Barcelona: Sushi/Parc Guell/Sagrada Familia/Tapas

9:20 AM  Breakfast of buttered toast and tea.

12:30 PM  Marie and I began walking and exploring Barcelona on our own.  A few blocks from the apartment, we came upon a Japanese sushi restaurant named Hua Shui Mu-sushi.  The owner is Cantonese.  He says a lot of Spanish people like the sushi buffet.  The place was empty, but as the Spanish eat later, we beat the 2 PM rush.  Much of the sushi we were eating had been sitting for a while and were pretty dry, but before long, skewered teriyaki chicken arrived on the conveyor belt.  The owner then began to make fresh sushi with avocado and cucumber.  I waited for him to add them to the buffet.  He thought that we were finished eating, but I said I was waiting for his creations.  He happily cut the rolls – his version of a California roll, a tuna roll and also a cucumber roll for us.  When we stopped eating, we had gone through 20-25 plates (the first 15 plates had only 1-2 items on them).  Add two colas, and we were quite full when we left.

Strolling along the streets of Barcelona, we found the Metro L5 station (Sants).  At the ticket station, we debated whether to buy the single one-way or the 10 ride tickets.  After counting the trips we’d be taking throughout the day, we decided the single one way would be the way to go, not knowing that the cost would be €2 each.  By the way, the 10 ride ticket was €9.20 and can be shared; the day pass was €6.20.

Transferring to the Blue Line L3 at Diagonal, we travelled a few stops to Vallcarca.  We followed Vallcarca to M.  Having gone too far, we asked a clerk at a corner sushi restaurant for directions.  The clerk instructed us to return one block and make a right.  This block was one of those really long blocks, but we found the way.

It was a turn we noticed earlier when we first passed it, because it had escalators up several hills.  Marie and I were conversing so much that we hadn’t realized the crowd had turned to go up the escalators.  Sure enough, there was a sign post with a small indicator to the way to the Parc.

The sun was beating down, making the ascent using the escalators a welcome feature.  We stayed to the far right to take advantage of what little shade we could use.

At the Parc Guell entrance, someone taped a paper message that the community did not want the Parc to charge an entrance fee.  Today there was no fee.

We walked along a steep winding trail into the park in the sun with little shade, some nondescript plants and Indian vendors every 20 feet.  The vendors were selling half frozen water from a plastic bag, or jewelry laid out on squares of canvas cloth.

This particular trail led to a stone structure with narrow winding stairs on either side leading up to a tiny viewing platform at the top with two stone crosses.  From this platform, one could see the city to the sea and up the surrounding hills.  I took a few photos, having to wait for others to clear my view while trying not to get knocked off as a steady flow of people kept adding to the tight space.  All this was happening as a long-haired guitarist in leopard print tights, leather vest, white cowboy hat and thick rimmed white sunglasses was enthusiastically singing in English country songs with the wrong words.  The crowd applauded and hooted for him, but not many dropped money in his hat.

When I was through taking photos, I descended the stairs and collected Marie at the base, sitting in the shade on a bench carved into the structure.

We continued on the trail toward the main attraction of the Guadi artwork.

On the outskirts of the plaza, there is a water spigot to fill your water bottle.  There was a long line in the sun as people kept washing their hands and lowering their heads to drench their head and neck to cool off.  Marie and I found a shady seat nearby.  I took some photos while Marie waited for the line to shorten so she could fill her water bottle.  When her opportunity arrived, two teenage girls cut her off to use the spigot to wash their hands and fill their bottles.

Approximately 3:30 pm:  We went to the lower level of the plaza that held the tiled columns and concave ceiling art that was a popular site for touring groups.  I tried to listen in on a few hoping to hear something in English, to no avail.  Marie sat at the base of a column while I took photos.  I had been here in 2006 with Grit, so I probably already had photos of this ceiling, but I couldn’t resist taking photos again in hope for a better exposure or angle.

When I had felt I had enough photos, Marie and I moved to tiled seating to people watch.

4:00 pm then 4:30 pm approached.  We headed to see what was housed in the outer two buildings that were curiously formed and colorfully tiled.

The building on the left was a guardhouse and the building on the right was a bookshop.  The bookshop was very narrow inside and had a staircase leading to a room with jewelry and souvenirs.  I looked through a small but chubby book of Guadi works.  I would have bought it, but the weight and space left in my luggage posed a factor in my decision to not buy it.

5:00 pm:  Left Parc Guell to find the Metro back to Diagonal station.  We followed the crowd through streets lined with souvenir shops.  As the crowd thinned, we relied on instinct or lucky guesswork peppered with the occasional signs to the Lessep Metro station.  Deciding to turn right instead of left to the Lessep station in order to return to the Vallcarca stop, I had hoped to stick with the familiar.

