CITY OF THE BEAUTIFUL
Mila and his wife Roser Regimon to serve as private residence and apartments for rent, La Pedrera functions today as the headquarters of the Catalunya-La Pedrera Foundation and a cultural center for charitable events and exhibitions.
Barely recovering from the visual assault of strange architecture, I find another Gaudi creation called Casa Batlló only a few blocks away. The building was originally built in the 1870s, but Gaudi was hired in the early 1900s to redesign it by the Battló family, who wanted the most eye-catching residence on the avenue occupied mostly by bourgeois families. And eyecatching it certainly is with its dragoninspired design! As pointed out by a tour guide with a megaphone nearby, the architecture itself retells the heroism of Catalonia’s patron saint, Saint George, who is said to have slayed a mighty dragon that preyed on domestic animals and young virgins. The shiny red, green, and blue tiles on the roof represent the scaly dragon’s skin, and the rounded tiles running atop the edge form its backbone. On the building’s top left portion is a small rounded tower with a cross on top, representing St. George’s sword pierced into the dragon’s body. The façade has balconies in the shape of skulls and columns resembling bones to represent the dragon’s victims. An Artist’s Playground
Right before sunset, I am walking between giant intricately mosaicked pillars and gingerbread-like houses in Parc Güell, a park located on the rocky Carmel Hill originally designated as a private estate for well-off families in the 1900s. Owned by entrepreneur Eusebi Güell, the housing site was commercially unsuccessful so in 1926, it was opened to the public as a municipal garden instead, since it features many of Gaudi’s artworks. Here, one can easily see that Gaudi, who once lived in the estate with his father, was given the freedom to unleash his creativity. The park became his playground, where he built fairy tale cottages, dragon and lizard sculptures covered with crazy-colored mosaics, and a massive walkway supported by twisting rock pillars that seem to be growing out of the ground like tree trunks. It is said that Gaudi never liked leveling the ground so the park has a twisted, uneven path that compliments the contours of the hill. At the top of Parc Güell is a terraced area where visitors bask in the breathtaking panorama while listening to the street jazz musicians nearby.
Walking into Mercat St. Josep La Boqueria, a sprawling centuries-old food market in the heart of Barcelona jolts me back to my senses. Rows upon rows of hanging jamón, lamb chops, sausages, and cheeses instantly make my mouth water and stomach growl from hunger. Inside, brightly colored candies, gelatos, fruits, and freshly pressed juices adorn vibrant stalls that are usually manned by their nth-generation owners. Deep into the maze, faces from all over the world gather around little tapas bars and restaurants to have a taste of traditional Catalan and Spanish cuisines. Here, I feast on some sticky, fall-offthe-bones pork ribs and, of course, seafood paella.
It is said that La Boqueria’s origins go as far back as the 1200s when it began as an open-air market that exclusively sold goat meat (Bocis the Catalan word for male goat, hence, the name). The building that stands today, continuously attracting locals and tourists, was built in the 1840s to house more than 300 different stalls offering all sorts of food products from all around Spain.
The next day finds me at Port Vell strolling around the marina and weaving through sweat-drenched bikers and runners down the promenade along the beach. Luxury yachts and fishing sailboats bob up and down in their slumber as they wait for their next adventure out to sea. On the benches nearby, under the palm trees, couples bask in the sunshine as children playfully chase pigeons across the plaza. I haven’t really thought of Barcelona as a beach city, but it does have a handful of nice golden-sandy beaches not far from the city center. In some of these beaches it is even allowed to bathe in the nude.
Just across the street from the waterfront, where giant shrimp and dragonfly sculptures rise up out of nowhere, I find perhaps the most charming district in the city, the Barri Gòttic or the Gothic Quarter. Without a map, I am soon lost in its labyrinth of narrow cobblestone streets. Winding alleys with crumbling medieval buildings leaning into each other often lead to large dead-end squares where locals R1,440 R42,000 –R1,000/night R500- R1,000 R4,000++ R129 R354 R1,620 and tourists sit outside bars and cafés, shaded by umbrellas as they sip their cervezas and share plates of tapas. The Roman City
The Gothic Quarter dates as far back as 15 BC, when the Romans extended their empire to the west, founded Barcelona and built a typically Roman city structure, with narrow streets, city walls, aqueducts, plazas, and theaters. Being the oldest part of the city, the district has a high saturation of historical buildings. Deep into the alleyways, the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia’s pointed arches, gargoyledecorated roofs, and flying buttresses easily grab my attention. Simply called Barcelona Cathedral by the locals, the massive edifice was built between the 13th and the 15th centuries, with the majority of the construction done in the 14th century. It is said that the cathedral houses the remains of Barcelona’s copatron saint Eulalia, the young virgin who suffered martyrdom during the R420 R1,320 R1,410 Roman times in the city. One story says she was stripped naked in the public square when, suddenly, a mid-spring snow fell from the sky to cover her nudity. The enraged Romans then put her inside a barrel with knives stuck into it and rolled it down the street.
I wander around the district all day, drifting through dark courtyards and ancient alleys. My sense of adventure tells me that the nearby corners have many more surprises and hidden gems, and true enough, I stumble upon centuries-old fountains and statues, cafés where Pablo Picasso and Gaudi used to hang out, a building whose façade is decorated with Picasso drawings, the Jewish quarters, street painters, and performers, artsy boutiques that sell vintage clothes and jewelry and remnants of long-vanished temples. Here, I am forced to slow down, to relish in leisurely strolls and to enjoy watching the world go by from outdoor cafés. I guess this is the best way to really feel Barcelona.