:: Scuff Productions ::

Just an odd observation or two………………..

**It has been VERY difficult to pick out which pictures get published here. There were MANY taken, and of course, a big chunk we’re immediately removed by Rodger’s editing eye. That still left a vast amount I thought view-worthy, but, in this environment, I could only pick out a few eye-catchers, compress them so small the grandness of them also was rubbed out. I’d heard about people taking these kind of trips and having the same problem on their return. Now I understand completely. I believe Rodger will be, as he can get time, posting some up on Flicker, and perhaps, we’ll make a CD version we can show local folks here.

**The Catalans are a proud people. It’s less than 100 years since their identity was crushed by the civil war that installed Franco as the ruler. He ordered Spanish to be the official language, not Catalan, and they become PART of Spain, their laws, culture, etc. TO THIS DAY, Catalans often resent “Spanish” folks talking to THEM in Spanish …….. Listening to them side by side, they can understand each other, but I doubt an American who learned Spanish in America would understand this lovely language. When we discussed Elena perhaps being the caller to the rent the Moto, she politely declined explaining it was LIKELY that SHE would be treated more rudely speaking Spanish than an American with NO Spanish would be. Hm.

**As a result, Catalans are a bit more distant and stand-offish. They may appear a bit cold. Like ANYWHERE I’ve EVER been, somehow I believe it depends on what YOU bring to the interchange. YES, many of them are so sick of tourists, they do not want to be bothered. Others are VERY proud to speak with you if the language barrier is not in the way. HOWEVER: Without exception, the individuals we met that were our favorites were NOT from Catalan. A couple were from Madrid, a couple from Basque country, Franco and Mauro from Italy, etc etc. Hm.

**WAITER Service in restaurants. Americans might be a bit crushed if they expect ANY type of doting service in a Dining Experience here. It won’t be like America, well maybe if you’re in a Mariott. HERE, wait staff are paid an honest living wage, get health benefits from the gov’t, and do NOT have to “sing and dance”, or schmooze for a tip. Hence: Their attention to you may appear cold…..NO, it’s business. You just take your dining ordering serious, don’t try to schmooze your own way into getting something, and you’ll be fine. BUT…..don’t take anything personal when your waiter never smiles or asks how things are. There are NO spare LINES in your receipt to leave tips. Tipping isn’t needed since they make a real living.

**NO “take-out” options available. There’s no provision to take food home..

**HOWEVER… not all restaurant staff were what we would call “indifferent”….there are ALWAYS warm kind people anywhere if you take to that interchange your own offering of civility.

**On Barcelona beauty: the city missed WWII bombing…. And treasures its old architecture. It shows. In all of BCN, circling out from the old walled city, most of those old buildings remain, and you are constantly struck with the beauty of the extraordinary acrchitects that came from here, were supported by the city, and whose buildings are kept in pristine condition. One more unique thing about the city’s style is, as Gaudi’s fame bloomed, other “modernist” architects were drawn there, hence, that large concentration of lovely modernist architecture.

**A Moto, scooter to you old people like me, was invaluable and GREAT fun, especially for the DRIVER. IF YOU take us up on a recommendation to RENT one of these when you go, make sure you get ONE per driver….the passenger doesn’t have SO much fun….. admittedly, I had the bum knee making my holding power a bit unsure, but sometimes, you’re hangin’ on for DEAR life on the curves. AT least…..THAT sitting place on a moto, could NOT be described as boring….it WAS exciting. BUT I TOO, next time, will want to be in the front seat with NO obscured vision, NO fears of impending flying death hanging over me next time. From that day on, I always looked at those little girlfriends riding behind their mates on these things, thinking, “THAT smile is FAKE! They are terrified, I KNOW it.”

**It’s interesting to see a bookstore at foreign airports….NO english newspapers…they are only there for a few select hours after they arrive on a morning plane, sell out, and until next day, no more periodicals in English.

