so much for the info. I just ordered the book from Amazon (guess I shouldn't have wasted 1/2 hour today looking for it...) <BR> <BR>dee

Ger, glad you saw that statue of Trias! I thought it was so touching. I remember the little houses you're talking about.

Hello, <BR>looking at the date don't know if you are still there. I will be there on the 4th. Wondering if anyone can send some info on Mellorca or Ibiza. Also looking for the n-clubs or some names of cool places to go out at night in Barcelona..... <BR>Suzie, send me an email to my account if this gets posted in time.

great post --- just saw "BJ" this weekend; so NOW can truly appreciate your commentary

Speedy: Sorry, I can't help you as, this year, I have only visited Madrid & Barcelona. I think the WHOLE of Ibiza is a night club and the centre of "garage" (??? not my generation) music. You would have to go way out of your way NOT to have fun! The UK party people might be able to help and also check out the Lonely Planet web site as the visitors are generally in the 20-30 age brackets. Happy travels! <BR> <BR>Luv-a-happy-ending: Bridget Jones: Read both books and saw the movie. The cinema was full -ONLY WOMEN -from ages 15-70. Every time our Bridget got herself into a fix, an embarressed laugh rippled through the audience - we have all been there - shared culture and understanding! <BR>

Finishing the Barcelona Trip Report <BR> <BR>Guell Park <BR> <BR>Definitely worth a visit as it shows Gaudi's work in all its brilliant excess. <BR> <BR>Instead of starting the walk from the recommended Metro station, I decided to be adventurous and start the walk from the next station (North) which would allow me to take the back route to the park - not a very sensible decision for one as directionally challenged as myself! <BR> <BR>I quickly got lost. While poring over a very bad map, a very ancient and charming priest offered to help me find the park. We spent a pleasant hour wandering around the district north of Guell Park and he showed me his church and his residence and the local schools and I honestly despaired of every seeing Gaudi's masterpiece! He did not speak a word of English and I, obviously, have not a work of Catalan, but we did manage to communicate, strangely enough. (I found that the Catalans LOVE talking, perhaps even more than the Irish, and they will happily engage in conversation with you, even though you can't understand a word they say). <BR> <BR>Eventually, he led me to the signpost for the park (which I SWEAR was only five minutes from the Metro) and we parted company. He gave me a big hug, the Papal blessing (we had already established that I was an Irish (lapsed) Catholic) to which I responded by genuflecting and blessing myself (old habits die hard) and a boiled sweetie (made me giggle, as I remember the nuns ALWAYS dispensed boiled sweeties to their favorites). Anyway, I "wasted" over an hour getting there, but I absolutely loved the journey with this darling old gentleman and will always remember it - as I said before "it is the random acts of kindness that stay with me long after the visions of art and architecture fade". <BR> <BR>Except it was not the end of the journey - I have NO bloody idea where I was (and still don't) but I hiked up a mountain and down the other side before I reached the park (after another 30 minutes) and met lots of other nice locals walking their dogs. Halfway up the mountain (OK maybe it was just a very steep and rocky hill but halfway up I was WISHING that I was wearing sneakers instead of the very chic pair of (now ruined) leather slippers) I met a group of old lads with their mutts and sat with them for a bit to catch my breath and have a chat as I was now totally comfortable with non-verbal communication and I am a big "doggie" person, which transcends all language problems. <BR> <BR>It occurred to me that there are great benefits to traveling single, it allows so many more opportunities to fall upon the kindness and friendliness of the locals and, in Barcelona, I found a wealth of both. <BR> <BR>When I FINALLY reached the park, gasping for air and completely dehydrated, it was worth the trek. Like all Gaudi's work, it defies explanation - you MUST see it. <BR> <BR>To be continued … <BR>

Barcelona: Lasting Impressions <BR> <BR>To wrap up - what are my lasting impressions of Barcelona? <BR> <BR>Tour Books <BR> <BR>I had many lovely strolls with my BarcelonaWalks author, George Semler. Most tour books point out important buildings, point out important features, provide dates, name the architect - all of which I am interested in!. <BR> <BR>But, did you ever stand in front of these buildings and wonder about WHO lived there and what their life was like? Well, George tells you - he is SUCH a gossip! He gives the "people" history (not only who lived there, but what they worked at, who their friends were, who they married and the scandal about the first cousin that no-one ever mentions!) In short, it's like doing a tour of your own neighborhood with your Mum who knows all the dirt on the neighbors!) The book was written before the 1992 Olympics, so don't rely on it for practical information. <BR> <BR>Here's are some interesting snippets I learned from BarcelonaWalks: Barcelona Jews may have preceded Barcelona Christians (very interesting discussion in the book on the important role played by the Jewish community and how they contributed to the success of the city, their expulsion and the invitation to come back). Barcelona may well be the first seat of embryonic democracy - inclusion of the merchant classes into government. <BR> <BR>I loved this book so much that I ordered others in the series (Paris, Florence, Barcelona, Rome). <BR> <BR>The People: <BR>Delightful! Definitely the warmest and friendliest people I have met (outside of Ireland, of course, but I am biased). They smile and laugh a lot. .I love the way people would insist in engaging in conversation although they know you can only understand the odd word. <BR> <BR>Language: <BR>They appreciate embarrassing attempts to speak Catalan and try very hard not to laugh. They go out of their way to make you feel comfortable. Example: In a store the girl was trying to explain about how I could get my tax returns (I had not even asked for help). Obviously, I did not understand, so she disappeared for 10 mins and brought back her English-speaking manager who could explain it to me. <BR> <BR>Crime: <BR>It obviously exists although I did not see any. My Barcelona colleagues consider Barcelona to be a safe city but acknowledge there has been an increase in crime against tourists. They advised against wandering around certain areas after dark (The Rambla etc.) as they would not do it. Police were visible in all tourist sites in recognition of the problem, I suppose. <BR> <BR>I thoroughly enjoyed my three days in Barcelona and would be delighted to visit again as there is so much I did not see. The history stretches from Roman times to early 20th century to the recent reconstruction of the waterfront for the Olympics in 1992. <BR> <BR>If you visit Barcelona, you will not be disappointed <BR> <BR>Regards ….Ger <BR> <BR>P.S. I am afraid I cannot guarantee that you have seen the last of Bridget. One visit to Spain and she believes she is an expert! I refuse to take any responsibility for her inane and ill-informed ramblings! <BR>

http://geocities.com/dhfsbf/fodorite/pictures.htm <BR> <BR>Forgot to mention that Sally has kindly posted my photos at the above sit. Thanks SallY! <BR> <BR>Regards ... Ger

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