Barcelona, April 20-26, 2004
Photos by Rachel and Bill

Contents

Prologue: a day and a half in NYC. Sunday night we enjoyed the breathtaking aerialists and driving musical beat of De la Guarda in a Union Square theater. (Their website does an amazing job of letting you recreate the show interactively.)

We arrived in Barcelona Tuesday morning, checked into our hotel in the Ciutat Vella (Old City), and spent the day exploring without cameras.

A couple of notes: Everyone understands and speaks Castilian. You can get by in English.

Narrow streets and small plazas in the Old City make it hard to capture some buildings in a single photo, as you'll see below.

Back to top
Wednesday, April 21

We walked around the Ciutat Vella (old city) and Barri Gòtic near our hotel: a warren of medieval streets surrounded by an expansive modern city.

Government buildings in the Plaça Sant Jaume

  1. Palau de la Generalitat (Provincial government; their website
  2. Tiled cupola; note Spanish and Catalan flags
  3. Drawing on construction tarp
  4. Ajuntament (City Hall: Catalan flags only); their website
  5. Mailbox
  6. Corner of building

We then passed through the Ramblas - a crowded pedestrian mall, not photogenic - to the...

Back to top
Palau Güell

The Güell family mansion, an early (1886-89) work of the famous moderniste architect Antoni Gaudí. The fan site Gaudí Central (slow) has a lot of information in English.

  1. Façade from across narrow Carrer Nou de la Rambla
  2. Entrance doorway
  3. Exit doorway
  4. Wrought iron between doors
  5. Upper windows and chimneys
  6. Ground floor: Entrance vestibule
  7. Coach house vaulting
  8. Basement: Stable vaulting
  9. Another vault
  10. Wrought iron hitching ring
  11. Arch in stable yard
  12. Wrought iron window grills
  13. Ramp up from stable
  14. Main floor: Etched mirror
  15. Main staircase balustrade
  16. Stained glass with Eusebi Güell monogram
  17. Chandelier
  18. Window arches
  19. Rae in hallway
  20. Antechamber
  21. Window arches in antechamber: 3 layers
  22. Carved wood ceiling
  23. Our guide Laia
  24. Arched mirror
  25. Sconces
  26. Clerestory stained glass in Transit Room
  27. Carved and gilded ceiling in Visitors' Room
  28. Arched windows
  29. Stained glass: Shakespeare's Bertram
  30. Stained glass: King Lear
  31. Another stained-glass Güell monogram on stairs
  32. Rear terrace with louvered window shades (and Rae)
  33. A fellow tourist takes time out
  34. The umbraculum
  35. Stable yard from terrace
  36. Another view of the umbraculum
  37. Back inside: carved panel
  38. Another panel
  39. Another panel
  40. Arched windows in central room
  41. Etched mirror
  42. Stained glass
  43. Corner painting
  44. Wall paintings of Gaudí and Güell
  45. Pierced dome
  46. Wrought iron decoration on column
  47. Chapel-Oratory
  48. Another view of the dome
  49. Stairway to bedrooms
  50. Bedroom level: Riquer screen and mantelpiece in drawing room
  51. Riquer mantelpiece
  52. Mirrored corner window
  53. Marble fireplace with warming shelf in bedroom
  54. Bathroom
  55. Rooftop: trencadis (crazed tile) chimney pots
  56. Exterior of Central Room dome
  57. Chimneys
  58. Another chimney
  59. Tiled chimney
  60. Tiled chimney detail
  61. Single chimney tile
  62. Weathervane with cross and Catalan bat
  63. Carrer Nou de la Rambla and Hotel Gaudí from above
  64. View to cathedral spire
  65. Bridge to Güell father's home from above
  66. View to Barceloneta-Montjuïc cable car

Back to top
Walking back to our hotel

  1. Hotel Gaudí opposite the Palau Güell
  2. Avinguda de les Drassanes: modern building with helical stairway
  3. Mermaid streetlamp off Carrer de la Mercè.
  4. Ciutat Vella street
  5. Carreter Marquet off Colom
  6. In the Carreter Marquet

Thursday it rained, and we spent much of the afternoon at the Museu Picasso. That evening we had the week's best meal at Freud B'Art.

