Barcelona: Slightly On My Own...
We made it to our flat and settled in a bit. The last couple of days on the ship, Corey was feeling a little under the weather. Since we got up early to disembark, and had hours before we could enter the flat, the first order of business was to take a nap. Being out in the rainy weather wasn’t good for someone who already wasn’t feeling well.
As Corey slept, I walked over to the window to check out the “view”. Not only did we look over the street hubby and I have stayed on several times in the past… but our window was directly across from the door we entered our former accommodations. It was convenient to cross the street for a few snacks and drinks…
What wasn’t convenient… the elevator stopped working. Thankfully, we were able to get our suitcases up the easy way. Heading out, I had to walk down the stairs. We were on floor two, which is actually four floors up. Ground floor is zero. The third floor, which didn’t really have a number, was for parking. So, “floor two” is actually the fourth floor.
Corey had no desire to get out of bed, so I headed out to find dinner on my own. Down the alleys, past pastry shops (where I couldn’t eat a single item)… I found something interesting. Barcelona has an unspoken thing going on… restaurants do not like to seat solos. With the majority of eating establishments placing a person outside to draw in business, I began noticing no one made eye contact with me. After walking all over town, i finally just approached a waiter and asked if I could just sit at a table for two that was off the Placa. Once seated, he was very nice…
Sitting by myself at a table, I ordered a Sangria… olives, prawns in olive oil and chorizo. Considering I was thinking I’d be unable to eat, once my meal was served, I was so happy! Such a simple meal with tastes that went together so well. I ate every bite! Near the end of my meal, I sent Corey a txt to see if he wanted anything… he did not. He just wanted to sleep.
Placa Reial is one of our “go to” places. There are many great restaurants in this section of Barcelona. The Gothic neighborhood has everything from Italian to Tapas. Every time we’ve visited, the Placa has been bustling with activity. This day was no exception. Filled with a combination of tourists and entertainers hoping for a tip, this location is always high energy!
By the time I finished eating and paid my bill, it was starting to get dark. Heading down the alleyways back to the flat, it felt slightly uncomfortable… Careful not to bring a purse or anything that could be taken by a pickpocket or purse snatcher, the threat of a problem was minimal. Still, walking alone through a city is not something to which I am accustomed…
After so many migraines, Corey was exhausted! We chose to still explore, but used the Hop On Hop Off bus. It was perfect… we could listen to the “tour guide” an learn about the area. Sitting on top, we could see all the fancy domes and spires that decorate the Barcelona buildings! Seriously, this is one of my favorite things to see!
Driving the streets of Barcelona, it’s always easy to spot a Gaudi inspired building. Antoni Gaudi has a unique style. Rather than create drawings of his ideas, he preferred to build very detailed, three-dimensional models. No aspect of his works was for aesthetics… everything had a function. For example, in La Sagrada Familia, the towers appear to be for beauty, but each one brought structural integrity to this giant cathedral. Rather than build “posts”, each represented a tree, creating a forest. Gaudi was able to envision a design, build the replica and determine the most creative way to ensure functionality keeping with a specific theme. My favorite quote about him… when he graduated (barely) from the Lonja School at the Barcelona School of Architecture, Director Elias Rogent said:
“We have given the title (degree) to a madman or a genius… time will tell”.
After stopping at the location many times over the years, it was time to enter the building. Always visiting for the bird’s eye view, this time, I told Corey we would actually enter the building. Walking up to the ticket booth, the cashier seemed confused. Thinking it was my English, I tried to explain, in very broken Spanish, that I wanted two tickets to the museum. Just our good fortune… it was National Museum Day! All Museums in Spain were free! Had I known, I would have started much earlier and plotted out a trail of awesome museums. It falls on the same day every year, this time it happened to be on a weekend. Amazingly, it was not crowded! Looks like I know what to plan my next land-based vacation around!
Before entering the museum, we stopped to take in the view! This used to be a vantage point that overlooked amazing fountains, that danced to music in the evening. With the drought, all of the fountains have been drained but the view is still phenomenal!
Very modern, walking into the main lobby area, it was decision time! Every direction had a different genre of art… modern, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and a visiting show. We chose this empty staircase as our first room to explore. Not that it was crowded anywhere, it was nice to go opposite from the other visitors! (Remember, you can click on any photo and it will open up in a new window showing the full picture).
Time for a rare selfie! The dome in the center of the main entry… unbelievable. It brought a colorful lighting into the mostly white marble room. It was more than tempting to just sprawl out on the floor and look up to truly admire the craftmanship and artistry of the dome! But… I controlled myself and instead got a stiff neck looking at it awkwardly…
Here is the unobstructed view of the dome. Our heads are not blocking the ornate details. With only natural lighting, when a cloud passed over, the room dimmed a bit. It felt powerful as the sun, once again drenched the room in light!
With the unexpected “free” day, I failed to pay attention to other details in the museum. Not until after we left, did it occur to me that we could have used our phones to hear a narrated description of the artworks. Corey would figure out context clues to gain an understanding of the pieces as we passed.
