FREE TIME
I love the "free time" parts of a Rick Steves tour. I love exploring the neighborhoods, finding my way to art museums and galleries, browsing the shop windows, eating and drinking, people-watching. In Spain I added three days to the front of the tour - hopping over to Bilbao for two days and then arriving back in Barcelona on Friday night. The tour began on Saturday, late afternoon, so I was able to see many of the sights on my "must see" list, like Parc Guell, Casa Milà and the Picasso Museum.
Parc Guell
Parc Guell is hard to describe and was a little confusing even with the map that you're given on entry. Some paths dead-ended at overlooks - some led to the most popular places such as the lizard fountain (El Drac). Public bus and shuttle (follow the website directions) made finding it, a snap. I made a timed entry reservation on-line for 9 am (an hour after it opened) and it was pleasantly uncrowded. I was glad I had made reservations and didn't have to join the long line of people waiting to get in, as I left.
Casa Milà
Casa Milà or La Pedrera also required a reservation and timed entry; even though I arrived an hour early, they were very gracious about letting me in.
This was my favorite Gaudi building. The audio guide described the layout of the building, from the quirky rooftop (also in Dan Brown's book), down the stairways and into the period-furnished rooms.
Nature and color were important themes in Gaudi's work as you can see in the painted ceiling above and the stairway to the right - the undulating green and brown represent waves which are echoed in the patterned iron stairway grille.
Love the "butterfly" headboard which Gaudi designed.
Palau de la Musica
This was a Rick Steves-recommended stop and I'm so glad I toured it - a real wow-ser!
Love art nouveau.
The Sony RX-10 is heavier than most point-and-shoots but it really brings you in for the close-ups without lugging around all the glass needed for a DSLR.
Picasso Museum and street walk
I had a tough time finding the Picasso museum and was so relieved on finding it, I forgot to take a pic of the outside! Museums usually don't like you sharing artwork that's copyrighted - but this work was on the coasters I bought, so I figured it was ok.
Not sure if this is called street art or trompe l'oeil - whatever it's called - I liked it!
I was thinking of re-naming "top tour sights" - "tour sights - top to bottom" and including these Caganer there, but ultimately decided to put them at the end (appropriately) of this section. We saw this display on our tour of the Gothic quarter - these figures are added to creche scenes at Christmas. I don't know - somehow I just couldn't imagine Freddie Mercury sitting on the john under the angel in my Willow-ceramic crèche scene!
Madrid:
The Prado
Reina Sofia
I remember taking an art appreciation class when I was 17. I had no interest in art, but it satisfied units for an undergrad in liberal arts. In the first class, Mr. DeGrassi analyzed Roger Van der Weyden's 1425 masterpiece, Descent From The Cross and opened up the world of art for me. In the Prado I stood five feet away from it, in awe of its vibrant blues, reds and golds and still remembering Mr. DeGrassi pointing out how the figure of Mary mirrored the figure of Jesus.
I remember Lea Bartel, who taught movement at Cardiff College, giving us an assignment over spring holiday - to come up with a theme for our final performance. Inspiration struck on the train to London, I wrote ten pages called "A Tribute to Picasso." It was three scenes of movement, music and poetry, beginning with Picasso's blue period, then his red, and ending with the whole class forming The Guernica to Ravel's Bolero. At the Reina Sofia I finally saw the painting. The work, which covers an entire wall, was Picasso's protest after Franco gave Hitler permission to bomb the small Basque town Guernica (after the townspeople had voiced opposition to Franco).
Thyssen-Bornemisza
Such great museums - I have no pictures of the outside of the Prado (inside - no cameras allowed) and few pics of the Reina-Sofia - all because I didn't read the website correctly that you are allowed to take pictures in the Reina-Sofia, just not in the Guernica room. Ah-well - I'll just have to go back someday!
Was grateful when a tour mate suggested we go to the Royal Botanic
Gardens. After a paella dinner, we walked down past the Prado to the Gardens. It felt good to "get away" from the museum and tapas crowds and breathe the calm of creation.
The peonies and irises were in full bloom.
Window shopping and sight-seeing in free time!
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Crocheted gloves from an establishment that's been in Madrid for over 100 years.
While waiting for the group at Artesanos 1902, I wandered over to a little store that had the word "biblio" in the title. I knew it was the word for book, and after looking in the window, I tried the door. It was locked but then there was a buzz and the door clicked open. "Ola," I said. "Buenas dias," a 30-something woman replied. The walls of the shop were filled with beautiful leather-bound books. I scanned the titles and found "North American Indian Tribes" by George Catlin. "Wow!" my American self blurted out, "I can't believe you have Catlin's North American Indians!" "Yes," the young woman replied.
We started talking. Her grandfather bought and sold rare books, and eventually opened the shop. She was the third generation proprietor and made yearly trips to New York and London for antiquarian book fairs. "Have a look at the Catlin," she encouraged me, "it's two volumes." "It's beautiful," I paused, "how much is it?" We looked at the card inside, 4500 euros. I complimented her store, her dedication to the work, and told her it brought tears to my eyes - no, not the price! - her carrying on her family's passion for writing and for valuing the printed word.
Free time isn't always about shopping or coffee/wine - in the smaller towns it was nice to have free time just to walk around and "feel" the community.
If it's pomegranate - it must be Granada
Seville - a city made for wandering
Beautiful benches shaded by fruiting orange trees.
Something about a threshold, a partially opened door that leaves you questioning - what lies beyond? It is the traveler's question, too - what lies beyond?
The Mushrooms
An extraordinary sight! Such a fun place to visit - great views you can explore with vistas of all compass points. A photographer's delight with lots of pattern, light and shade, lines and curves.