**I have a glimpse of how languages are learned by the immigrant when they move to a new country. Even after only 5 days, I was barely beginning to grasp some new meanings in words I’’d heard simply by listening to how they were used. SO. Spanish, I was grasping the bare surface of a few words, and gotten used to the sounds and inflections I was hearing………THEN? Now we’re going to leave “Spanish” language and go to speak with the Italian people? ….unsettling to say the least.

We left Parc Guell and wanted to have a quick look-see the high spot for this city of 5 million: Mt. Juic (the Olympic Park is here too). So that’s where the Moto went, winding, up, and around.

On the way, the road winded around astounding views of things new and old. Once on top, you clearly see the Olympic Torch from a few years back:

For opening/closing ceremonies, how did the thousands get up here? On stairs as beautiful as these (and there WERE some escalators in place too):

Doesn’t look so big there….but here it is in perspective:

**See that little human at the top?
***During the Olympics, thousands of visitors walked those stairs to get into Olympic Park ceremonies……

The Art Museum is up here, and under renovation (again, Barcelona so proud of its heritage):

We saw other nice things, but the views were breathtaking:

**that showed more of the Olympic area. You could see the spires of La Sagrada Familia.

Or this……….

It made you smile…….

With a setting sun, it was time to go ……………….

**At the hotel, we began PACKING FOR MILAN dept. Guillermo set things to give us a wake up call 0500….for 0900 dept from BCN. SO Sunday evening is for two exhausted people to pack up, and be rested for leaving this fabulous city. Somehow we still find find time to dine in the Placa Real . . . something simple tonight. We ARE tired. A last look at the street from our Hotel California window:

Once again, the college party nights go till wee hours. Appears it’s not Monday work day for the tourists here. We hear loud singing at 0330.

Don’t come to BCN with plans to stay in the Barrie Gotic district and enjoy the lavish charm of this ancient old quarter if you require peace and quiet for your stay. That will not happen except between 0500 – 0900. You may have to adjust your hours.

SO. Departure time comes. We’re up at 0500, ready for the cab at 0630, and on our way to the airport for travel now to Italy. How different will THIS experience be than Catalan & Spain?

Gus was already there in spirit………..now just where the heck was this place that HE insisted belonged to him and his family:

Well, THAT was a short night. Although what seems is a lifetime of experience has been rolling all round us, it’s already Sunday June 8. WE LEAVE Barcelona tomorrow morning WAY too early. Must get moving!

It seems logical that since we weren’t in bed asleep until 0400, that we begin our last day eating where we had wanted to since we’d seen this place: Can Culleretes. We had JUST enough time to spare before they opened to visit the famous La Seu Cathedral.

It was a quick Moto turn or two to get there. The closer we got to the huge front doors, we see more beggars, often with heads covered over by scarves. We pass as we and hundreds of visitors clamor to get a peek inside. I watched the show, struck by how much effort a few pretty healthy “beggars” make when deciding a “softy” tourist was getting close. They can go to some lengths to coax cash out of the crowd. That was a show itself. Some, truly needed help, it’s hard to make the decision who gets your bit-o-euro.

THIS cathedral was worth seeing simply because of history if not the grandeur it displayed.

The original church on the site was built the 300’s, destroyed by the muslims in the 800’s, begun again, and not completed due to war, plagues, etc., until the 1400s…. sometimes those hundreds of years work show through in layers:

The grand facade not done until the 1800s. Whew!

For the first time in our church visits, we enter as an old Latin Mass is being celebrated, the historic La Seu Cathedral. I was moved to tears, not by Roman ceremony, but by the sheer power of Pipe organ music burying you in rich deep colorful sound, fabulous singing baritone priest, the grandeur of the mass itself, and the audience participating. Somehow, the fact that this very scene has been happening for hundreds of years in this very building (less tourists I guess in 1468, eh?) is completely moving on its own.

