Miguel has a knack for planning everything out to the most minute detail to where 95% of what he plans comes out to perfection. It comes to no surprise that when we embarked on one of the three days that he has planned lately that it was such a great time! He planned three days without telling me anything. I like surprises and it's easier for him if I stay out of the way when he plans.
For a great day, it always helps to have rested well and start off with a great breakfast. We slept so well, which is a rarity these days. We prepared our day pack and felt the wonderful breeze on a sunny day. Miguel told me that today was centered around Ciutat Vella, where we live, and El Born.
Our first stop was the oldest church in Barcelona called Sant Pau del Camp. This church was built between 897 to 985 A.D.! We have passed this church numerous times but never ventured inside. We took our pictures and touched the stones. I have this impulse to touch old, historical sites and imagine anyone from the past touching the same spot. This was an OLD church and I got goosebumps.
I turned around to ask Miguel if we should go in, but a nun appeared behind me (she surprised me) and asked if we would like a tour. We agreed to it. She gave us pamphlets in English and Castellano (Spain's Spanish). Then, she mentioned that it was 3 to 5 euros cash, which we didn't have. That was a surprise. We left without entering the monastery. We were not upset because we had our pictures from outside and were able to touch the old stonework.
We left for a place that we've wanted to visit from the beginning. It was a residence that Gaudí helped design called Palau Guëll, who was a friend and patron of his.
This home was constructed from 1885 to 1890. It is a gorgeous home to visit that is not far from La Rambla and it costs 12€, or 8€ if you are able to get a Barcelona library card. If you're not able to get in, then admire the outside where the gate is intricate with swirls and iron flowers. Also, try to look at the chimneys on top of the building.
Inside, you follow the arrows to get your audio tour device. Miguel joked with the man who gave them to us. The previous tourists were French and Miguel asked in French for our devices to be in English. The man stared at us for a few seconds before he gave us our devices. We threw him for a loop! But he did give us French inforation packets. Anyways, We listened to the devices give us a history lesson on the construction, functions, and how the family lived in. This family was wealthy and lavishly decorated their home. Gold, iron, mahagony, walnut, mosaic, oil paintings, marble, and several other materials added to the already impressive architecture! The main space that I was impressed by was the central salon, or piano nobile (Italian). It was a room that was a stage for entertainment, parties, and religious services and connected three to four floors. There was an organ in the room and its pipes were two floors high and echoed throughout the chamber. There were plenty of windows on the other floors to connect the central space to where if the lady of the house didn't want to leave her bedroom for Mass she didn't have to do so. There was a space for a small orchestra. The walls were decorated with oil paintings and natural light came in through the beautiful dome above. Gorgeous. Another great place there is the roof where you can see Gaudí's chimneys and a view around Barcelona.
Basilica de la Mare de Deu de la Merce, the Basilica of the Mother of God of the Sea, was our next destination. A basilica is a church that has been deemed more important thatn a regular church but less important than a cathedral (and you probably thought the terms referred to their size, ha!). Again, we were not able to enter the church but for the reason that is was closed. :( But it looked nice! We took a photo, don't worry.
We passed that church for another called St.Mary of the Sea Cathedral. Same problem, but these older churches have nice architecture. Barcelona is a great place for people who have that passion for architecture, like Miguel.
We were able to enter the next place, which was a ceramics store! That might not seem very interesting, but we have been searching for a little souvenir that would be useful and we thought a neat bowl to put our keys or change would be great. Plus, we'd be able to stuff it into our bags to fly home with since we are not going to have checked luggage. There were lovely works from local artisans but none jumped out to us of, "that's it!" Our search continues...
We were hungry by this point. We looked at our options while we were in the Born district and debated where to go. We found a restaurant called Pim Pam Burgers. Sounds authentic, right? Well, it did have some tasty looking goodies in the window. Their service system was...a little unorganized for my own understanding. There are different choices on the menu, but the cost effective menu had this system from lowest to highest: salad + pasta, salad + better pasta, salad + pasta + a really great dish, and a side + burger. Nothing is really clear about which is a regular pasta or a "better" pasta, or whether this quinoa dish is a salad or not. Miguel chose a dish that resembled lasagna and a salad that had walnuts, cheese, green peppers, onions, and little tid bits of something. I chose a "better" pasta (mushroom paste filled ravioli in pesto) with a quinoa salad that had tiny amounts of fish that I couldn't taste. The restaurant was chilly, which was a nice break from walking in the sun. That just meant that we had to eat our food while it was warm before the air condtitioning had its way. We were stuffed!
Not far away, we stepped into a place that had its own excavation site within the building. It's at the center of Barcelona in the Born district and it's called El Born Community Center (BCC). The site was a glimpse at the base of a Barcelona in the 1700's during the Siege of Barcelona (1713 - 1714). After that siege, Catalan lost its autonomy and became part of the Spanish crown. Then the Catalan language was banned and that's when the Catalan pride inflated that is still active today. We saw the rock foundation, read a few facts, and enjoyed this unique space. When could you ever walk over an exavation site?
