The easiest way to understand the appeal of tapas small bites and the delight of finding one of the many shaded squares to take a rest in the afternoon, is to observe the color of the sky. Around 11, the bright blue of the morning has turned to white and it remains that way until after 5. There is something about this phenomena that is completely enervating. Streets catering to tourists remain open, but one block in any direction will find shops, bakeries, fish, cheese and ham stores tightly shuttered. We try to ignore the heat, but actually find that giving in makes for a more pleasant experience. We've certainly been to hotter and more humid places, and find ourselves wondering why they don't close down like Spain during the hottest part of the day, and then reopen until 7 or 8 at night?
Barcelona is a delightful walkable city. Installed with the 1992 Olympics, the southern coast boasts a 7kilometer (5 mile) beach, complete with acres of sand, cabanas and chairs to rent. Walk past the marina's pleasure boats and delightful fish restaurants of the city's old fishing village, cross a main road under the watchful eye of Christopher Columbus, and you've entered the beginning of the city proper. We can't think of another European city that can offer endless beach, culture, history and nightlife all within such a short walking distance.
Few buildings are over 5 stories and most have beautiful facades of the early 1900's Modernists or even earlier times. Broad boulevards and fountains alternate with the narrow twisted turning streets of the gothic and rennaisance neighborhoods. Want to go back even further? Look for structures built atop Roman ruins and aqueducts near the gothic Barcelona's Cathedral and its bell tower
Markets reflect Barcelona's serious love a fresh food and their proximity to the sea. These covered labyrinths of gastronomy overflow with vegetables, beautiful apricots, hams, cheeses, olives, fish and seafood of every description - it's all there for the taking. Some of the meat options are "interesting". (Pig trotters I get, but the goat heads allude me.) Cups of fresh fruit and iced fruit on a stick never looked so appealing. Can't wait to get home? Sit at one of the many tapas bars inside of the market. The delicious food that gets turned out of these minute stalls, negate any claims for the need of a larger kitchen.
Modernist architecture and art is specific to Barcelona 's unique personality. Think of Gaudi and Miro's work at the turn of the 1900's. It's the time of the impressionist and Frank Loyd Wright. The Modernists painters have been to France, but Miro returns here with Picasso and Calder and they come to a very different conclusion about art. Their's is highly fanciful, brightly colored, the thing of dreams. Gaudi, and his architectural peers apply ceramics and bright graphic designs to building facades. Inspired by nature an God, Gaudi builds homes with all curved walls and finally devotes his life to creating the Sagrada Familia cathedral. This ongoing effort is slated to be completed in 2026, the 100th anniversary of his death.
Oh and besides pronouncing all "S" sounds with a lisp - the use of "Merci" for thank you is NOT a language mistake. Signage here is in two languages - Spanish and Catalonian. Referendums for independence from mother Spain have recently received about a 50% vote and continues to be a hotly debated topic. Catalonian flags are a common sight. People native to this city are more likely to speak Catalonian to each other than Spanish. This perplexing mix of Spanish and French, which is essentially Catalonian, results in "merci" rather then "gracias". Throw in the local paella which is pasta instead of rice based and an obsession with ham (legs of jamon come home at the cost of $130 or more) and you can question what you thought you knew about Spain.
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