It even moved Gus, who prompty confessed to what? I have no idea:

I think his purification brought on his new humility:
**he claims he thought he was invisible now that he was pure.

One last thing. IF they were ONLY building air vents like this today, eh:

We HAD to move on! There were Markets outside cathedral selling actual antique items, not like flea markets in US. Musicians were playing in the streets for donations….mostly classical or even some jazz. Beautiful stuff!

*ONCE again, I have been astounded by the sheer determination of SPAIN to preserve and save historic architecture / parks compared to US preservationists having to FIGHT for EVERY little thing. Seems here the effort is LOST many times to corporations and developers

Finally! It’s lunch time, and we are soon being seated. Here we are at Barcelona’s oldest Restaurant: Can Culleretus

This place opened serving desserts in 1786……… Even the oven inside shows that date.

With that history, they don’t have to prove anything, they simply continue doing beautiful things, many things. IT was a grand experience. It started a little rough though, it seems one of the most salty waitresses IN the place was assigned to us. The second she realized we were American, she made it clear we were not to talk, but point at the menu item we wanted. Oh well, so we ordered. Seemed odd, we had made a friendly entrance with the hostess. She seemed to intervene on our behalf though, we sort of overheard her admonish our waitress that we were “Nice Americans”. As she dealt with us, it was amazing to see her soften up, and finally really be nice in her old salty way, helping us pick out a few “extras” at the end.

**Oddly enough, we did get to see Karma happen though. A big gang of Loud Italian men show up and she has to wait on them. Hm. All of a sudden we didn’t seem so bad, eh? The Italian group, however, was interesting… the obvious leader of the group, a football receiver sized man with big curly black hair was seemingly adored by his group….. they ordered and received a mammoth sized Paella order that looked like an artists painting.

Fabulous food came to our table. Once again, as we’d gotten used to, a lovely salad was presented with fresh sliced (not old crumbly canned) parmesan, walnuts, prosciutto, and a “make your own oi/vinegar dressing. Then: Mark once again had Roasted Lamb…. WHY? I swear I will never enjoy lamb in the US after what I’ve been eating here. , THEN… A lovely finish with Terramisu. Rodger had a succulent Goose/Apples combo in a most rich sauce.

No time for a siesta! WE HAVE TO SEE PARK GUELL!!! It’s already 1:30! We leave in the morning! ***NOTE: I had to truly limit the photos here…this is a massive park… I worry I’m already over-saturating the blog pages for this trip.

So here we go……….back ON moto to Park GUELL . . .. the only city park Gaudi planned and helped build over many years. A Better link is here: Park GUELL . He even lived on-site for many of those years. There is on this planet like Parc Guell simply because there’s NO architect who ever lived like Gaudi….one who insisted that nature show through every breath of everything he designed. Imagine then a city park designed by him.

**IF only we could capture a real picture of the fountains that embrace this entrance: complicated, delicate, rich, beautiful.
***Important note in this photo: Grand entrance, yes, but note for now those huge arches in the back….and the lovely tile looking roofline…little birds at the top? Those are people, but the REAL thing, is that a bench runs along that entire roofline….and it’s pictured below. THAT is the thing about Gaudi….many things are much more textured than they first appear to you almost everywhere. Fantastico.

AGAIN! I am stunned in this park. From beginning to end, there are little, and then huge, things in place to take your attention, but never lose sight of the nature surrounding you.

And where Gaudi lived for 10-15 years:

**I noted even the birds we were seeing everywhere knew other languages than our home birds…..I don’t suppose any songbirds here are the same as ours. However, there was NO mistaking the screeching calls of the parrots….as soon as we heard THOSE sounds, we made our way to see them. It was worth it!

Two pair were building huge nests. Even the tour bus crowds were stopped here by the guides for a short lecture.