Back to top
Friday, April 23

We took the subway, a funicular railway and cable car to this large park on a high bluff over the Mediterranean just south of the Barri Gòtic. The official website (click on the right-hand "Places of Interest" icon) is limited but there are many sites with pictures. This was one of the major venues for the 1992 Olympics.

The Castell de Montjuïc (17th-18th centuries)

  1. Gaudí's Sagrada Familia and the Tibidabo (mountain), from our 4-person telefèric (cable car)
  2. The Barceloneta and view north, from our cable car
  3. The cable cars, from the castle
  4. The Castell de Montjuïc (17th Century)
  5. Tourist next to stairs
  6. Flowers between turrets
  7. Wildflowers
  8. Rae on the battlements
  9. Purple flowers
  10. Damn tourists
  11. Archers in moat
  12. Watching the archers...
  13. ...from the moat wall
  14. Rae strikes a pose
  15. Along the castle walls
  16. The castle, east side
  17. Arches into the castle courtyard
  18. Bill
  19. Views of the city: Round office building under construction
  20. Sagrada Familia
  21. The seaport, looking south toward the airport
  22. The seaport, looking southeast
  23. Looking east
  24. The Estació de França and Parc de la Ciutadella near our hotel
  25. Formal gardens in moat
  26. More gardens
  27. More gardens, with drawbridge
  28. No comment
  29. Ramp down to drawbridge
  30. Drawbridge machinery
  31. Rae and Bill on the drawbridge
  32. Along the drawbridge
  33. Fort windows, from drawbridge
  34. Moat garden
  35. Café cat
  36. Switchback, from our descending cable car
  37. Olympic Needle
  38. Cathedral spire
  39. Botanical gardens and Museu d'Art de Catalunya
  40. Museu d'Art, closer

Back to top
Fundació Joan Miró

From the cable car we walked to this museum and then to the bottom of Montjuïc. A temporary exhibit of contemporary art was interesting but we only photographed the Miró works. Their elaborate website has more info.

  1. In the sculpture garden beside the Miró museum
  2. This tree seems to think it's a Miró
  3. The museum, designed by Josep Lluìs Sert.
  4. Outdoor sculpture
  5. Another...
  6. ...with Rae
  7. Sculpture of flowing mercury
  8. Miró painting
  9. Tristan Tzara book with Miró illustrations
  10. Group of paintings
  11. Many of the paintings seemed to be titled "Woman, dog and star"
  12. Outdoor sculpture
  13. Painting
  14. Indoor sculpture
  15. Sculpture on the roof: Woman...
  16. ...Watching Barcelona
  17. Man: other side of the same sculpture
  18. Woman, another sculpture
  19. Another sculpture
  20. Another sculpture: yellow pitchfork
  21. Back inside: Paint splatters
  22. Young art maven clutching earphones
  23. Indoor sculpture
  24. Sculptures in courtyard

Back to top
...and on out of the park

  1. Sculpture overlooking garden behind the Fundació Miró
  2. Down the garden path
  3. Stairs with cat
  4. Cat, close up
  5. "Waterfall" in handrail
  6. Looking back up
  7. Steps into garden from below
  8. Circle with fountain
  9. Transparent sculpture
  10. Stairs across park path
  11. Top of stairs
  12. Museu de'Art de Catalunya, from below
  13. Dalí exhibit poster
  14. A building of the Fira de Barcelona commercial exhibition center (see their website)
  15. Doorway column of Fira building
  16. Wall pattern - notice the resemblance
  17. Fira and Font Màgica toward Plaça d'Espanya
  18. Pavelló Mies van der Rohe (website, Catalan only)
  19. Rae, pool and sculpture at Pavelló
  20. The sculpture
  21. The Pavelló, up close
  22. Moderniste tower at Plaça d'Espanya
  23. Plaça d'Espanya and Plaça de Brous (bullring) Here we caught the subway to...

