Tarragona, Beaches, and Dali (& Cava too)

We took a day trip to Tarragona which is about a 1 ½ hour train ride south of Barcelona. Thanks to our neighbor Clif ‘s recommendation (Thanks, Clif!), we visited this port city that was once the Roman capitol of Hispania. 


The Roman Aqueduct


Tarragona is a lovely city with great views of the Med and a remarkable variety of Roman ruins. It was especially interesting to see how the modern city has built itself on and around the tremains of the old Roman town. We began with the archaeological museum with its fabulous Roman mosaics and various items from daily Roman life. As always, we marveled at how creative and resourceful these ancient people were. Then, we checked out the many Roman ruins including the Roman Circus where the Romans held their chariot races and the Amphitheater where gladiators once fought.

We took a cab 3 km outside the city to the Roman Aqueduct (also called the Devil’s Bridge) . It was impressive, and we had hoped to walk on it; however, the site was closed for restoration. Lots of scaffolding surrounded the aqueduct, but it was still a magnificent sight.




The Beach at Barceloneta


We spent the next two days in a more relaxed mode strolling along the beaches of Barceloneta, a seaside resort about 10 minutes walk from our apartment. Barcelona is certainly a diverse city with medieval ruins, modern architectural wonders, and a beach too!

We also hopped a train down to the beach resort of Sitges (about 45 minutes south) where we enjoyed the small laidback town of whitewashed buildings that reminded us of Greece. The beach was lovely and the small shops were great for browsing.



Sitges


Saturday was “Dali Day.” We had arranged to take an all-day tour to visit the Salvador Dali Museum in Figueres and also Dali’s home on the coast in Port Lligat (near the resort town of Cadaques). Dali was one wild and crazy dude! From the moment we first glimpsed the Dali Museum with its roof topped with giant eggs and gold figures that look like the Oscar statuettes, we knew we were in for something out of the ordinary.

The Dali Museum is almost a hallucinatory experience with all the bizarre surrealistic art and a good dose of Dali’s unique sense of humor. For example, a Cadillac on display in the huge courtyard “rains” inside the car if you put a euro in the money box. Initially, we thought that Dali must have been a lunatic; however, by the end of the day, we could appreciate his genius. He had great success not only in painting, but in sculpture, jewelry-making and even designed screen sets for Hollywood. A highlight of the jewelry room was a brooch with an actual “beating” red-jeweled heart.




Salvador Dali self-portrait


Dali was one of the few artists who became wealthy during his lifetime. He and his wife and soul mate, Gala, built a mansion on a gorgeous secluded harbor at Port Lligat. Just like the museum, the house reflects Dali’s playful style, but you also get a sense of the wonderful life he and Gala had together.
In many ways, Dali’s art seems like profanity on the canvas -- he took great joy in twisting classical works and themes in strange, shocking ways creating a surrealistic dream world all his own. He was quite a character that you might not take seriously especially with that ridiculous, pointed mustache. But his true genius was his creative energy and his simple, childlike humor. Who else would decorate his swimming pool with plastic images of the Michelin Man?

On our last full day in Barcelona, we explored another aspect of Catalan life: cava (i.e. champagne). The term champagne can only be used in France, so the Spanish sparkling wine is called cava. Our Wine and Cava tour took us into the famous Penedes wine region where we visited three vineyards. The first, Jean Leon, was a small exclusive place founded by the colorful character Jean Leon who owed the famous La Scala restaurant in Hollywood (with business partner James Dean) and hobnobbed with Hollywood starlets and even Ronald Reagtan and JFK.



Dali had a fetish for the Michelin Man!


Our second stop was at the Torres Winery, a huge almost factory-like operation but their Cabernet Sauvignon (with a hint of Tempranillo) was outstanding. The final stop was at Freixenet, the largest cava producer in Spain. (You may be familiar with Freixenet which is sold in the U.S. in a signature black bottle.) It was a fun day of wine-tasting out in the Tuscan-like countryside.