Paths / Walkways sometimes were astounding creations on their own:

We DID get turned around a couple of times:

Ah the grandeur of the main plaza. A mammoth curving stone bench seemed harsh, but beautiful. Amazingly, lots of people were sitting on it though:

Another view as we approached it:

ONCE you sat on THIS bench you realized Gaudi had made as comfortable a bench as stone could be. TRULY fabulous, you did NOT want to get up once seated here.

And more….in this walkway, a tree had collapsed. They would NOT remove it….it now blends in just fine:

Time’s moving on……..and we feel we MUST see Mt. Juic before we leave. It’s the ONE place you can see the entire city from, and knowing 5 million people live here, we felt it important. Oh yes, Olympic Park was built here just a few years ago. So here’s what we saw on the way at a kid’s playground:

How ’bout that for some of our parks?

So, we left the Sagrada Familia with rich visions of heaven in our consciousness:

And now, we head the Moto toward a home renovation Gaudi was hired to do for a rich eccentric. We had a list of Gaudi homes to see, but time runs short. The one we toured was nearby, so that helped “selection”. It was originally built in 1877, but almost entirely gutted for this Gaudi project. The planning commissions had to be called in, of course, since Gaudi was SO far ahead of his time, many ideas he implemented were called up for review often. It is gorgeous even on the exterior:

This particular home, still privately owned, but open to tours at selected hours, The BATLL’O HOUSE, was our next destination. The link has a few pages of photos available, but the compressed ones posted were Rodger’s. (At the bottom of the link above, there are other links showing other Gaudi buildings in Barcelona….a worthwhile read).

We almost hesitated at taking tour because of all the stairways, but found a lift has been available for wimps forever.
So, we paid the admission, and began a tour of, without question, the most unique home on the planet. NO square walls or panels in the building, here, once again, Gaudi was soul directed by his love of nature. Looking at EVERY thing IN this house, I was stunned (as well as warmed and pleased) by the “NO-Square” design. I also think I’m about done talking about it, the pics speak for themselves as you wander:

The use of skylights is unbelievable. MANY rooms whether on the ground or top floor, have had skylights directed into them, giving this multi-story house natural light throughout:

Ah, natural light, natural building material, curves:

Even the roof is not a boring place:

A Trade-mark of Gaudi’s was using broken tile for an old, natural, feel….There were workers who, full time, gathered up re-cycled tiles all over, broke them up for use on his projects all over the city. They would end up in pieces like this on the roof a house maybe:

You can see here, that almost EVERY room on every floor had a fireplace, and NO, that does not mean the roof will be the place we HIDE that feature:

Fantastic rooflines, eh?

Yes, we were having a great time:

There was SO much more, but obviously, you can’t post it all. We HAD to get moving. prepared to move out, but maybe one more picture near here.

NOPE, NOTHING to do with Gaudi. What knockers, though, eh? These were near the Gaudi home:

NOW……. we finally left, and by this time, are almost exhausted, but the day is NOT over. We arrive back at the hotel to find our favorite concierge’, Guillermo, bubbling, telling us we shouldn’t stay at “home” on a Saturday night. I only write about it because he was right, we had quite an adventure, thanks to his recommendations. Guillermo would be someone WE would hope to become friends with if he lived in Portland:

We relaxed a bit, had a pizza, of all things, IN Spain, and finally, instead of turning on the TV at home at 10:00 pm for the the weather forecast, we jumped on the Moto and left the hotel for an experience of the nightlife. Everyone had told us, nothing happens until 2400, but we had NO intention of staying out all night. So, the “start” was slow….but before the night was over we had:

*Had a cocktail at Punto….where very snobby bartenders were completely indifferent as were the men there to anyone new. Hm. I wondered if this is where the real “Catalan” men were, and NO tourists.

*Entered little Xtapa….. There we Met and had a long discussion with a handsome Frenchman who had just quit working for Marriott’s two days ago near Paris to move on his own to Barcelona. He was young and daring it seems, but he was SO charming and sharp, we’re sure he’ll find his way. His family roots were Moroccan, one of the new “immigrant” populations both Spain and Italy are having hard times learning to adjust to. Immigration has not been a problem in Europe until recently.

