Sunday Sardana, Museums, & Food Tour #1

 First stop today was the Sunday morning traditional sardana dance in front of the cathedral. The dancers are accompanied by a cobla, a traditional Catalan ensemble with Catalan shawms and other instructions. (Wikipedia article on the cobla)

Cobla de Cambra de Catalunya

Next stop was Montjuic, where we walked through the Fundació Joan Miró and the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya

Pintura (Eo guant blanc)

Joan Miró, 1925

Chanson sur fond blanc

Joan Miró, 1966

National Art Museum of Catalonia

National Art Museum of Catalonia

No gelato stop today (saving room for dinner), but here’s the random church photo for the day:

Santa Maria del Mar

Last but not least, we signed up for a food and wine tour. I’ve learned to eat about half of every dish that we are offered on these tours!

Clockwise from bottom left:

• Catalan tomato bread (olive oil, garlic, & tomatoes)
• tortilla de patatas
• Basque pintxo with ham
• Basque pintxo with pâté
• Catalan bomba (meat & mashed potato-filled croquette, served with aioli and paprika mayo)
• Seafood paella with noodles
• Coca pastry
• The paellas

Picassos, Churches, and Food

First stop today was the coffee shop down the street, where I got this yummy pastry for breakfast:

Next stop was the Picasso Museum, which is housed in a series of five adjoining medieval palaces. 

One of the Els Colomins (The Pigeons) paintings

El Piano

From there, we walked to the Santa Caterina market, and picked up some Iberian ham and fruit

We had a little time before our next stop, so wandered around a little. We saw the outside of the Basilica de Santa Maria del Mar, a little parade of fantastical creatures, and lots of little shops:

Next up was the Palace of Catalan Music, and that is getting its own post (see next post)

Today’s gelato was even fancier than yesterday’s:

On the way back from gelato, I walked up and down Las Ramblas for a bit, and randomly stopped at the Church of Santa Maria del Pi on the way back to the hotel:

Last but not least, we had dinner at a Catalan restaurant. Codfish salad to start with, followed by two flatbreads (mine had roasted tomatoes, anchovies, and sardines):

 

Hola Barcelona

After a long day with very little sleep, Ralph & I made to Barcelona! He's been here before, but this is my first visit. To make sure we didn't fall asleep, we went for a walk right after we checked into our hotel. Las Ramblas is unfortunately under construction, so not quite as picturesque of a stroll as we had hoped, but we still enyoed the walk. Here are some of the sights:

Font de Santa Anna

Plaça de Catalunya

La Boqueria Market

Fall is here

Escribà Bakery

Miró mural

Metro Station

Liceu Opera House

Detail from Palau Güell (designed by Gaudí) 

 Barcelona Cathedral:

Outside

Inside

Choir stalls

Crypt of Saint Eulália

Rooftop view

Obnoxious geese in the cloister

Detail from Altarpiece of Saint Bernard and the Guardian Angel (Jaume Huguet, 15th century)

Fancy gelato (lime & mango)