Our travel day was pretty uneventful (one medical emergency on the plane that wasn't life threatening) with everything running on time and all luggage arriving safely. Barcelona is maybe the easiest country I've entered with us only having to show our passports and having no paperwork to complete. Our plane landed around 6:30 a.m. and we arrived at Hotel62 around 8:00 a.m. Note to self: when arriving very early to a hotel with a 2:00 p.m. check-in, book the room for an extra night so you have some place to crash when you arrive.
Faced with the reality that we had 6 hours to kill, were in desperate need for a nap and also looked like we had been on a three day bender, we headed out into the streets. We stopped at the little cafe next to our hotel to get buzzed up on very strong coffee to help fight off the drowsiness that was settling in. In the bathroom, I realized after starring at myself in the mirror and not really recognizing the person starring back that I desperately needed a shower. No selfies today.
Across the street and down a block resides a very famous house, Casa Batillo, designed by Antoni Gaudi (perhaps one of the best known architects in Barcelona, ever) which opened in a mere 45 minutes. We parked ourselves on a bench to people watch. This block of buildings is known as the Block of Discord due to the many architectural styles represented. From the outside one can immediately tell there's a big treat waiting inside the door.
The theme of the house is water, which is evident in the curving arches and walls. A large light fixture is surrounded by a nautilus pattern on the dining room ceiling. Each room is a feast for the eyes with the highlight being the rooftop complete with mosaics and a giant ceramic cross. Gaudi mastered working the flat tiles on curved services. He also understood that the blue tiles lining a light well in the middle of the apartment should be darker as it rose to the roof to make the color appear consistent due to the amount of outside light hitting each part. An excellent audio guide accompanied the admission price which explained in detail the many features in each room. I would suggest buying tickets online if you plan a visit. tickets
We successfully had killed an hour or so which meant we still had another 4 hours to go. Time for more caffeine, this time in the form of the very rich hot chocolate preferred in this part of the world. Right next door to Casa Batillo inside a building is a cafe specializing in hot chocolate, chocolate candy and other luncheon treats. This hot chocolate delighted the tongue and was thick enough to coat the toasted bread that accompanied it.
Ok, still more time to kill. Walking down Passeig de Gracia, we encountered a large park that perhaps had the most pigeons I have ever seen in one spot. A gathering spot for the locals, street vendors sell bird feed that attract the pigeons which will eat out of your hand if you want. Every so often a noise will start the flock circling the square, fanning the park visitors when they swooped in low. After a few minutes, they settled back to square and continued to feast on the feed provided by the visitors.
We ran into a couple of our fellow workshop participants that were in the same shape we were in, waiting on their 2 o'clock room. We wondered back toward the hotel and settled into the upstairs lounge where we waited out the rest of time with a few more of our group. At two o'clock on the money, our rooms keys were presented and proceeded upstairs to a much need shower and nap.
Refreshed from our break, we headed to dinner with a couple of our friends. The Spaniards eat late but tapas bars open early so we opted for one of these near our hotel. We dined on shrimp, potatoes, calamari, fish and a few more delights before walking back to our hotel for a much needed full night of sleep.
Tomorrow: A Stroll Through the City
Faced with the reality that we had 6 hours to kill, were in desperate need for a nap and also looked like we had been on a three day bender, we headed out into the streets. We stopped at the little cafe next to our hotel to get buzzed up on very strong coffee to help fight off the drowsiness that was settling in. In the bathroom, I realized after starring at myself in the mirror and not really recognizing the person starring back that I desperately needed a shower. No selfies today.
Across the street and down a block resides a very famous house, Casa Batillo, designed by Antoni Gaudi (perhaps one of the best known architects in Barcelona, ever) which opened in a mere 45 minutes. We parked ourselves on a bench to people watch. This block of buildings is known as the Block of Discord due to the many architectural styles represented. From the outside one can immediately tell there's a big treat waiting inside the door.
The theme of the house is water, which is evident in the curving arches and walls. A large light fixture is surrounded by a nautilus pattern on the dining room ceiling. Each room is a feast for the eyes with the highlight being the rooftop complete with mosaics and a giant ceramic cross. Gaudi mastered working the flat tiles on curved services. He also understood that the blue tiles lining a light well in the middle of the apartment should be darker as it rose to the roof to make the color appear consistent due to the amount of outside light hitting each part. An excellent audio guide accompanied the admission price which explained in detail the many features in each room. I would suggest buying tickets online if you plan a visit. tickets
We successfully had killed an hour or so which meant we still had another 4 hours to go. Time for more caffeine, this time in the form of the very rich hot chocolate preferred in this part of the world. Right next door to Casa Batillo inside a building is a cafe specializing in hot chocolate, chocolate candy and other luncheon treats. This hot chocolate delighted the tongue and was thick enough to coat the toasted bread that accompanied it.
Ok, still more time to kill. Walking down Passeig de Gracia, we encountered a large park that perhaps had the most pigeons I have ever seen in one spot. A gathering spot for the locals, street vendors sell bird feed that attract the pigeons which will eat out of your hand if you want. Every so often a noise will start the flock circling the square, fanning the park visitors when they swooped in low. After a few minutes, they settled back to square and continued to feast on the feed provided by the visitors.
We ran into a couple of our fellow workshop participants that were in the same shape we were in, waiting on their 2 o'clock room. We wondered back toward the hotel and settled into the upstairs lounge where we waited out the rest of time with a few more of our group. At two o'clock on the money, our rooms keys were presented and proceeded upstairs to a much need shower and nap.
Refreshed from our break, we headed to dinner with a couple of our friends. The Spaniards eat late but tapas bars open early so we opted for one of these near our hotel. We dined on shrimp, potatoes, calamari, fish and a few more delights before walking back to our hotel for a much needed full night of sleep.
Tomorrow: A Stroll Through the City
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