*Saw a nice crowd at an open corner bar, we never got the name of, so entered to meet a couple of very fun bar waiters. VERY interestingly enough, THEY both kept claiming this was straight but “gay-friendly” bar. EVERY PERSOn in there while we were there was obviously gay…..having a grand gay time, so I don’t think it was a magnet FOR a straight audience. We couldn’t figure out WHY they kept insisting it was a “straight” place.

*It was here, two muscular men showed up who had opened a Bear Bar and were handing out leaflet/invitations for the midnight opening. Obviously, we went! There we were at midnight, at a place called BUTCH BEAR…now HOW about that?

And we were there until 2:00 am….crowded and packed. The place had a “back room” (no, we didn’t see that)….but all the handsome waiters were truly friendly to us, even inviting us to the Sunday evening Beer Bash at some other bar. However, by 0200, exhaustion was setting in, we peeked out to see rain coming down…..hm. A ride home on a wet moto, eh? We left.

The walk home after parking the Moto, was now familiar in the Gothic district…. packed, crowded, and by 0200, I wouldn’t be there alone. We did cross paths with young con artists, and a prostitue or two. You almost had to be rude to the young prostitutes to get them to leave you alone. Not that I’d ever been near a prostitute, and maybe it would have been more flattering at 20, but now I just saw young kids emigrating without money or resources, and using the same means street kids in America use. That did not ruin the evening for us. It was, let’s simply say, “Fabulous!”

Yes, we ended up actually having a fabulous GAY night in BCN. We’re thinking here, at 0230, that Sunday will be quieter, we’ve been moving since we got here other than when Mark whines about his leg. After all, we leave for Italy very early on Monday Morning. Well, Park Guell awaits our Sunday arrival on Moto, so we’re wrong again about resting.

Ranger Gus, has been waiting impatiently to be released…..

Saturday June 7. We arrived Europe just Wednesday, and 72 hours later, as day 4 begins, we feel like a lifetime of experience has moved all around us. Perhaps we’re still running on adrenalin, but it sure seems that a 9-hour jet lag hasn’t set in yet. We’re up remembering some of the beautiful architecture we’ve seen. It is an spectacular city architecturally, clean, maintained, and we haven’t even mentioned Gaudi yet. We begin walking toward the Mattia Scooter site:

JUST nice architectural lines….this entire city it seems joined up in the Modernist design movement:

**

We make it to Mattia. Even a scooter site is in a cute alley:

It is only a few minutes of chat with the crew, and you can see Rodger’s a natural for a motorcycle, eh?
DRIVING the scooter IS the ONLY way to go….I, of course, am banished to the back seat because of the recovering knee…. and I’m NOT a 94 lb girl, many of whom we see flashing by on the back seats of these things. I get on this, it feels awkward, and if you haven’t been on one, remember this: The GRAB handles are NOT in front of you…they are next to your hips below and in back. THAT alone is your GRAB point….for the next couple days, I live a life half in terror, half excitement, but admittedly, bedazzled by being able to see all we saw. So. We begin to “MOTO” the city….

It’s NOT long, we see MORE jaw-dropping beauty:

As we approach one of the cities biggest official park sites, we see Barcelona has its own Arch de’ Triumphe:

I KNOW that compressing the pictures steals them of such rich detail….but I could NEVER get all I wanted to show in here without that compression. Here’s the top of that arch, the sculpture work is beautiful:

In front of the arch, and flowing for at least a 1/2 mile, are these gorgeous streetlights….if you see Rodger, you can see they’re not small:

We finally cross town far enough, we’ve arrived in front of the Holy Grail of worldwide religious structures (in my mind), The La Sagrada Familia Cathedral that was first commissioned in 1883, and is not finished to this day. It IS the building Antonion Gaudi will be remembered most for. He was very young in 1883:

He spent his last years working at the site which now strikes the skyline brilliantly:
And a little closer:

IF you find time later, I would CLICK on that link here for “La Sagrada Familia“….it’s a vast site with everything you could want to know shown on the place.

