Until the 1850s Barcelona was confined, by law, to lie within its old city walls. The government in Madrid feared a Catalan independence movement and wanted to keep Barcelona, the center of Catalonia, small and confined. But by that time … Continue reading The Block of Discord
Walking into the Sagrada Familia is like walking into a forest during that magic hour when the light is low and color and shadow play out their drama. Stained glass artist Joan Vila-Grau realized Antoni Gaudi’s dream starting in 1959. … Continue reading A Forest of Light.
Travel writers have described Sagrada Familia’s Nativity Façade as if “Someone left the cake out in the rain.” Borrowing a term from Jimmy Webb’s MacArthur Park. Webb, in turn took the line from WH Auden who said his lined face … Continue reading Someone Left the Cake Out in the Rain
In 1899 industrialist Eusebi Güell bought a farm on a hill overlooking Barcelona, which had exploded across the plain with rapid industrialization. The farm was to become a suburban subdivision for wealthy families living in detached houses with parkland, trails, … Continue reading Park Güell
On each world cruise Holland America plans something special. This year it was the “Grand Meetup.” Both Holland ships, Volendam and Zuiderdam, on Grand Voyages met in Barcelona for two days of parties and activities. Holland claims it is the … Continue reading Grand Meetup.
We had two days in Barcelona, but we didn’t spend much time in the city. The two Holland America ships, our Volendam and the Zuiderdam were berthed stern to stern where Holland America staged something called the Grand Reunion. I … Continue reading Rambling the Rambla, Barcelona