What follows is lengthy.
Bon Dia fellow voyageurs. Com esta? Hope that your recent trips went well. Our most recent trip was traveling to Barcelona this past fall. It was our first time there and we stayed two weeks, followed by another couple weeks up in Aragon's Pyrenees peaks. After crossing up into the French Pyrenees, we spent 10 days visiting the mountain parks there. Finally, we took a TGV from Lourdes to Paris to complete the open jaws. Whew! It was our longest trip ever and illness plus fatigue played a role.

We were among the Canucks who scrambled to book new replacement flights after an Air Canada strike was threatened. AC pilots were apparently earning 40% less then their colleagues elsewhere. Mrs Z and I would like to thank the AC Executives plus their equally greedy shareholders for all the undue stress - the strike never happened. Our replacement flight gave us but a 40 minute window to catch a connecting Zurich flight down to Barcelona. Sprinting like Usain Bolt, we made that second plane with seven minutes to spare. Try that sometime as seniors.

A well-known actor was in the same boat airplane as us. We sat right beside him without recognizing who it was at Toronto's Maple Leaf lounge. It was Bradley Whitford, who portrayed 'Josh' in the popular 'West Wing' TV series. He'd been in T.O. to promote his latest 'Handmaidens Tale' for the annual TIFF film fest.
God's Sense of Humour: to further the stress, our luggage was lost. That was a first. Air Canada had earlier run out of 'Priority' tags. We waited for three hours for our suitcases to finally arrive from Madrid. There is a Catalan saying: 'Has Begut Oli' (we've drunk oil) to indicate when one has erred. Well, Mrs Z and I erred in remaining seated nearby another traveler waiting for lost luggage. He hack coughed non-stop. one can only assume that he was the source for the illness that plagued us pyrennial travelers for the next two months, even after we returned home.

*Final note before we launch into photography. Si us plaus amics (Catalan: please friends), do not hesitate to add your own input here. Anything goes, including your own favorite recommendations, different opinions, stories, imagery, whatever. Let's try to aim for more interactivity and we will not be offended when folks post their own tales and such. Go for it. The goal is to create a fun TR that will be useful to all travelers.

We will divide this TR into three sections. First this, then a second episode covering the Spanish Pyrenees. A separate French Pyrenees part will conclude.
Vale!

First, an overview.

We rented two different apartments in Barcelona. The first week was in Born (la Ribera) then the second week was in Gracia (thx Maribel). Details to follow.

There was some unseasonal rain. Luckily, it occurred early on, while I was bedridden with fever and my wife was hack-coughing as never before. Seen above, trendy Passeig de Gracia which is the spine for La Ruta Modernisme in the Eixample (ay-SHAM-pluh).

There was a bit of brouhaha with some locals protesting the ongoing effect that tourism has on housing costs and quality of life. Beyond the odd bit of graffiti and a few banners, we experienced exactly zero hassles in that regard. Some locals protested The Americas Cup.


We had a good time in Barcelona. Everywhere we met with friendly residents and good vibes.

A fair chunk of our time was spent attending activities associated with the annual La Merce fest. Seen here, the special gelato whipped up for the occasion by 'Anita' gelato. She originally came from Israel to establish her old-school gelateria by an attractive square up in Gracia. The staff there were especially welcoming and friendly.
Correfoc madness below.

But Barcelona has plenty of other attractions. Seen here, the colorful glass dome of the city's Palau de Musica. Thanks for the tip to visit this place of live classical music, gruezi! We skipped the famed Sagrada Familia, BUT are happy to pass along the following logistical tip for those interested in seeing it from nearby. Both the Colon plus the Sercotel Rossello hotel roof terrace cafes offer excellent views. Reserve ahead.

Barcelona is an art-led city. Above was the ingenious 5' tall male arm art installation located at the entry to one of the city's historic churches.. Realistic right down to the hairs!

Some street art. Atop, we see a depiction of local popstar Rosalia in the placa Jaume Sabartes. A break-and-enter had just happened a block away as we snapped this shot, leaving smashed glass from an unfortunate small business' front window littering the alley.

One of the more enjoyable places in Born to have an outdoors meal with wine would be 'La Vinya del Senor'. Bonus: sometimes weddings spill out from the basilica barely 10m away.

Spain has a long history of producing good wine.

So does Portugal. After 36 years of searching, I FINALLY found a bottle of the rare red 'Bucacao'!!! I found it at a shop nearby the Vinya del Senor: Vila Viniteca. We also bought a bottle of their similarly uncheap but superb Marques de Murrietta white. That shop has an adjoined deli.