And as I begin putting in a few pics Rodger took, I feel I must say this: I am an agnostic, coming to that after being raised in a very conservative Mormon Home, and since then rejecting organized religion completely. Although it has some social benefits for those with families, gay people, for the most part have not been treated as equal participants in a spiritual journey. I don’t want to get into a religious discussion here, just making a point, that I’m an agnostic. BEING INSIDE of this cathedral was as much as spiritual experience I’ve ever known. Remember there were probably 1000 other strangers in there doing the same thing I was, but the power of this place, even though unfinished, was jaw-dropping.

WHY IS THAT? Although GAUDI was a devoted religious Catholic, his first love was nature. NATURE IS a spiritual giant, and it’s alive and well within the La Grada Familia.

Just approaching the entry has to be done slowly, or you miss too much:

Or this:

Or this:

Or this:

Once inside, you’re taken away from any and every angle in awe, in humble admiration seeing what a genius mind could create:

ALL of the distant gigantic ceiling points are points of light from flowers, giant flowers!

And the colors inserted into the stained glass seen from a distance clearly show all the colors of nature:

UNLIKE ANY OTHER religious monument of earlier periods, this building displays nothing but the finest in humanity and nature, unlike a place like one of the worlds largest cathedrals, the Duomo in Milan that is imprinted with hundreds if not thousands of scenes of carnage and bloodshed come to those not in favor for something. THAT is why this place is so FULL of beautiful spirit:

I know, the mind can only absorb so much………… WE did see other amazing things….concrete winding circular stairs that seemed to have NO start or stop point for example.

Again, the windows generate such awe and power in their beauty, I was completely transfixed for a while

They were apparently designed so that as the sun moves across the sky, the darker glass will help balance lighter areas so that it shows like this ALL day long, no glare spots, no time of day it’s out of balance.

We moved to the rear of the building and again were stunned seeing that NO tiny place is left without inserting beauty in it:

and here:

and here:

OKAY. We’re outside, we’re exhausted by the experience, but we have some more GAUDI we have to see…..remember, we only have a couple days in this fabulous town. So, we MOTO off to Gaudi’s famous house, that when finished, he’d hoped would become a model of modern living for the 1900 family.

I MUST make that a new post…..remember, it IS July, and there is work to do. Whew! FUN to remember the trip doing this.

WHAT a DAY this has been….our consciousness is FULL of these kinds of images

Can we really deal with MORE dazzling places in one day?

After we check in at the Hotel California, we find we’re a bit too excited to relax, so we stroll yet again, THIS time, and for the ONLY time, we walk “Las Ramblas”. It must be a mile long, and is a vast outdoor market. It and EVERY street/alley that enter it are packed with thousands of tourists from the Beach side where the Trams, Boat tours, are to the Placa Catalunya. I mean THOUSANDS of tourists. You can’t imagine this sight without being there.

We are in bold AWE of the architectural beauties in our first hour here! I HAD come with the serious intent to explore their most famous architect, Mr. Gaudi’s accomplishments. I had read Barcelona is a city where several famous designers lives, but had no idea of the serious reality of that claim. From the sea side of Las Ramblas, we saw these buildings:

Just some city office building, not a famous museum:

Next to the building above:

Near that:

And we note many more, and sadly, one or two of them are being held hostage by corporate America:

There’s MORE than physical beauty of the city itself….. There’s something very youthful here. It is certainly a 24 hour party vacation destination for the French & British who are a simply an hour or so away by plane. Huge throngs drench this Gothic section of town all night long and into early morning hours. Yes, it will affect your ability to sleep……

NYC does NOT have the volume of tourists this place does, and it’s not yet peak season here yet. We saw throngs of Scandinavians (sounds of the languages), Brits, French, Irish, oh yes, some Irish “Hen groups too”…..(Tony will like that….Hens are groups of women who travel for fun together).