Wine and Cava Tour


This is our last day here in Barcelona (we think!). Our ship, the Celebrity Century, has been having some rudder issues. The Century’s previous cruise was aborted on the second day of sailing and all the passengers were forced off the ship and left to fend for themselves. The Century has been in dry dock for repairs ever since although we understand the ship is headed for Barcelona as we write this. As of the moment, ETA is 3:30 p.m. today (delayed from 11:00 a.m.).

Barcelona and Gaudy Gaudi

A short 1 ½ hour Easy Jet flight and we feel as if we have arrived in the tropics -- the temperature is up about 20 degrees, and our ride from the airport passes palm trees and gentle Mediterranean beaches. We have rented an apartment for the next 9 nights in a warren of tiny streets in the old Gothic Quarter near the magnificent Santa Maria del Mar, the finest Gothic church in the city. We really hit the jackpot with an amazingly spacious apartment. Even the bathroom is huge, and the separate bedroom is bigger than our whole hotel room in London! 

Typical staircase in Gothic home

As soon as we entered our apartment, we heard a choir of young school girls performing in the street right below our balcony, and we immediately fell in love with Barcelona. Especially this old section where the narrow streets and medieval stone buildings remind us of Italy. Barcelona definitely has soul! Unfortunately, all that soul comes at a price. We had barely stepped out of the taxi when we were approached by our first scammer -- a harmless guy with a hard luck story looking for a handout. Sadly, Barcelona has a reputation for pickpockets and scammers, so we will need to be “en guarde!”

We kicked off our first full day here with a walking tour of the Gothic Quarter. It is remarkable how much of the medieval city and even the Roman ruins still remain! We came here to see the ‘modernisme” architecture of Antoni Gaudi but are blown away by the ancient city. We also visited the history museum descending deep below the city into a 2,000 year-old past where we saw the Roman ruins of a marketplace with shops, a community clothes washing facility, a fish salting/drying factory, and even a winery that once held 10,000 liters of wine in clay amphorae! Interesting how wine has been a commodity that has survived the ages.

For a change of pace, we wandered over to the Picasso Museum. The paintings were presented in chronological order giving us the chance to see how this genius evolved. It is fascinating to see how Picasso learned from everyone. We could see influences from Toulouse-Lautrec, Cezanne, Seurat etc. Picasso could have been a successful artist of any type, but of course, he was a renegade developing his own unique cubist style.



Spires of Sagrada Familia

 On Monday, we dove into the modernisme part of town to see what all this fuss is about Antoni Gaudi. One look at Sagrada Familia (his masterpiece of a church that has been under construction for over 100 years) and we were hooked! Words cannot describe this riot of twisted stone figures, flower-topped spires, and elongated pillars that look like giant palm trees.

Christ hang-gliding in for a landing

(What we guess will be) the altar has a statue of Christ hanging from some mushroom-like structure that makes it look like Christ is paragliding into the sanctuary. We took the lift up into one of the towers and walked down the narrow, sometimes claustrophobic, spiral stairs to fully enjoy some close-up views of Gaudi’s creation. Lots of surprising color with a green tree filled with white doves and pillars that look like they are holding piles of red and yellow soccer balls. It really is unlike any church (or building) we have ever seen.

Now that we have been bitten by the Gaudi bug, there is no stopping us. We headed north to Parc Guell with its overwhelmingly colorful ceramic park entrance that includes a polka-dotted spire, a multicolored lizard that doubles as a fountain, and wavy walls decorated with flowery tiles. We wandered around enjoying the beautiful day and the strange walkways made of rough piles of rocks that look like aqueducts and feel like grottos.

