Leaving Barcelona

Today we leave Barcelona and will catch the high speed train to Paris. We have only scratched the surface of all that Barcelona has to offer. As part of the tour we visited Montserrat, Sagrada Familia and also went up Montjuic. Montjuic is a large parkland area on a hill to the south of Barcelona. Wonderful views of the city, beautiful parklands and also numerous facilities from the 1992 Olympics.

Ian finally had to succumb to the cold he caught from one of the tour members (he was not happy!). So he missed the final dinner we had in one of the restaurants in the Port Olimpic area on the sea front. It was a delicious meal, rich in seafood which I love (octopus, mussels, salmon).

Ian lay low the next day so I went exploring in very leisurely fashion. I visited the Palau de la Musica Catalana, recommended by Andros. It was built about a century ago as a venue for the Orfeo Choir and was designed along the Modernisme lines so prevalent in Barcelona. I did the tour (fairly expensive) of the building, but it is a stunning piece of architecture.

I then found my way through one of the old medieval areas, la Ribera, to visit the Esglesia de Santa Maria del Mar. This is a medieval cathedral built in a remarkably short period of time (about 50 plus years) in which local workers played a key role in constructing and 'owning' it. The architect also tried to capture the Mediterranean light in the building. Given the technologies of the time, he managed this fairly well. It is a simple building but has a lovely feeling - free entry too. Andros and Ellie had given me a novel to read about its construction so it gave me a greater feeling for it and for the area.

I also discovered an old market building, now the El Born cultural Centre. For about 50 years from 1921, this cast iron building had been the wholesale produce market in Barcelona. When this ceased, the city cast around for alternative uses for the space, finally deciding to house a library there.

As they began work, they uncovered archaeological remains in very good condition which revealed a great deal about Barcelona in the 1700s. This has been preserved and is on display. The library will be built elsewhere!