Tuesday (Barcelona…one final time)…

Cupcakes for breakfast? Frankly, it would be a crime for them to go to waste! Bill Cosby would approve.


Sugar coursing through our veins, we launched into our last day in Barcelona with a Metro ride out to Park Güell, a public park designed by Gaudí. The park is on a hill, so fortunately, Jeff found a side-door entrance that starts at the top of the park…and is reached by escalators. THAT is a smart move after a sweaty Metro ride. (The trick was to exit at the Vallcarca stop versus the more popular Lesseps stop.)


The park has several Gaudí-designed features. Walkways, bridges, and underpasses designed with his flowing/dripping stone effect. Each underpass seemed to house a different musician: a harp, a steel drum, a guitar-violin trio. The tiny Gaudí house/museum was interesting but underwhelming. But all of those were just the warmup to his signature features: his undulating terrace with staircase and matching houses. These features were bright with while ceramic and glass broken tiles. Colorful patterns and accents all over the place. A tile mosaic lizard sat at the top of a tiered fountain that ran down the center of a winding staircase. And two gate houses at the main entrance to the park…the roofs windows and doors all outlined in broken tiles. Doctor Seuss would have been at home in one of these tiny buildings.


A long walk downhill to the Lesseps metro stop (again…bravo on the research Jeff!!) and a short metro ride and we were back at the Plaça Catalunia. We grabbed a quick bite at one our cozy cafes. Beer and croque messieurs sure do hit the spot after a long walk in the park. And Into the Born neighborhood to visit the Picasso Museum…on every guidebooks must-see list. Well, frankly, it was ok. Lots of Picasso, just not a lot of the stuff he is famous for…since those pieces are in the biggie museums or private collections around the world. But his early work is quite intriguing, and Jeff spotted a favorite of his: Science and Charity.


From the museum, we returned to the Santa Maria del Mar church in time to catch a tour of the bell towers and roof. An eager young man shared his passion for the church and its Catalan Gothic style. Clearly, this is a church of the people, and it is beloved in Barcelona. The rooftop views of Barcelona just before sunset were a nice touch! Oh, and we learned that to solve the problem of overheating in the church, they simply cut three-inch holes in the roof to let the heat escape. They only cover them in the winter. That’s certainly one way to solve that problem!


We had dinner in a nearby courtyard at the whimsical Cheese Me, which of course specialized in dishes that highlighted wonderful cheeses. We started with an amazing autumn salad with a basalmic dressing drizzled over greens and a warm goat cheese au gratin. Jeff had a chicken dish stuffed with cheese and other goodies, drizzled with nuts and a fruit jam. My dish was creative ham cheese mushroom empanadas. All washed down with a couple refreshing cervazas. We had not one but three guitarists sing their way thru the courtyard. Two were worthy of coins in the cap.


On out slow walk back to the apartment, we passed a dozen cool restaurants we want to try on our next visit. Apparently, El Born is the hip section of the medieval city. We saw all the major sights, but we know there is much more to experience…soon.


But all good stories have multiple chapters, so we returned to our apartment to pack and relax and get ready to move on tomorrow.