Here I sit, laptop on my lap, feet up, on the roof deck of our building. It is 7:00 pm – the church bells are chiming from four different steeples within earshot. Music is wafting up from street performers below. And…..the sun is still shining brightly. One of my joys on vacation is to find a spot to have morning coffee in the sun or alternatively to have a glass of wine and watch the sun go down. Usually it is hard to even fulfill one of those wishes. Here I have both. And so far we have never seen any of the other occupants of the building using this space. The solitude in the middle of the city is just grand.
Click Read More below right..
Click Read More below right..
Other than a going to the bakery across the street for fresh morning croissants we didn’t venture out until midday. We used the morning to plan where and what we would see from here on in. There are mostly museums on the list.
A few days ago we were wandering in the neighborhood and discovered that there was a Round Roman tower just a block away. Every day we had also been walking passed a building just a few steps away from our front door that had excavated Roman ruins inside its first floor and even a see through panel in the pavement to look at the ruins below street level.
When we did venture out today we saw a sign indicating that the Cultural Center, which contained these ruins was open and it was free. We wandered in to get a closer look. What we learned was that all the ruins in this neighborhood were part of the Roman wall and in particular the Porta del Mar (Gate to the Sea) and that there were also Roman baths in this very area.
We then wandered the streets and did a bit of shopping and then had lunch at our now favorite café in the Bouqueria Market and stocked up on a few provisions.
Then we walked a few blocks along the Ramblas to Palau Guell. This is the first of Gaudi’s moderisme buildings. The home was built, 1886-1890, for Eusebi Guell. It is neo-gothic in style but Gaudi’s touches are evident. The innovative and creative ways he used to increase natural light and air flow within the building. The use of intricately carved wood, designs taken from nature, and, of course, his signature rooftop wonderland. Here and elsewhere Gaudi transformed the functioning chimneys with ceramic mosaics to create unique and colorful sculptures.
My wine glass is now empty and the sun while not even close to setting has fallen enough to cast a shadow on my previously sunny spot.
More tomorrow.
A few days ago we were wandering in the neighborhood and discovered that there was a Round Roman tower just a block away. Every day we had also been walking passed a building just a few steps away from our front door that had excavated Roman ruins inside its first floor and even a see through panel in the pavement to look at the ruins below street level.
When we did venture out today we saw a sign indicating that the Cultural Center, which contained these ruins was open and it was free. We wandered in to get a closer look. What we learned was that all the ruins in this neighborhood were part of the Roman wall and in particular the Porta del Mar (Gate to the Sea) and that there were also Roman baths in this very area.
We then wandered the streets and did a bit of shopping and then had lunch at our now favorite café in the Bouqueria Market and stocked up on a few provisions.
Then we walked a few blocks along the Ramblas to Palau Guell. This is the first of Gaudi’s moderisme buildings. The home was built, 1886-1890, for Eusebi Guell. It is neo-gothic in style but Gaudi’s touches are evident. The innovative and creative ways he used to increase natural light and air flow within the building. The use of intricately carved wood, designs taken from nature, and, of course, his signature rooftop wonderland. Here and elsewhere Gaudi transformed the functioning chimneys with ceramic mosaics to create unique and colorful sculptures.
My wine glass is now empty and the sun while not even close to setting has fallen enough to cast a shadow on my previously sunny spot.
More tomorrow.