More mural art, this time from the Born placa in front of the 14C Basilica Santa Maria del Mar. The latter's placa is a must visit, the square's lively atmosphere a perfect microcosm of all the best the tiny Born district has to offer. Trendy Born retains some medieval flavor but remains less hectic and crowded with tourists as the Barri Gotic.

Self-explanatory, yeah?

Gracia is a gentrifying residential neighborhood filled with a number of placa-squares. Each has their own personality and some have pretty old buildings.

The Museu de la Xocolata. Know anyone who likes chocolate? You sure?

A trick shot from the Barceloneta neighborhood.

We conclude this overview with a picture of Annibal Palazolo. He is originally from BA and busks in front of the main Cathedral. We visited with him a couple of times, to share our mutual admiration of the Madrid band 'Radio Tarifa' and also buy his own flamenco CD 'Entre Cuerdas.' Flamenco is not really a Catalan specialty but is mostly based down in Andalucía. Whatever...
Next: after a musical interlude--La Merce fest.

Always love your TRs and sublime photography, zebec!

Gracie Ade! Folks, do check out Ade's recent 'Taste of France' TR. That trip apparently came just after she was released from Yatala.
I am done. The sombrero

La Merce Fest is an annual fall affair, a crazy combo of street celebrations. Those range from tons of live music, to colorful parades with giant papier-macher characters, to mass crowd trad dancing, to fireworks, to human tower teams, to kiddie events, to religiously-based events.
And then there's the infamous 'Correfoc' (fire run). An observer once commented: "I am sure that the Correfoc would be illegal in most other countries!" The Correfoc is presented in two parts: first the kids milder version starting in late afternoon. Then the real McKoy, the zany adult version. The whole Correfoc was special.

We had a nice chat with this pair. The mentally-challenged son bearing the trident on the right was this year's kids Correfoc parade leader. I explained to his dad on the left how I'd once been a Spec Ed teacher and after that we hit it off.

Brazilian-style neighborhood drum troupes ('tabalers' and 'timbales') start the kids Correfoc off by each performing some percussion pieces before a modest parade around the downtown corner.

Those neighborhood associations are composed of both children and adults - a wonderful idea.

Everyone had fun. A true community highlight each autumn.

An intense moment mere seconds before the parade commenced and moved onto Rambla de Catalunya (not to be confused with the more famous touristy Ramblas). *After the LOUD parade got going, I noticed a lone middle-aged man seated on a nearby bench while reading a novel. LOL! Kind of like yarning socks during a rocket launch.

Intermittent rain resulted in some Correfoc figures being held back in storage coz they were made of materials that could not stand water. Shown here through a window at the Barceloneta district museum housing past Correfoc items, a fierce fanged mask.

This 'drac animacio' figure was called 'Loki'. He and his little brother 'Aro' were created in 2022 by Elais Alvarez to represent the El Coll neighborhood up in Gracia. Loki is shown here on display days before the fest at Born's Cultural Center, a former market with ancient foundation ruins on display.

Here is Loki during the start of the parade. We learned that those drum troupes above serve an additional purpose: their relentless beats signal the location of unexploded firecracker caches to those paraders like the one shown here. The goal is to warn those wearing Loki-like figures to keep a distance so as NOT to accidentally spray their firecrackers too close to those caches.

Gaudiamus is another 'drac', in this case named for the city's famed hero. Larger than most, this Gracia figure was created in '99 by Dolors Sans. The Poblenou district's iconic monster bestiari is a 'fenix' bird, while the Sant Antoni motif is a 'porca' pig. Sant Andreu always sends their 'bretola' or three-headed Crebrus dog to the Correfoc.

Nimrod, who along with his wife Lilith were the original figures that til recently guarded the Correfoc's Porta de l'Infirm (gate of hell), the point through which all the diables and diablesses ran through to start the whole zany affair. Lilith is a giant green 'vibria' (viper). She carries a trident and wears a brazen bodice. She and hubbie were recently retired for fear of folks stealing them like Banksy collectables. 'MENYSTIGUT LA PORTA HA DESAPAREGUT' (the door is gone) read a protesting sign in the Correfoc.

Another parading beastie who agreed to allow a quick foto. All diables and diablesses regardless of age, were members of barrio associations just like their drumming counterparts.

Shooting sparks aplenty.

There were fire-breathing 'volador/sagresaur' dragon serpents representing evil, sinister eagles, Lleo the lion, angry goats, goofy cartoonish figures and more. Think a really animated Halloween where the-guy-down-the-street-who-does-pyrotechnic-effects-for-movies is in charge.

A designated adult or two was in charge of lighting each kids firecrackers, then the kids were sent on their merry way to parade and carry on.

Here is one such adult, sober as they should be.

