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figarofigaro1We got up a bit later because of "spring forward" and ate breakfast. Then we walked over to the cathedral to watch the sardana dances. Every Sunday at noon, the locals dance this traditional dance in the courtyard outside the cathedral. (They do it at some other times as well.) They gather in circles, put their bags and other belongings in the center of the circle while they dance. It is a slow swaying dance with some footwork. I loved the tradition of it all. Our experience was rather surreal because there was also a marathon in town that day, and the course went right by the courtyard where the dancing was happening.
We ended up dashing through the marathon course a couple of times. It was fun watching people, young and old, try to time their crossing so as not to interrupt the runners. It probably wasn't fun running trying to dodge the pedestrians!
We saw many wonderful gargoyles:
We explored all around the cathedral neighborhood. We walked along the old Roman Wall and then walked way up into the Eixample neighborhood through quiet residential streets. Everything outside of the tourist areas was closed for Sunday with the exception of a very few neighborhood cafés.
Here's another famous Gaudí building, Casa Milà, which we did not tour:
We had a late lunch at Qu Qu: white wine, a flauta (a sandwich on a long thin baguette) with ham and another one with dried sausage, a salad of marinated tuna on sliced tomatoes. Then we walked all the way down La Rambla to the Mediterranean.
We saw the famous statue of Christopher Columbus:
And then we walked out onto La Rambla de Mar, a pedestrian pier out into the Mediterranean, Barcelona harbor.
I still haven't touched the Mediterranean yet. Next trip!
We had tickets that night for a Flamenco concert at the Palau de la Musica. The concert started at 9:30 PM. (They do things differently there!) So we went and had a cocktail before (which was quite an experience - we picked a very expensive place that had one of the "world's best bartenders" - they had a book on the bar to prove it - who was talking with a woman at the bar about how he had been traveling with U2 in South America as their personal bartender).
Inside the Palau de la Musica was gorgeous. It's the only naturally lighted concert hall in Europe. Of course it was dark when we were there, but the skylight is breathtaking:
As is the stage:
The Flamenco was astonishing. It was very traditional in the Catalan style, more focused on showmanship and fast feet than costumes.
After the concert, we went for a late tapas dinner at La Taberna del Cobre: house red wine; padrones; an amazing dish of sausages, lentils, and shaved foie gras; some tasty meatballs; and the ubiquitous tomato bread. By the time we left, all the little gelato and pastry shops were closed, so no repeat of the previous night's dessert.
We ended up dashing through the marathon course a couple of times. It was fun watching people, young and old, try to time their crossing so as not to interrupt the runners. It probably wasn't fun running trying to dodge the pedestrians!
We saw many wonderful gargoyles:
We explored all around the cathedral neighborhood. We walked along the old Roman Wall and then walked way up into the Eixample neighborhood through quiet residential streets. Everything outside of the tourist areas was closed for Sunday with the exception of a very few neighborhood cafés.
Here's another famous Gaudí building, Casa Milà, which we did not tour:
We had a late lunch at Qu Qu: white wine, a flauta (a sandwich on a long thin baguette) with ham and another one with dried sausage, a salad of marinated tuna on sliced tomatoes. Then we walked all the way down La Rambla to the Mediterranean.
We saw the famous statue of Christopher Columbus:
And then we walked out onto La Rambla de Mar, a pedestrian pier out into the Mediterranean, Barcelona harbor.
I still haven't touched the Mediterranean yet. Next trip!
We had tickets that night for a Flamenco concert at the Palau de la Musica. The concert started at 9:30 PM. (They do things differently there!) So we went and had a cocktail before (which was quite an experience - we picked a very expensive place that had one of the "world's best bartenders" - they had a book on the bar to prove it - who was talking with a woman at the bar about how he had been traveling with U2 in South America as their personal bartender).
Inside the Palau de la Musica was gorgeous. It's the only naturally lighted concert hall in Europe. Of course it was dark when we were there, but the skylight is breathtaking:
As is the stage:
The Flamenco was astonishing. It was very traditional in the Catalan style, more focused on showmanship and fast feet than costumes.
After the concert, we went for a late tapas dinner at La Taberna del Cobre: house red wine; padrones; an amazing dish of sausages, lentils, and shaved foie gras; some tasty meatballs; and the ubiquitous tomato bread. By the time we left, all the little gelato and pastry shops were closed, so no repeat of the previous night's dessert.
