Barcelona 2015- Sagrada Familia

This Art Nouveau masterpiece...

                             ...has the most beautiful church interior I've ever seen!

Gaudi's organic shapes and sinuous lines...

                                                    ...draw the eye upwards...

                                                         ...but it's the color...

                                                  ...that keeps your gaze there.

                                             

                                  Over 100 years in the making and still unfinished...

                            ...this beautiful basilica is due to be completed in 2026. 

                                               Next time: I head to Switzerland.

Teatro-Museo Dali- Figueres, Spain

The exterior of the building...

                                                        ...leaves no doubt... 

                                    ...as to the...erm...theatrical contents within. :)

                                                       Touring this museum...

                                               ...is like having a spectacular...

                                                                 ...waking...

                                                   ...phantasmagorical dream!

                                                          Filled with paintings...

                                                               ...sculpture...

                                                             ...and artifacts...   

                                                  ...like this Mae West room...

                                             ...it really is a feast for the senses!

                                              There's even a separate building...

                                                        ...for all of his jewels!

                                                    When I was a young teen...

                   ...I frequented the Salvador Dali museum with my big sister.

                                 At the time, I didn't realize how strange it was...

                               ...that a collection of this value and magnitude...

                       ...was housed in the offices of a plastics manufacturer...

                            ...in an industrial parkway in Beachwood, Ohio!

                                                 As might be expected...

            ...this collection eventually found a less bare-bones, permanent home...

                                             ...in St. Petersburg, Florida.

                                          This museum in Figueres, Spain...

                      ...is the only one in the world with a larger Dali collection...

                                        ...than the one of my childhood. 

                             (It also has a much more 'Daliesque' aesthetic!) :)

                                     Next time: we visit Gaudi's masterpiece...

                                                 ...the Sagrada Familia.

Barcelona 2015- Food (Part 2 of 2)

Sangria for lunch... 

                             ...followed by dessert 'window shopping' in Figueres, Spain.

                               'Back home' again, in the Born district of Barcelona...

                          ...we spent a lovely morning ogling the fresh fruits and veg...

                                          ...at the Santa Caterina food market.

                            Because of the constraints of our tiny apartment kitchen... 

                        ...we satisfied ourselves with just a few purchases that day...

           ...pickled anchovies, several kinds of olives, wine, cheese, dates and bread. 

                                                       Prior to leaving home...

                                  ...I had received this travel magazine in the mail.

                    It featured a tiny, family run restaurant in the Born neighborhood...

                                                ...called 'Casa Mari Y Rufo'.

                                          We were so delighted with the owners...

                                    ...and had such a delicious lunch the first day...

                                                    ...(featuring fresh shellfish...

                                                            ...and monkfish...

                                                    ...and 'to die for' pastries)...

                                    ...that we went back again the very next day! :)

                             Next time: We visit the Teatro-Museo Dali in Figueres...

                                               ...and things get a little freaky! ;)

Barcelona 2015- Food (Part 1 of 2)

Our first 'meal' in Barcelona...

...fried sardines and beer! 

(Food of the gods!!)

                                       After hours and hours of walking one day...

                                  ...my friends and I were hungry and exhausted.

                               This 'chain restaurant' meal of fried tofu, dumplings...

                                                        ...soup and seaweed...

                                                    ...fit the bill quite nicely!

                                       We had a delicious and memorable meal...

                                               ...at the Restaurant 7 Portes...

                                    ...starting with lovely Catalan tomato bread...

                              ...baby broad beans with fresh mint and vinaigrette...

                                               ...and light-as-air spinach puffs!

                                            Our 'mains' included seafood paella...

                                  ...and melt-in-your-mouth vegetable cannellonis...

                                  ...filled with aubergine, spinach and artichokes.

                               We ended the meal with three scrumptious desserts: 

                Fresh cheese with walnuts, quince jelly and a drizzle of honey...

                                            ...profiteroles with chocolate sauce...

                                       ...and crème caramel with whipped cream.

                                          Next time: we head to our local market!