Kids line up behind another adult in charge of lighting the various contraptions that carried fireworks. Those contraptions included vertical spark launchers ('francesos') and also spinning wheels on long poles ('carretilles').

There were some coordinated gestures, while other participants favored solo prancing about. Many approached tourist watchers with mock-charges and playful 'threats.'

Some folks wisely brought goggles plus long-sleeved clothing to protect against errant sparks. I saw a number of participants plus tourists who were seemingly unaware of live sparks that had fallen onto their clothing.

The location was Passeig de Gracia between Rossello and the Catalunya metro stop.

Check out the boy's facial expression.

Things were ramping up. Some tourists acted with control. Others seemed to forget social norms. A Chinese tourist family stood right in front of me, like I was somehow invisible (long groan). Their 20-ish entitled daughter tried to move me off my spot with a nudge. I ignored her, planted my feet and maintained my position.

These kids will never forget the moment. We see them at recess the following day. Sister: "AND THEN THE DRAGON BEAST SHOT SPARK FIRE AT RAIMUNDO AND EVERYTHING! HE STARTED CRYING!" Brother Raimundo: "LIAR! I DID NOT!!!'

By this point, you could tell that everyone was anticipating the REAL adult Correfoc.

The end of the kids correfoc. It began to rain. A cold rain not conducive to people with illness.

This figure was much taller than a basketball player. Dig the claws. Next: *The Adult Correfoc, one of Barcelona's Great Travel Moments. We recommend that you wear eye goggles and like that.

Just five shots here. There was a palpable sense of mounting excitement in the massive crowd during the hour gap between the end of the kids Correfoc and the start of the Adult version. We chatted on a wet bench with a young German engineer whose dad was from Barcelona. The second that the above fireworks signaled 'the start' and illuminated Gaudi's most famous apartment, the above wavy 'La Pedrera', an ocean of giddy people swept us away from that bench.

It was as exciting as any stage production or concert anywhere. I thought to myself, "WELL-DONE BARCELONA!" It was then necessary to search for gaps in the crowd in order to squeeze onto the actual street location of the coming Correfoc procession. No easy task.

There was no doubt whatsoever now that the kids version had been the opening act to warm up the crowd. Things were by now darker (in more ways than one), explosions were louder as all Hell broke loose. It wasn't really that dangerous but one had to keep one's wits about them.

Revelers, both local and foreign.

We will continue to cover La Merce fest in the next posts. But first, some reading reccos.

Recommended Reading:
The Ghosts of Spain by Giles Tremlett.
Shadow of the Wind by the late Carlos Ruiz Zafon.

Enjoying your TR, and hope you had a good trip despite the flight and health challenges.
Your Air Canada experience reminds me of a Canadian couple we met a few years ago (at Naples airport?). The airline misplaced their bags at the start of their 3 week Sicily holiday, they had to shop for everything and finally received their bags on their departure day from Italy!

Ouch for that Canuck couple ANUJ! I have to bite my tongue every time that we hear the words 'Air Canada' nowadays. Of course, things go wrong from time to time at airlines but lately that seems to occur too often with AC. *Folks, if you haven't already be sure to check out ANUJ's Northern Italy TR from this past summer.
I am done. the Spaniard in the Works

PS For those who may not know, Bielsa is a mountain town up in the Spanish Pyrenees.

As mentioned above, we were not interested in the Sagrada Familia. My wife and I opted instead to do a special, pre-opening 'sunrise' self-guided tour of Gaudi's first creation 'Casa Vicens.' We had to be there right at 8am or miss the chance - no exceptions.

Casa Vicens was all about Gaudi's initial attempt at what became the 'Modernista' movement. In his imagination, that meant flamboyant mosaics and custom fountains. The various doors, windows, mirrors, art and plants were all special in their appearance. This was no place for 'plain.' Here, the ornate tower. There were good rooftop views.

Color was everywhere.

The stylish wrought-iron fence that he designed for his rich patron Vicens. See the mug second-from-left in the next foto.

Casa Vicens is a World Heritage Site. Here are the mugs that we bought from the Gift Shop. The motif second-from-right was all over the building.

The eccentric building is known colorfully-tiled Moorish tiles.

No matter what the rumors say: the cafe is OPEN.

Mrs Z said that this design was her fave...

...until she saw this. Next, the usual suspects: the Palaua de Musica, Barri Gothic (selfie stick central) and more.

I'd been inspired by Gaudi and those final two shots above were taken as soon as we got back to our rental. One of our windows had some strangely abstract qualities.
I am done. the art

So now we return to the La Merce Fest. It wasn't all Correfoc fire run madness. Another high-profile event (held at City Hall) was the double attraction of the remarkable Catalan Casteler' human towers and the charming 'Gegants.'
The latter were celebrating their 600th Anniversary.