We come to, and can’t pass without walking through the Market Boqueria……a mammoth covered fresh market. For example, there must be 2 dozen butchers alone and there are farmer vendors for EVERY kind of food imaginable.

I don’t know if these items were offal or just awful:

We DID eat lots of delicious “samples” handed out at every turn. Yum.

But by now, it’s been a LONG day. Mark’s recovering leg tires……we return to the hotel for a 30 minute recovery…. We had booked as low a room as we could (floorwise), and that got us on floor 2, we thought. We’re learning that in Europe, the “ground” floor is floor “0”, so floor 1, is America’s 2nd floor. We find we’re on the 3rd floor.

We have to go out once more because it is getting late, just reaching “dinner” time by Catalan standards. By the time we’re back out in the crowds, we really are hungry, and settle for a simple meal in one of the squares, and actually come back to the hotel hoping for a night of sleep…..It’s a bit hard to sleep when a few thousand college kids are celebrating summer outside till 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning.

BUT, in the morning, we are to rent a scooter so we can TRULY se ALL the highlights of this great city…. Yes, we must sleep. Tomorrow, Rodger will drive, and Mark with the bum leg will try to ride in the back. THAT day is a memory I’ll never forget….The thrill of taking your life in your hands, was amazing. Next time, I’ll drive while HE hangs on for dear life.

One last pic….THIS fountain was in Terragona, and I forgot to place it on that post, but don’t want to forget it. You might note the towel this guy has on his head, and the pigeon sitting on the poor guy’s head anyway….
Hah.
===============

FRIDAY, June 6:
As I awoke this morning, my mind was flooded with the power and empire that Roman Catholicism forced into so many countries.

That Power was astounding 500 years ago… The Spanish actually first welcomed the Roman invasion some 200-300 BC because they aided in pushing aside the Arabic Invaders who had controlled Spain for SO long. The first Romans were conquerors, yes, but not in the name of religion. HUNDREDS of years pass and by 1000 ad, The Church has learned to control much of the culture.

**Terragona Cathedral above, and more beautiful details on the statuary hanging on the walls:

The Early Romans were military and merchant invaders as we all know, and seeing their culture planted here is fascinating. Our city to visit today: Terragona. Even from just a couple miles away, you’re still seeing old farms, not much sign of a significant city ahead:

Terragona, however, is quite a city. The romans built a theater on a fabulous hillside…. It’s now almost completely uncovered sited so that the seated audience were at the sea edge looking back to the stage. Spectacular.

Large villages are all forced into building Cathedrals, quarters, gardens, and all that go with establishing residenct Roman / Catholic rulers….yes, by now, it’s the Archbishops, etc., that are calling the rules. Between 1200-1600, every village including tiny farming settlements were building Churches great and small on every hilltop closest to these farms and villages. Often included were towers built for defense. Many of these gothic/medieval constructions included walls around the village or city.

Somehow, the reality of seeing these grand complex relics is stark compared to simply reading about it in a HS textbook. This history was never imagined, and NOW you see it live and real. It is still so real, it is a powerful feeling.

Enough boring lecturing about things everyone knows. It really did make an imprint on me.

Today, we awake to a beautiful day knowing it will be LONG day. We stroll up to our “spot”, La Biando for some welcomes from Mauro, some espresso, and the use of his laptop for a few minutes. We’re joined , by Elena & Emilio, but she soon departs for her last day at the University. He has decided to get us through another day of walking with history.

We do pack, for today we’re checking out of Reus, and will be in Barcelona by nightfall. We Depart for Tarragona with Emilio by train.

