by Jay M. » Thu Apr 23, 2015 11:00 pm
We were in Barcelona and Madrid last September. Here are some notes from our trip (probably no revelations here; these are tourist attractions, but we were tourists......):
Barcelona:
- Just walk down Las Ramblas all the way to the water or grab a table at one of the outside cafes and people watch.
- Stop at the public market Mercat de la Boqueria right off Las Ramblas and marvel at the meats, cheeses, vegetables, fruits, seafood, sweets, Iberian ham, etc . - a treat for the senses.
- Go to the Picasso Museum (he was born in Spain): fascinating to see things from his early career before he did the famous works that define him.
- Check out what's playing at the Palau de la Música Catalana. We just happened to see a guitar concert advertised and bought tickets. The music (three classical guitarists) was so entertaining, but the venue is spectacular.
- The Sagrada Familia: the huge, Gaudi-designed, unfinished and still under construction cathedral is jaw-dropping.
- Go to the Palau Güell (Güell Palace), a mansion designed by Gaudí. It's fascinating and make sure you walk out on the roof to see the chimneys.
Madrid:
- We went to Museo Reina Sofia (The Sofia museum) especially to see Picasso's Guernica. There are works by Dali, too.
- Go to the Prado Museum. We were with a small group and had a guide "Javier", who was really, really good. Works by the "big three" famous Spanish painters Velasquez, El Greco and Goya are there, as well as Titian and Rubens.
- Had really good paella on the Plaza Mayor
- We took the advice of a local and went to Los Gatos restaurant and asked them to select assorted "canapes" for us. This included what the server described as "baby eels", and I realized I must not be an adventurous diner.
- We toured the Royal Palace.
Also, Spanish history is fascinating, especially the Muslim influence. We saw a number of Catholic churches (Spain is now like 95% Catholic) in some of the smaller cities that were originally constructed as mosques. Have fun and give us a report (especially Lisbon).
Last edited by Jay M. on Fri Apr 24, 2015 12:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.