Along the way, Marie spotted a tank top she liked.  We went in to do a little shopping.  There were Spanish dancing dolls with Guadi inspired dresses.  I purchased one Marie liked and another she thought that Michelle would like.  In the back of the shop, Marie chose a different tank top which happened to have a tee shirt with the same design for Chad.

As we approached the Metro station, the area didn’t look familiar.  By a portable drink and snack kiosk, I asked one man among the crowd of tourist who looked like they might have exited the Metro, whether there was a Metro nearby.  The man replied, “50 metres” while looking back.  Sure enough, behind the kiosk, hidden by a tree, was the red M metro sign.

Another ticket purchase and a few stops to Diagonal station for transfer.

6:00 pm at Diagonal, we had two stops to Sagrada Familia.

6:10 pm:  Exited at Sagrada Familia just outside its entrance.  I saw Jordi across the street dialing his cell phone.  I shouted “Jordi!”, but he didn’t hear me.  We spotted Grit with the pram and Nils running around and began waiving wildly.  Grit spotted us.  They crossed the street and then we entered the Basilica through the reservation entrance – no waiting.

The Basilica is really large and the ceiling several stories high.  There were video information stations explaining the design concepts used in the creation of the interior columns and ceiling.  At first glance, one would think that Guadi’s whimsical columns that were to depict trees couldn’t possibly bear the weight of the ceiling.  The columns were constructed with double helixes and were designed to bear the weight of the ceiling even when branched out.

The ceiling design look like flowers, but the construction of the petals and center were designed to enhance the acoustics, as Guadi had the church’s choir in mind.

Behind the pulpit, you can see a chapel at a lower level.  The chapel was designed as a traditional church.  There were windows looking down below to let in more light.

We stepped outside to see the true entrance with work completed during Guadi’s lifetime.

Grit told Jordi about the lower level chapel.  Jordi said he saw the entrance when he took Nils to the toilet.  Nils was getting antsy.  Grit said I should take a look at the chapel.  I said the kids were restless, we could skip it.  Grit said it’d be no problem.

Jordi stopped to ask an employee about the chapel entrance.  The employee replied that we would need to leave and re-enter the chapel from its own entrance.  It seemed too much trouble.

Nevertheless, we found the entrance to the chapel.  The doorway was blowing hot air, giving us the impression that the lower level was very hot inside, when in reality, it was the air conditioning releasing the hot air the way a refrigerator does.

The entrance had a staircase to the lower level, making it inaccessible for the pram. Grit opted to stay outside with the boys. Marie stayed with Grit to help her.

The chapel was traditional in the sense it had statues of religious figures, candles and several coves for private prayer.  There was one group praying out loud and singing as if holding a novena. They must have received special permission because they ignored the requests for silence, shushing and the signs for silent prayer.

The church is still not complete. Here is a model of the completed church, as envisioned by Anton Guadi, whose tombstone can be found under plexiglass in this chapel:

We left to the Metro to go to a tapas/bar near Grit’s apartment.

We ordered a pitcher of sangria, picked up a plate and chose a tapas pierced with a wooden skewer.  At the end of the meal, the skewers were counted, multiplied by the going price to calculate the tab – much like counting up sushi plates.  The tapas at this place were:  *slices of a large baguette with a slice of goat cheese *cheese and Spanish ham *ham and cheese spread *crab spread.

Nils, having already eaten and no longer thirsty, began to get antsy.  He rolled the stroller/pram around the restaurant.  Pau woke up and needed attention.  Nils’ attention seeking amplified when I held Pau so Grit could eat.  Nils’ was further set off when I wouldn’t let him take my bag of purchases.  Jordi took Nils outside to ride out his tantrum, while I took care of the tab.

A walk back to the apartment in the warmth of the evening was relaxing.

Returned to the apartment about 11 pm; Pau in my arms, his head peering over my shoulder taking in the sites.  I took Pau to the balcony’s doorway for the cool air while Marie clapped her hands for Pau’s entertainment.  When Pau was done with the clapping, I sang notes the tune of Peter Cottontail, sometimes adding what words I knew, which got Pau to laughing from giggles to belly laughs.

Midnight:  Time to pack for our departure.  Jordi was at the computer to assist with printing our boarding passes for our flights.

Grit stopped by our room while we were journaling.  We thanked her for her hospitality and she thanked us for the church admissions and dinner.

I asked her if Jordi was the guy I met last time I visited in 2006 – “No, it was the crazy guy – Juan.”

It’s so late it’s early.  Got to get some rest, because I don’t sleep on the plane….