In early October, the Mediterranean mirrors the blue skies and bright sunlight. The marina at the Port Olimpic in Barcelona is filled with sailboats, yachts, and small motorized craft. The boardwalk along the sand stretches in both directions. My husband and I are celebrating our 35th wedding anniversary. One morning we rent bicycles and amble along the hard top next to the beach. We pass cafes, young couples pushing baby strollers, women sunbathing topless, and elderly men sitting on folding chairs, playing cards.
Later we walk from our hotel to the Barri Gotic, the Gothic Quarter or Old City. The ancient buildings shade the alleyways and create shadows that cool the balmy sea air. The metal garage doors of the shops are buttoned up tight during siesta time that starts at 2:00 p.m. and ends at 4:30 p.m. We wander over to La Rambla the renowned pedestrian boulevard that used to be a river meandering through the city. We watch performance artists, observe caged birds for sale, souvenir vendors selling maracas and fans, and an open-air Mercat, a market offering whole fish, succulent fruit, nuts, olive oil, fresh cut flowers, and an array of vegetables. Briefly I regret that I am not cooking.
We stop at Bossborn, a tapas bar, and drink sangria while we wait for plates of fried artichokes, seared slices of tuna, and broiled anchovies. By 5:00 p.m., we’re ready to navigate the mesmerizing web of streets to find the Museu Picasso. Around each corner, there is a surprise: brightly colored laundry hanging like flags over wrought iron balconies, and La Manual Alpargatera, the oldest shoe store in Barcelona where the espadrilles are still stitched by hand. Picasso’s art is displayed in a restored medieval palace; the building itself is well worth a visit. It is touching to see examples of Picasso’s work from as young as age 10. His mother was diligent about saving his creations, and we the public get an unusual chance to view his early efforts.
Dinner in this city is usually served late, so it’s perfectly acceptable to nap in the early evening and look for a taxi around 10:00 p.m. Most restaurants don’t even open until 9:00 p.m. They seem to expect that people pace themselves throughout the day with a balance of working, resting, eating and drinking. After our first evening when we were ready to gnaw on our fingers by 8:00 p.m., we tourists quickly learned to adapt to the Spanish schedule. One excellent dining option is Commerc 24. You can order a price fixed tapas menu of either five or seven courses. Since the staff seems to slip in a few extra plates, five are plenty for an average appetite. We particularly enjoyed the duck ravioli resting in frothed olive oil and the egg shell creatively filled with homemade mozzarella.
A Barcelona tour is not complete without exploring Gaudi’s architectural wonder, the as yet unfinished cathedral: the Sagrada Familia. Its many spires and facades draw us into Gaudi’s imagination and his willingness to explore. The fanciful homes he designed as well as the Parc Guell with its serpentine public spaces are unusually forward thinking considering that they evolved over 100 years ago when most structures were more predictable.
Further a field is Mont Juic, the site of the 1927 World’s Fair. On this hill, a replica of an Iberian village was built. Today it houses artisan shops, galleries, and restaurants. Close by is the Fundacio Joan Miro designed by Josep Lluis Sert, a former Dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Design. This imposing edifice overlooking Barcelona is a stunning backdrop for Miro’s sculptures, as well as his large canvases and tapestries. The collection also includes some of Calder’s mobiles.
For a few days we rent a car and drive toward the Costa Brava, situated in the foothills of the Pyrenees, the border between Spain and France. The roads wind steeply through the cliffs that crash dramatically down to the water. We visit Dali’s home in the coastal enclave of Port Lligat. Visitors are extremely limited and you have to book your entry ahead because you can almost reach out and touch Dali’s cane collection, his clogs, and his paintbrushes. In the nearby fishing village of Cadaques, the white of the buildings reflects the sunlight. Dali’s affection for this area is rooted in the many summers he spent here as a child.
Our base in this region is the tiny inland village of Torrent where we reserved two nights at Mas de Torrent, a restored eighteenth century farmhouse that houses an inn. A reasonable day trip from Torrent is the town of Girona which has an old city known as the best preserved in Europe. A large Jewish population lived peacefully next to the Christians from the ninth century almost until 1492 when the Jews were expelled from Spain. The Jewish museum has been built on the site of the last synagogue. There are ketubot (marriage contracts), gravestones, ceramics, thimbles, belt buckles, menorahs, and tefillin (articles for prayer). Throughout the former Jewish quarter you can detect the places on the doorposts of the houses where mezuzot, small cases containing sacred blessings, had once been.
Not far from Torrent is the medieval town of Pals. The pristine restoration of its ochre walls and cobblestone walkways effectively bring visitors back in time. The ateliers of leather craftsmen, jewelers, and potters are spotted in amongst the dwellings. We are once again struck by the value that the Spaniards place on restoring their past and caring for their public spaces. Trash is collected daily, parking is centrally located just outside of pedestrian areas, and bicycles and walkers alike have ample passageways.
We work our way back to Barcelona. A trip spanning eight days has allowed us to savor each moment instead of rushing around at a breakneck speed. The Hotel Arts with its beach access, spa, and accommodating concierge make it an ideal vacation oasis. We take one more look at the Barri Gotic, drink cafe con leche (with milk) near the Barcelona Cathedral, and grab mango gelato in El Borno, a neighborhood filled with small eateries, artists’ studios and apartments.
