DAY
2:
Heading
north from the Plaça de Catalunya the streets
and sidewalks are wide, spacious, and straight. A
central esplanade divides the traffic and all the
intersections are octagons. Chanel, Burberry, and
the Gap have stores along the main street, Passeig
de Gracia. Before Barcelona's expansion and the
building of the new city in the 1800s, this was the
road to the town of Gracia, hence the name. The famous
block of discord will be the first example of the
diversity in architecture that began when the wealthy
started buying up space in the new Eixample and showed
off by hiring the coveted architects to build ever-stranger
and more opulent homes in the trendy modernist style. The Block of Discord is on the Passeig de Gracia
between Consell de Cent and Argo. Be sure to stop
at Casa Batlló. The façade alone
is remarkable with its skull-like window treatments,
undulating serpent-like roof in shiny blue, and the
enchanting, curvaceous, Art Nouveau interior.
 |
Casa
Milà |
A
block further is the Casa Milà, Gaudí's
quintessential Catalan Art Nouveau apartment building.
Its soft, drooping façade is instantly recognizable.
The roller coaster of a tiled roof is dotted with
mushroomy chimneys and offers a captivating 360-degree
view of the city. La Pedrera is the restored
attic devoted to Gaudí's life, his work, and
his contribution to the identity of Barcelona. Don't
miss the tour of an apartment adorned in period style.
Be prepared to spend a few hours at Casa Milà.
When
you land back out front in a bit of a haze, a respite
just down the block is a perfect place to refuel.
Cross Passeig de Gracia and walk down Carrer de Provença
towards Rambla de Catalunya (not the Ramblas). On
the next corner is a charming, gourmet deli straight
out of the 1940s called Mauri. Browse the warm
and cold deli cases, choose a few finger sandwiches,
one of the three paellas being offered and a plate
of cheeses or vegetables and pick a seat in the raised
cocktail style area. Waitresses will deliver your
food, refill your drinks and point you in the direction
of the ice cream and pastry area when you are ready.
|
Templo
Expiatorio de la Sagrada Familia |
After
lunch stroll along the central, tree-lined path of Rambla de Catalunya. The walk over to the La Sagrada Familia Church, back on Carrer de Provença,
passing Casa Milà, will take you about
30 minutes. Towering above the ticket entrance are
the sand castle-esque spires of the still uncompleted
Holy Family Church. This is surely Gaudí's
most famous structure, as evidenced by the line of
tour buses out front. Still the exterior is impressive.
Inside, cranes continue to lift material to drop off
spots amongst the scaffolding. Plaster casts still
showing their rebar skeleton reveal the kind of construction
that goes into a church of this size, especially one
that is funded only by donations and ticket sales.
In many ways it reflects the older churches in Barcelona
and throughout Europe that took generations to build.
Two
dinner options take you back to the burgeoning El
Born neighborhood where inventive chefs are opening
boutique-style restaurants with both downtown and
uptown vibes. For an uptown experience check out Comerç
24. Chef Carles Abellan puts out some beautiful
plates of food in the newest Spanish methods spearheaded
by Ferran Adria at El Bulli in nearby Roses. Sushi
arrives atop crostini, shot glasses deconstruct
foams of varying temperatures, chocolate is served on an olive oil laden slice
of grilled bread. All of it is so much better than
it sounds. These are designer tapas, doted over and
fussed with to perfection. Amazing light fixtures
and high-style accents in the restaurant show off
the fact that the room itself, as well as its occupants,
has been treated in a similar fashion.
A downtown-style option is the
hip and casual Santa Maria, located just down
the street. A menu of handwritten nightly specials
captures the adventurous spirit of the new breed of
Spanish chefs: Sardines are served with eggplant purée
and tuna tartar while frog legs slathered in a sweet
dark sauce are so good you may wonder why no one back
home considers eating these more often. Classics like
paella and tortilla are also on offer. After dinner,
slip around the corner to Gimlet, a romantic
bar, perfect for lingering well into the wee hours
of the morning.