Before we were going to rest in the nearby park, we returned to a place where we didn't have our camera with us. Miguel wanted photos of a train station called Estacio de France, but I looked forward to the park. At the same time, I was remembering when I injured my toe and limped back to the flat from that same park. Stupid toe.
Parc de la Ciutadella is a lovely place. I feel that I was being rejuvenated within the lush greenery. There are plenty of people lying on the grass, playing in the playgrounds, talking on benches, and dogs frolicking. There was a large pond where people floated in boats and on the metal fences where lovers placed locks with their initials. We found one with a heart and our initials on it! Other than the main mission of relaxing, we wanted to see another site where we didn't have our camera at the time. It was a large fountain and it is gorgeous! The fountain had dragons spewing water, Poseidon and his water horses jumping from the wall with Aphrodite in her classic position on her clam above them, and Apollo on top of the grandeur starting another day covered in gold, BUT the fountain wasn't working like we wanted it to be. What I really like about this fountain is the inclusion of living nature. There is a tree to the side, lilypads in the fountain, and large reeds growing at the base of the statues. There is this beauty about this asymmetry and imperfections. We climbed the side stairs and saw the details, even the graffitti from lovers on the statues' backsides, and climbed down to relax on a bench to discuss whatever Miguel was planning next. We saw some cute dogs pass by, too.
We walked back home but along the beach, always a nice walk. For days, I was craving ice cream but we wanted ice cream that was different and worth the money. Why come to Barcelona to experience an ice cream shop that is like the others? Boring. Well, Miguel didn't disappoint. He surprised me. He said, "I wanted to end our day with a sweet ending." MmmMmm, he did. We went to a great place close to Barceloneta Beach called Vioko. It has a reindeer beside their name.
Vioko has some interesting flavors and the price for this freshly made ice cream is affordable. You can get two flavors in a cone for 4,50€. (We buy that but put the cone on the side. It's less messy.) Miguel's flavors were ginger and rose rasberry. I chose sabayon and violet blueberry. We thought to get one fruity and one creamy flavor. Of course, we both share what we chose. Miguel's choice was perfect. The flakey, cone wasn't too sweet, either. The place is alive with color, clean, and plays great music. I felt like I was back in LA. They even sell other confections like chocolate, macaroons, and truffles. Vioko is impressive. I definitely recommend going if you're in town.
If anything, this post is just one example of so many why my husband is so awesome and good to me. I'm spoiled. I know it. Hopefully, I can return the feeling for him.
Some advice, enjoy your travels. Get out! Explore! Enjoy a new place and people! You are the one who can make your travels a great memory or something not as great. That's advice that can be even applied to when you're not traveling. Enjoy life, people!
For a great day, it always helps to have rested well and start off with a great breakfast. We slept so well, which is a rarity these days. We prepared our day pack and felt the wonderful breeze on a sunny day. Miguel told me that today was centered around Ciutat Vella, where we live, and El Born.
Our first stop was the oldest church in Barcelona called Sant Pau del Camp. This church was built between 897 to 985 A.D.! We have passed this church numerous times but never ventured inside. We took our pictures and touched the stones. I have this impulse to touch old, historical sites and imagine anyone from the past touching the same spot. This was an OLD church and I got goosebumps.
I turned around to ask Miguel if we should go in, but a nun appeared behind me (she surprised me) and asked if we would like a tour. We agreed to it. She gave us pamphlets in English and Castellano (Spain's Spanish). Then, she mentioned that it was 3 to 5 euros cash, which we didn't have. That was a surprise. We left without entering the monastery. We were not upset because we had our pictures from outside and were able to touch the old stonework.
We left for a place that we've wanted to visit from the beginning. It was a residence that Gaudí helped design called Palau Guëll, who was a friend and patron of his.
This home was constructed from 1885 to 1890. It is a gorgeous home to visit that is not far from La Rambla and it costs 12€, or 8€ if you are able to get a Barcelona library card. If you're not able to get in, then admire the outside where the gate is intricate with swirls and iron flowers. Also, try to look at the chimneys on top of the building.
Inside, you follow the arrows to get your audio tour device. Miguel joked with the man who gave them to us. The previous tourists were French and Miguel asked in French for our devices to be in English. The man stared at us for a few seconds before he gave us our devices. We threw him for a loop! But he did give us French inforation packets. Anyways, We listened to the devices give us a history lesson on the construction, functions, and how the family lived in. This family was wealthy and lavishly decorated their home. Gold, iron, mahagony, walnut, mosaic, oil paintings, marble, and several other materials added to the already impressive architecture! The main space that I was impressed by was the central salon, or piano nobile (Italian). It was a room that was a stage for entertainment, parties, and religious services and connected three to four floors. There was an organ in the room and its pipes were two floors high and echoed throughout the chamber. There were plenty of windows on the other floors to connect the central space to where if the lady of the house didn't want to leave her bedroom for Mass she didn't have to do so. There was a space for a small orchestra. The walls were decorated with oil paintings and natural light came in through the beautiful dome above. Gorgeous. Another great place there is the roof where you can see Gaudí's chimneys and a view around Barcelona.