Back to top
La Sagrada Familia

The Temple de la Sagrada Familia, begun by Gaudì, is still under construction. Their website is fancy but has Flash problems.

  1. East side: East façade from Carrer de Mallorca
  2. From the Plaça de Gaudí (nave)
  3. Same (spires)
  4. South side: Doorway
  5. Windows with stalactites
  6. Window close up
  7. Spires: "Sanctus Sanctus Sanctus"
  8. Gable top: bush with doves
  9. Gable top: fruit
  10. Another
  11. Another
  12. Wing under construction: note gable tops with fruit
  13. Rose window
  14. West side: west façade (top) from Plaça de la Sagrada Familia
  15. Bottom of west façade
  16. Ongoing construction
  17. Arch and crucifix
  18. Flying buttresses
  19. Stations of the Cross
  20. Philipus Apostols
  21. Samson ?
  22. Bartolomeu Apostols
  23. Balcony
  24. Gables
  25. "Jesus Maria Josep"
  26. "Sanctus Sanctus Sanctus" in color
  27. School roofline

Back to top
Saturday, April 24

The Tibidabo

The Tibidabo is a mountain on the west edge of the city, topped by an amusement park. From the last bus stop you take Barcelona's only remaining tram, then a funicular railway.

  1. Gaudí's Rotonda on Plaça Kennedy where we caught the tramvía blau to the Tibidabo
  2. Cupola
  3. Cupola ceiling
  4. Gargoyle
  5. Marquee
  6. Gaudí fox on Rotonda steps
  7. Top of Collserola radio tower, from tram
  8. The tramvía blau at the top of its run
  9. Entrance to the funicular railway to continue the ascent
  10. Funicular station detail
  11. Temple del Sagrat Cor rises above a roller coaster
  12. Carousel and Sagrat Cor
  13. Sagrat Cor façade
  14. Front door
  15. Spire
  16. Christ on top of main spire
  17. Brick tower and airplane ride
  18. Ferris wheel
  19. Horned Rae and carousel
  20. Views from Tibidabo: Castle
  21. Northeast to Barcelona
  22. East to Barcelona, with observatory
  23. Observatory above funicular station
  24. Southeast: Montjuïc in haze
  25. South: two radio towers including Collserola with observation deck
  26. Houses next to amusement park: Decorated house
  27. Art imitates life
  28. Art imitates life again
  29. Tiny Smart car parked crosswise; we saw some in the city too
  30. The brick tower and Sagrat Cor from below
  31. Mountains to the west
  32. Reboarding the funicular to descend the Tibidabo
  33. Funicular reflection
  34. On our way down
  35. Leaving the funicular station
  36. Funicular station, wider view
  37. Building above the station
  38. Our last view of the Rotonda

Back to top
The Barri Gòtic again

  1. Mercat de la Boquería, seen across the Rambla from 2nd floor of Museu de l'Erotica (which was disappointing)
  2. The market at ground level
  3. Butcher shop
  4. Stained glass archway
  5. Church of Santa María del Pi, upper façade
  6. Same, lower façade
  7. Balcony on plaza
  8. Plaça de la Seu (Cathedral square): Rae
  9. Cathedral: lower façade
  10. Same, upper façade
  11. Plaça de Ramón Berenguer el Gran: Old city gate
  12. Top of gate
  13. Windows
  14. Mismatched arches
  15. Arches close up
  16. City wall and Roman wall
  17. Roman wall
  18. Detail
  19. Wending back to our hotel: Moderniste sign on bar in Passeig de Montcada
  20. Balconies
  21. Church
  22. Musicians
  23. The seed store is now...a shoe store!
  24. Detail

Back to top
Sunday, April 25

Parc de la Ciutadella; our hotel

We took pictures of our neighborhood before we entered the park. The Citadella houses the zoo and science museums on the site of the hated Spanish military garrison (Citadel) that was razed in 1869.

