Barcelona: Eat, Drink and Seek Gaudi
As I write this I can hear a tape recording of Jackson 5 music. The sounds of kid’s voices
mixed with Michael Jackson and his brothers, rise up from a schoolyard where
schoolgirls practice choreographed routines on inline skates. Reed and I are delighted by the sounds of the
children’s bubbly high-pitched voices full of excitement as they play during
recess. I wonder if American kids are getting this kind of exercise? But the
happy sounds of children are universal.
Started the day at Chicha Limon with café cortado
and croissants. We asked Julia, the waitress, for a Gaudi site recommendation.
We explained we had seen La Sagrada Familia. She recommended Casa Battlo.
We walked down the Barcelona streets southward to
Casa Batllo—a Gaudi apartment house with a dragon back tile roof. Like the look of that place,
especially with the dragon being a symbol of Barcelona. The image is very
playful and colorful, like a children’s fantasy house in the middle of an urban
environment. The Passeig de Gracia
metro stop was nearby and we ducked in to that to ride the subway northward to
another Gaudi location—the Park Guell (pronounced Gway).
Got out at the Vallcarca
station on the north end of town and at the base of the park. The city has
placed escalators into the extremely steep hill leading to the park. We
followed a boisterous group of Englishmen. One of them noticed an old woman,
make that ancient, struggling uphill with a few plastic shopping bags. He
graciously her bags while his buddies teased him. One mate said, “She’s going
to Valencia.” The ribbing continued from there for his gentlemanly gesture.
Gotta love the rambunctious Brits!
We had some fun
encountering the vendors on the paths across Guell Park. Reed bought a bird
whistle for 3 euros. I took photos of a headless street performer who seemed
suspended on a seat in mid-air. Gave him a tip. Just too good of a trick to not
reward. We caught a glimpse of some of Gaudi's design beauty from a
position outside the Monument. Advance tickets were required. As with Casa Batllo,
Gaudi’s talent for entertaining the viewer with colors, shapes and pure playful
creativity boggles the mind.
I realized Gaudi’s modernism is very tactile. He
anticipates the rise of acoustic space,
a McLuhan term as man “retribalizes” and returns to a more multi-sensory
environment. The electronic world is an “ear” world and a more tactile world than
the era of books—very visual and logical. Nowadays it’s all about “reach out and touch
someone,” and we live in a thoroughly tactile world. “Stay in touch”…. “I feel
you”… McLuhan said artists are the only ones with the courage to see the
present and anticipate the future. The artist helps us prepare for the future,
and Gaudi is one of those visionary artists. That’s my McLuhanesque comment for
the day!
Reed got several recommendations for Barcelona from a high class, beautiful woman friend back in Austin, including 7 Portes (7 Doors) restaurant. We correctly
guessed she had expensive tastes and the restaurant glowed with high quality
and class. We were dressed in sweaty T-shirts, after our various hikes. They
accepted us, but quickly sat us close to the front door so the other diners had
little view of the gritty duo from Texas. For whatever reason… I felt
celebratory and ordered paella, the deluxe version with meat and seafood. And
the ingredients included lobster, fish, calamari, mussels and shrimp. Reed’s
influence in the direction of culinary appreciation has been helpful. The dish
did not disappoint. Reed ordered bacalao fish and a green salad. We both had
beer and, all in all, felt kind of inspiring to dine in glorious
surroundings—the golden lighting, the expensive furnishings, and the
well-heeled customers. The lunch reminded me of my 1963 tour of Spain with my
Aunt Carmen in 1963. Carmen took me to refined Spanish and Portuguese
hotels and restaurants throughout or two-month trek. I was a middle-class,
suburban 14 year old at the time, but quickly adjusted to the fancy, sport jacket
required lifestyle. Here’s to the Fantasy Life—
Little gold plaques on the wall behind Reed had
name printed on them—prized customers I assumed. I studied the plaque over his
shoulder. It said “Michael Douglas” but I doubt Michael Douglas ever got placed
at our louse table, with a water service area just two feet away. Still it was
fun to imagine.
We walked to the Barceloneta metro stop and took it up to Girona. We proceeded to get lost after
exiting the tube, within 3 blocks of our apartment. The city is a maze I cannot fathom-- or maybe it was
exhaustion from too much walking. Finally we got inside our Roger de Flor apartment and up the elevator
to a nap. When we awoke, around 6 PM, we could herd the
children’s voices singing down below.
My two favorite Barcelona T-shirts with writing on
them…
Forget Everything
and the other had the words like so:
Today
The people in Spain like T-shirts with words
printed in English.
Travel Day-- 6/16/17
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