Basilica de la Mare de Deu de la Merce, the Basilica of the Mother of God of the Sea, was our next destination. A basilica is a church that has been deemed more important thatn a regular church but less important than a cathedral (and you probably thought the terms referred to their size, ha!). Again, we were not able to enter the church but for the reason that is was closed. :( But it looked nice! We took a photo, don't worry.
We passed that church for another called St.Mary of the Sea Cathedral. Same problem, but these older churches have nice architecture. Barcelona is a great place for people who have that passion for architecture, like Miguel.
We were able to enter the next place, which was a ceramics store! That might not seem very interesting, but we have been searching for a little souvenir that would be useful and we thought a neat bowl to put our keys or change would be great. Plus, we'd be able to stuff it into our bags to fly home with since we are not going to have checked luggage. There were lovely works from local artisans but none jumped out to us of, "that's it!" Our search continues...
We were hungry by this point. We looked at our options while we were in the Born district and debated where to go. We found a restaurant called Pim Pam Burgers. Sounds authentic, right? Well, it did have some tasty looking goodies in the window. Their service system was...a little unorganized for my own understanding. There are different choices on the menu, but the cost effective menu had this system from lowest to highest: salad + pasta, salad + better pasta, salad + pasta + a really great dish, and a side + burger. Nothing is really clear about which is a regular pasta or a "better" pasta, or whether this quinoa dish is a salad or not. Miguel chose a dish that resembled lasagna and a salad that had walnuts, cheese, green peppers, onions, and little tid bits of something. I chose a "better" pasta (mushroom paste filled ravioli in pesto) with a quinoa salad that had tiny amounts of fish that I couldn't taste. The restaurant was chilly, which was a nice break from walking in the sun. That just meant that we had to eat our food while it was warm before the air condtitioning had its way. We were stuffed!
Not far away, we stepped into a place that had its own excavation site within the building. It's at the center of Barcelona in the Born district and it's called El Born Community Center (BCC). The site was a glimpse at the base of a Barcelona in the 1700's during the Siege of Barcelona (1713 - 1714). After that siege, Catalan lost its autonomy and became part of the Spanish crown. Then the Catalan language was banned and that's when the Catalan pride inflated that is still active today. We saw the rock foundation, read a few facts, and enjoyed this unique space. When could you ever walk over an exavation site?
Before we were going to rest in the nearby park, we returned to a place where we didn't have our camera with us. Miguel wanted photos of a train station called Estacio de France, but I looked forward to the park. At the same time, I was remembering when I injured my toe and limped back to the flat from that same park. Stupid toe.
Parc de la Ciutadella is a lovely place. I feel that I was being rejuvenated within the lush greenery. There are plenty of people lying on the grass, playing in the playgrounds, talking on benches, and dogs frolicking. There was a large pond where people floated in boats and on the metal fences where lovers placed locks with their initials. We found one with a heart and our initials on it! Other than the main mission of relaxing, we wanted to see another site where we didn't have our camera at the time. It was a large fountain and it is gorgeous! The fountain had dragons spewing water, Poseidon and his water horses jumping from the wall with Aphrodite in her classic position on her clam above them, and Apollo on top of the grandeur starting another day covered in gold, BUT the fountain wasn't working like we wanted it to be. What I really like about this fountain is the inclusion of living nature. There is a tree to the side, lilypads in the fountain, and large reeds growing at the base of the statues. There is this beauty about this asymmetry and imperfections. We climbed the side stairs and saw the details, even the graffitti from lovers on the statues' backsides, and climbed down to relax on a bench to discuss whatever Miguel was planning next. We saw some cute dogs pass by, too.
We walked back home but along the beach, always a nice walk. For days, I was craving ice cream but we wanted ice cream that was different and worth the money. Why come to Barcelona to experience an ice cream shop that is like the others? Boring. Well, Miguel didn't disappoint. He surprised me. He said, "I wanted to end our day with a sweet ending." MmmMmm, he did. We went to a great place close to Barceloneta Beach called Vioko. It has a reindeer beside their name.
Vioko has some interesting flavors and the price for this freshly made ice cream is affordable. You can get two flavors in a cone for 4,50€. (We buy that but put the cone on the side. It's less messy.) Miguel's flavors were ginger and rose rasberry. I chose sabayon and violet blueberry. We thought to get one fruity and one creamy flavor. Of course, we both share what we chose. Miguel's choice was perfect. The flakey, cone wasn't too sweet, either. The place is alive with color, clean, and plays great music. I felt like I was back in LA. They even sell other confections like chocolate, macaroons, and truffles. Vioko is impressive. I definitely recommend going if you're in town.
If anything, this post is just one example of so many why my husband is so awesome and good to me. I'm spoiled. I know it. Hopefully, I can return the feeling for him.
Some advice, enjoy your travels. Get out! Explore! Enjoy a new place and people! You are the one who can make your travels a great memory or something not as great. That's advice that can be even applied to when you're not traveling. Enjoy life, people!