Homage to Catalonia

I arrived in Barcelona yesterday and got a cab to the AirBnB to arrive on the dot of 2pm. The apartment is very central at the Maritime end of La Rambla, and I have a nice big room with my own bathroom. My host is a nice guy, an Italian who spent 10 years in London as a change manager and then dropped out of the rat race with some dosh behind him. He's a bit of a contradiction as although he's a bit of a free spirit, into alternative therapies and a vegetarian (not easy in Spain, but he loves Barcelona and decided to base himself here), he's also into making money through property though he claims not to be interested in it, only insofar as it funds his travel. I know all this because we went out for a veggie dinner, and it was good to have some company.

Before that I went to La Boquera (the market) for some late lunch,

and then to La Sagrada Familia for my return visit, the first of which was I think at least 10 years ago. Well, hasn't it changed! When I went with Toni in 2003 (I think - Toni please correct me!) the inside was pretty much a building site with lots of dust and scaffolding, and although we went up the towers (they charge extra for that now, so didn't manage it this time), there wasn't a vast amount to see on the inside. I've seen a lot of churches on this trip, but this place is like nothing you have ever seen. Wow factor is barely adequate to be honest - I was blown away.

If you get the chance - it's worth the 20 euros even if the audio guide was a bit shit. The main cathedral in Barcelona costs 7 euros to visit before 5pm and has very little to offer in comparison. I'm not sure when SF will be finished - maybe another 10 years - but I'm going to make sure I make it back here before I shuffle off this mortal coil if I possibly can.

The stained glass is something else

A baptism font made from a giant seashell

From the passion facade

This is the glory facade, one of the original bits Gaudi completed - so of course it's wearing away now

The Passion facade

 St George is patron saint here too

Today I went on a free walking tour around the Gothic quarter - a very enthusiastic if a little over-jolly guide took it, and I learned quite a lot about the history of this amazing city and the Spanish Civil War. It's inspired me to read the George Orwell account of his own experience in that conflict as I really hadn't understood the nature of the war and who was fighting whom.

I met up with a couple of nice women from NZ and we had some lunch together before they took another tour and I went a-wandering and a-shopping before heading to Palais Guell, which Gaudi designed for a wealthy Catalan family - it's another Modernist stunner, with the most bizarre yet inventive chimneys and vents on the roof terrace you can imagine.

The main hall

The smallest room

Fancy furniture

Chim chimenee

This one lets all the light in through the central hall pictured above

After more wandering - I had hoped to visit the Museum of Contemporary Art but the exhibits didn't look too exciting and I was afeared of getting through the collective noun of skateboarders of all ages skidding about the square in front of it with all my limbs intact. Imagine the South Bank on a weekend and treble it - terrifying. I'd been blown out by the friend of a friend with whom I'd arranged to meet for the evening, so I popped back to my room and then went out for some dinner. Travelling solo at my age seems to mean early nights, but I hope to meet up with the NZ ladies tomorrow for a more sociable evening. One of them is travelling in Europe for 6 months - makes my efforts look feeble....

Tomorrow I'm going to try and squeeze in a yoga class as I need to stretch or it'll be really tough to keep up when I get back. My other plan is the cable car for a bird's eye view.