Mrs Z wasn't interested so I attended this event on my own. That was a blessing. She simply could not have handled the crowds (more about those later). Pretty sure that the man above was the mayor of the nearby town of Zaragoza. The outsized gegants number in the hundreds across the country and Barcelona welcomes neighboring towns to send some of their own to be part of the big parades.

As with other festive events, banners representing barrios (or in this case another town) were part of the show. The gegants that they lead about represent various historical figures.

Gegants are lovingly created with paper machier and fiberglass. They can reach as high as 5 meters. The robust individuals who volunteer to go inside them and carry them around are always covered in sweat afterwards. The towering King above was from Zaragoza, a town whose name I could not begin to properly pronounce, nothing like its phonetic appearance! The guy inside this gegant was actually a young keyboardist named Andrieu. We had a long chat during a break.

The angry 18C painter Francisco Goya next to an imposing monster character called Gigantius. This pair were also from Zaragoza and like all other gegants would do a twirling dance to historical music during the various downtown parades. If the parade took them along medieval alleys here, it would be called a 'toc a plagar'. Btw, Goya's wife trailed behind.

The Rioja town of Calahorra sent this historical trio: a noblewoman, a bearded Moorish Sultan and a Roman woman.

The King and Queen? Am I right, Enric? Maribel?

Some gegants were more comical.

I rest my case.

Spain's Jewish heritage was represented. First the husband...

...followed by his 15' wife.

There were many other traditional figures, African kings, Asian lords, humble fishermen, knights to name but a few. Children especially appreciated the smaller and more nimble 'capgrossos' or 'macers' (fat-heads). Those were cartoonish and comical alternatives to the much larger gegant collection.

The crowd grew with each passing minute. It began to rain off and on. I'd arrived 2 hours early to stake my place right by the City Hall wall, advice given to attendees: more shade and less crowd crush. Uh-huh...

Live musicians abounded. Next: the other half of this day - the famed Casteler human towerss.

The incomparable Camaron, flamenco's premier star.

Trip Report and Spain tags added

Catalunya sends many of its towns' Casteler teams to Barcelona. These traditional social group associations each compete on the clock to construct, then deconstruct, a human tower.

Prior to the event, the crowds continued to swell. I was expecting this. The local woman squashed beside me was friendly Lourdes, who'd lived all over the globe with her husband and children. She became my guide to what was unfolding. We were pinned against the steel barrier fence erected by the medical emergency team close to the wall. Above is the Casteler girl chosen to tie a ceremonial bandana around the patron saint's hand for good luck. Once that ritual was complete, it was game on!

Two hours before the event. The crowd still felt manageable.

Moments before the event. Lourdes became so pissed off at folks who kept insisting on invading our 10 inches of space, that she yelled at them. Idiot tourists dragging suitcases through the impenetrable mass. Foolish local parents who brought young kids in strollers. Misguided locals who'd brought their elderly parents only to be crushed, like the octogenarian on my other side. Above: young casteler members blocked by insensitive onlookers from reaching their crew. It was uncomfortable.

Here we go! Captains encouraged their teams with this ritual of grasping hands in a huddle.

The burliest 'pines' formed the base.

The middle lifters are known as 'manilles'. Spotters also took their places to watch for signs of falls and collapse. It happens.

Note the kids climbing on the lower left and top right. Crowd update: at this point, if you had a full bladder, then you were out-of-luck. Ditto if it'd been a sunny day and you'd not brought a hat. An uneasy feeling was taking over those of us who were being crushed into the fence by the ever-thickening throng. I've attended concerts by Led Zeppelin and also Pink Floyd where attendance exceeded over 80,000. But in placa Jaume (JOW-may) on this day, there was no escape.

I threw in this image coz it chronologically features a nearly-complete tower. This was actually part of the opening act on a side stage, a series of visiting 'falcones'. These were youth group guests from out of town whose 'wing' formations were wider and less tall than the casteler versions. Both kinds of human towers sought to place a child atop their team.

Were these two brother and sister?

The 'enxaneta' or top child waves success to the admiring crowd.

Dual enxaneta kids crown their team's towers.

An example of bravery and teamwork and trust. By this point, a young Brit couple had planted themselves atop my feet. Having recently suffered cracked toes twice in the past two years, I was not best pleased and took to placing my elbows directly into their backs. Lourdes did the same to protest those crushing her. After the Brits left, a pair of muscular young Germans took their place, their butts nearly pushing me back over the metal fence! They too received some elbow therapy before I left.