Two rooms were filled with familiar product advertisements. Creative ads that were works of art. It would be fun to have a room with this type of memorabilia type art. You know… in one of your mansions…
Roped off from visitors, this area was being prepared for a show. The marble floors and cement walls created an echo chamber. The acoustics are probably incredible for a particular type of music. Not quite sure I would want to hear a loud rock band in this small space… but what an awesome venue!
Back on the bus, our next stop would be the 1992 Summer Olympic site. We didn’t get off, but there was a huge stadium, now used for concerts. The tower in the left picture is the telecommunications system designed for the Olympics. In the right-hand picture, we could have jumped off the bus and into these gondolas. Obviously, there is NO way in the world I would be that far off the ground, go over the ocean and end at a mountain castle. Tempting, but no way…
Walking along the marina, we decided to grab a bite to eat. Finding a shady spot at Cal Pinxo Palau de Mar, we prepared to look over the menus. Not the best reviews for this spot, but we wanted the view of Port Vell and more importantly, out of the direct sun! So, we took our chances… The wine menu was pretty entertaining… I loved it! It’s nice to see the wine labels when selecting. But there would be no bottle of wine with this meal…
Instead of a bottle of wine, we opted for Sangria! Despite the inconsistent reviews about the slow service, our experience was awesome. Maybe miscommunication is to blame… there isn’t really a dedicated waiter. You may order a cocktail from one server and wait to order from that person to place a food order. However, they all work together as a team. Every order, request and asking for the check was with a different employee. They also don’t rush you… Americans are so used to eat and run. In Barcelona, and all over Europe… people “dine”. PS The Sangria was delicious!!!
So, so, SO delicious! We spoke with the hostess before being seated to determine if there were items suitable for my restricted diet. She explained that they make their paella different than many… it is called “dry” because there is not tomato involved in the cooking. She had my attention. After assuring me it was gluten free and nightshade free, we ordered the seafood paella for two. OH MY GOSH! It was amazing! In addition to the obvious seafood, mussels and scallops were mixed all through the rice. The mussels… to die for! Made in a white wine and lemon sauce… it was perfect for me! We had a great experience at this restaurant from beginning to end!
On a side note, right outside the restaurant, this guy drew a lot of attention with is “outfit”. We watched the scene unfold… Coming from the left, a group of guys being led by a guy in a fluffy fuchsia tutu. From the right, was a group of guys led by the lime green outfit. They met each other just outside the restaurant. They were so joyful to meet each other… we watched them interact for a while before going their own way.
This part might be a bit boring, but I found it interesting AND exciting! Just outside the restaurant, yachts were moored along the marina edge. Out of curiosity, I mostly focused on the name and didn’t take much time on photographing the yacht itself… wish I would have. Once back in our flat, I looked up Va bene… It is 156-foot beauty. It houses a Master Suite, 4 duplex suites, 1 Double Bedroom, Whirlpool, Satellite and Wife. Fun things on this vessel… 2 zodiacs, 2 ski doo’s, 2 kayaks, 2 water skis, 2 wake boards and snorkel/fishing equipment! The most exciting part… this yacht belongs to Eric Clapton!
Down the marina a bit, we see another exceptional vessel. The Starburst III, wasn’t as sleek as Eric Clapton’s but very nice just the same. Apparently, this is solely used as accommodations. Renting for a mere $238,500/week during slow season, it is designed to have an on-the-water hotel experience. With a Master Suite, 2 VIP Suites and 2 Twin cabins, the sleeping areas are smaller than most yachts. This allows the living space… social areas… to be more spacious. With a deck jacuzzi, BBQ, swimming platform and exterior bar, it is a beach club by day. Underwater lights create an awesome atmosphere at night… a night club affect. This “business”/yacht is owned by Marijke Elizabeth Mars. The not yet 40-year-old Mars heiress, has a net worth of $9B. Hmmm…
Okay… this one is something else altogether! Originally built for a partnership between Larry Ellison and David Geffen in 2004… yes, our Hyatt owner! In 2010, Larry decided it was too large and sold his half to David. It houses 30 cabins for the 45 crew members, 8 cabins for guests and boasts an 8000 square foot living space! Can you imagine??? There are 82 rooms in total… including a gym/spa, basketball court, wine cellar (yay), movie theater and helicopter landing pad. During Covid, Mr Geffen self-isolated with his crew. Prior to that, the yacht hosted the likes of: Leonardo DICaprio, Bruce Springsteen, Oprah, The Obama’s, Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks. It is reportedly worth $400M and costs between $25 and $40 MILLION annually to run… so crazy!!!
Waiting for the bus, I saw the rows of trinket tents. I was so enthralled by the yachts, the other sites went unnoticed!
Outside my window, I heard yelling. After it continued for over ten minutes, I decided to take a look. There was a huge Pro-Hamas rally going on. It was big enough that it took a full thirty minutes for the participants to pass by. The woman on the microphone yelled the same thing for the full time. She probably lost her voice after that. That’s all for today! Tomorrow… Malaga!
