Barcelona, City of Gaudi, Art and Life

Back from a long weekend in Barcelona, a wonderful city with a wonderful relaxed feeling. Been there in different years in April, July and now October and it's nice to see different sides to the city. Visited some of my favourite places and ate at some of my favourite restaurants. Had a 'half'n'half' pizza and beer at a lovely little pizza place on the Street of a Thousand Ceramic Shops in the old town (don't know what the street is really called, but that's how I think of it, just down from the Picasso Museum) and bought some more incredibly cheap ceramics.

Had a lovely meal at the delightful Citrus Restaurant overlooking Passeig de Gracia, just opposite Gaudi's house of dragon bones, excellent views over the street from the big first floor windows, excellent and attentive service and the best puddings ever! Washed down with a teasing Rioja and cava was sipped in celebration. A high class noshery (a banana signifying the gents toilet and two lemons signposing the ladies) that I happily eat at on every trip to Barca so far and hope to again.

Lots of walking on the sunny Sunday, seeing new things (the Ceramics Museum inside Palau Reial) and old favourites (Parc Guell) and even managed to get inside the 'gingerbread house', one of the gatehouses to the park with a roof that looks like the icing on a cake topped off with a magic mushroom chimney, courtesy of Chris spotting a ticket booth I'd walked past in my excitement at seeing it open for the first time. Signor Gaudi is called 'God's Architect' for his astonishing Sagrada Familia but it's Parc Guell that does it for me. It's on a much more human scale for my little sensibilities.

There's a small exhibition inside but I didn't look at it at all (no idea what it was about) - I revelled in the feeling of space in the small, organic rooms, painted blue on all three floors with no straight lines (other than the floor). Even the views of the Parc from the windows were new since I'd never seen it from that direction or elevation before. The ceiling in every room was ribbed, almost like being inside the ribcage of an ancient dragon at that moment between breaths when the ribcage is still and you can imagine it will expand any second with a slow, stately intake of air. A definite high point of the trip!

The Parc was less crowded than I've seen it before - the crowds waiting to have their photo taken beside the water-dragon (Gordon) on the steps leading to the hypostile hall (planned as a market) were noticeably less frenetic. I don't know what it is about that little dragon but he draws the crowds! He didn't have water splooshing from his mouth, though, and all the fountains were turned off (not just in the park, but seemingly everywhere in Barcelona).

A trip to Barcelona wouldn't be complete without strolling down Las Ramblas through stalls selling flowers and birds, the street artists inventing even more intriguing things to mime and be painted up as statues, and buy packs of fresh fruit from the colourful market. The narrow, winding streets of the Barri Gotic and the grand boulevard of Passeig de Gracia, the latter leading to La Pedrera, the Casa Mila of Gaudi and what will always be, to me, the wibbly-wobbly building!

I love climbing up to the roof and reveling in the oddity and wierdness of the multi-level roof, almost like waves crashing on the shore, with the knights-in-armour chimneys. A group of chimneys was covered in scaffolding for renovation (of which I heartily approve). It was late in the afternoon by the time we got there (having walked from Parc Guell rather than get the subway) so it was viewed with a different light as the sun weakened and the clouds drew in - always seen it in full sunshine before and the light and clouds made it almost sinister at times. In one direction lowering, grey clouds and in the other lovely blue sky with whisps of white cotton-wool. The large attic underneath the roof is, as you'd expect from Signor Gaudi, ribbed inside with massive wooden beams, arcing from floor to ceiling to floor again ... more dragons! It must be both wonderful and odd for the people who live there. If I win the lottery, that's where I'd buy a flat.

So that's a wonderful weekend over with and Barcelona put to bed for 2005...