  1. Mercat del Born (closed) near our hotel
  2. Mercat del Born closer
  3. Graffiti on Passeig de Picasso across from park: Dask?
  4. 41
  5. Lozano
  6. GEM
  7. José
  8. Sailor
  9. Berlin
  10. My dog is polite
  11. Neor
  12. Noise
  13. Self-portrait of the artist?
  14. GMD
  15. Creature
  16. Fish This graffito was all over the city
  17. Odd-shaped van: School of Shiatsu and Movement
  18. Parc de la Ciutadella: Lamppost topped by helmet
  19. Museum plaques
  20. Mobile sculpture
  21. The other side
  22. Cascada (waterfall)
  23. Dragon
  24. Griffin
  25. Griffin and pool
  26. Entertainers on stage
  27. Side view
  28. Woolly mammoth statue
  29. Boat pond
  30. Walking to the Barceloneta waterfront: Park Hotel, (see arrow) where we stayed, from the Estació de França
  31. Hotel entrance

Back to top
Barceloneta and cable car ride

  1. Along the Moll (wharf) de la Barceloneta
  2. Cable car tower (Torre de Sant Sebastià)
  3. Montjuïc and cable car midpoint tower (Torre de Jaume I)
  4. La platja (the beach)
  5. Beach
  6. Mediterranean Sea
  7. Sailboat on the Mediterranean
  8. Cable car tower, from the beach
  9. A cable car passes overhead
  10. From the cable car tower: ketch under motor power
  11. Racing yacht on the pier
  12. The Moll de Barcelona, ring sculptures
  13. Looking back along the Barceloneta (our hotel is behind the Estació de França, long roof at far right)
  14. The beach and the Mediterranean
  15. Cable pulleys overhead
  16. Our telefèric (cable car) arrives; Torre de Jaume I and Montjuïc in background
  17. From our cable car: The Mediterranean
  18. Rachel, aerial photographer with nerves of steel!
  19. The Rambla de Mar pedestrian swing bridge on the Moll d'Espanya
  20. Yachts on the pier
  21. Looking back to our starting tower and the Mediterranean
  22. Looking ahead to Montjuïc
  23. The Castell de Montjuïc
  24. The port
  25. Catamaran
  26. Ketch
  27. Sailboats on the Mediterranean
  28. Pedestrians wait for the Rambla de Mar to close
  29. Released pedestrians stream across Rambla de Mar
  30. Looking ahead to Montjuïc and the Museu d'Art de Catalunya
  31. Ronda del Litoral expressway to airport and Sitges
  32. Switchback paths climb bluff of Montjuïc
  33. Our telefèric leaves
  34. Rae with both cable car towers aligned behind her

Back to top
Bus ride to La Pedrera

We took city buses from Montjuïc to La Pedrera, a famous apartment building designed by Gaudí

  1. Plaça de Braus (bullring) at Plaça d'Espanya, under renovation
  2. Coliseum cinema on Gran Via near Plaça de Catalunya, bottom
  3. Marquee: Almodóvar's La mala educación
  4. Coliseum cinema, top
  5. Fountain in Plaça de Catalunya
  6. Turrets on office building or hotel
  7. Moderniste gate
  8. God of dental hygiene?
  9. Barcelona = Godiva
  10. Gas station in a closet on Passeig de Gràcia
  11. La Pedrera: Moderniste sidewalk
  12. Sidewalk detail
  13. Wrought iron decoration on balcony
  14. South façade on Passeig de Graça
  15. Corner
  16. Another corner
  17. Doorway
  18. Inner courtyard, from gift shop
  19. Interior detail
  20. View from opposite corner
  21. Chimney
  22. Another chimney
  23. Another chimney
  24. Another chimney
  25. Another chimney
  26. Turret

Back to top
Back in the Ciudat Vella for the last time

  1. Santa María del Mar, our hotel's local parish: upper façade
  2. Rose window
  3. Lower façade
  4. Back door to Passeig del Born
  5. Buttresses
  6. Rae at Museu de la Xocolata (chocolate, what else? - their website, Catalan only)
  7. Rae expresses herself
  8. Closed, alas!
  9. Alas again!

The next morning we headed for the Aeroport; 17 hours later we were home.

Back to top