Notes on this day:

Within 15 minutes of leaving the train, we are AT this site: The Theater & Coliseum……..!

The theater, built adjacent to the sea itself would have been beautiful in its day:

Next to the theater a Circus? Yep, it meant meant Chariot races were held regularly. The ancient city is being uncovered only now…. Here the huge stadium from outside:

This place saw chariot races during periodic celebrations especially in times of visiting royalty or noblemen. A large tunnel ran from the “circus” to the Cathedral entrance allowing the winner to parade to the ruling class…showing the growing influence of the “church”.

It was early in the 1900’s, without the recognition or appreciation of this history that new buildings were simply built into, over, or even by demolishing the ancient walls. NOW that is impossible. SOME resident homes of Terragona are part OF an ancient wall or archway. Can you imagine THAT as you dine in your courtyard? If you build now, you may well have to leave one wall of your home absolutely alone, because it’s part of the old Roman wall. Cool way to design your interior, eh?

The Cathedral here is mammoth, astounding, and FULL of thousands of art pieces, gigantic tapestries. Unfortunately, this WAS a tourist destination, and NO photos allowed inside. This cathedral is larger than most we know such as Cathedral of St John the Divine in NYC.

Other memorable sites in Terragona here in some pics:

And a fully restored view of the chariot hall:

And finally, a little gargoyle you could just cuddle:

Here’s wall section showing how even the oldest Roman periods were simply added onto into the last century:

Some homes show that they got their permits to build after the zoning restrictions took place:

Many examples of this striking architectural feature, if you’re a lucky home-owner:

Quite the adventure, eh, as time stretched into the afternoon, we KNEW we must leave for BCN. As we descend from this rich experience of ancient Terragona, we asked a local girl for a café’ recommendation. She can’t think of one, we continue on. She turns, yells, comes back remembering the “Petit Tarrocoa”, saying go there, turn here, etc.. There’s NO googling this tiny spot, but we found it.

We sit and wait for it to open at the classic 1:00 hour when all of Spains cities come to a halt for the 3 hour siesta time in Spain. Here we are served as fine a tapas as we enjoyed just the night before…..Before you know it, with Emilio chatting away with owners, and we are being treated quite royally, we think.

Emilio has the Mediterranean delicacy, Seppia (cuttlefish):

So we have yet another fabulous dining experience in an ancient village, in a sort of out of the way part of Spain….NO TOURISTS….we are lucky.

**I have re-learned a basic and true cooking rule: your dish will only be as good as its ingredients. In America, we get used to shopping for bargains….and as a result, in choice of meats, dairy, cooking oil, wines, we sometimes miss enjoying a fine meal simply because we started with poor ingredients. No matter how much we doctor up the dish…..it cannot match beginning with the finest you can buy, and cooking it simply…… Over and over I’m seeing fabulous food that’s been prepared with t eminimum of elements but enjoyed immensely because it was excellent to begin with

**We meet a lovely Spanish girl on bus back to hotel….she’s coming to America, SF, to learn English for 3 weeks….staying in Union Square with family. That was fun, because she was SO excited about her upcoming travels to America.

We are tired from all the walking, and cab it to the Train. It was packed for the commute hour, but we make it, arrive at a place for NEW adventures, Barcelona. Well a bit dogge out, we do unboard, and find a cab to Hotel California. What?

Yes, THE Hotel California, is a gay-friendly hotel in the Barri Gotic District (Gothic Period), is on such narrow streets, it’s more like a little alley. It’s LOTS more than simply a “district” This gothic quarter contains ruins from Medieval, even Roman times, with original walls are still in place near an old Church. It is a thrilling place to simply stroll in the tiny alleys / lanes.

The cab driver drops us two blocks away and points down the alley for us saying our hotel is down there somewhere.

For the first time, we are alone with scant Spanish skills. Will this turn out to be not so easy an experience as Reus because of our lucky friendship with Elena & Emilio? We’re about to find out.