Fantasy features of Parc Guell

Parc Guell sits high on the hillside, so it is all downhill from here to our apartment. The 3-mile walk gave us a chance to see the city at close-range. Along the way, we came to Gaudi’s apartment building, Casa Mila (aka La Pedrera), and it was still open so we climbed to the rooftop for a view bathed in late afternoon sunlight. The roof is dotted with strange geometric figures that somehow reminded us of chess pieces. As always, everything swirls, and there are no straight lines or corners in sight. Gaudi liked to emulate nature in his architecture - lines of his art flowing according to natural structures - like tree branches, or beehive colonies, or vertebrae.

Rooftop of Casa Mila

By now, it was dark and the ornate streetlights were shining as we walked past graceful Mediterranean-style buildings with delicate wrought iron balconies. But we haven’t finished with Gaudi -- his Casa Batllo is the prettiest building yet and looked like something in a fairytale book, with all the swirls and colors illuminated by strategically placed spotlights.

We were too exhausted to cook dinner tonight, so we ate tapas at a small café, treated ourselves to a gelato ice cream for dessert, and collapsed in our apartment with visions of Gaudi swirling in our heads.

On Tuesday, we hiked over to the famous Palau de la Musica Catalana and signed on for a tour of the colorful and ornate musical auditorium that was build back in 1908. The polished marble staircase that ascended to the balcony was accented with amber glass balusters, and a red carpet that bid “welcome.” Our young tour guide seated us in the audience, center stage, and we observed an explosion of color tiles covering the walls and, in fact the entire theater, lending unusual sparkle and luster to the ambiance of the stage. The stage itself was quite remarkable with an international assortment of female musicians playing all kinds of instruments. Their lower bodies were made of colorful mosaics, but their upper bodies were
3-D sculptures that seemed to come alive as they leaned forward out of the wall. A true celebration of music!

Thru the techniques of modern electronics, our guide even played a Bach organ piece for our musical pleasure by activating the impressive organ with the push of a button. Ahhh, Bach! To think of the many masters that have performed here (Wagner, Richard Strauss, et al) on this stage boggled our feeble little minds.

We spent the afternoon up on Montjuic, the castle-topped mountain with terrific views over the city and out into the Med. We took a combination of Metro, Funicular, and Teleferic (cable car), so getting there was half the fun. Sadly, this lovely spot has a less than lovely history since the castle was once a prison and a favorite place for Franco to torture any dissidents.

We ended the day with a visit to the Mercat de la Boqueria, the best open-air market in the city. Stocked up on some goodies (including our new favorite beer, Estrella Damm) and then made a homemade meal of Pasta Bolognese. Yummy!!

Cromwell, Churchill, and WWII

  

As you may remember, we love walking tours, and London Walks (along with their counterpart Paris Walks) is among the very best. We selected the Westminster Walk covering 1,000 years of British history. Our guide, Chris, seemed like a real grump initially, but once she got going, we had a terrific tour all around Big Ben, Parliament, and Westminster Abbey.

Parliament and Big Ben



We could not begin to describe all the tidbits of history that we learned, but here are two stories. The statue of Winston Churchill is much less ”pigeoned” than other statues nearby. Various theories on this include that it is electrified or has some kind of vibration device built into it. The truth is that Churchill is still so beloved by the British people, that local people constantly scrub away the dirt.

When the monarchy was restored, the king had Oliver Cromwell’s body exhumed. The mummified remains were than drawn and quartered, and the head cut off. The head was displayed on the roof of Parliament until a storm blew it off. A Cromwell supporter grabbed the head and took it to Cambridge where it remains to this day stored in a cupboard. (And we think our politics are bizarre!)

Looking for a “posh” night out, we attended a performance of Verdi‘s “Rigoletto” at The Royal Opera House. Quite the standing room only event. One odd thing was how all these well-dressed people slurped down ice cream during the “interval!” (Ice cream is so popular, you can even reserve your ice cream ahead of time! Wouldn‘t want to miss out, would you?)

Our last full day in London was dedicated to WWII. Anne keeps saying that so much of London looks like the war ended yesterday, and nowhere is that more true than in the Cabinet War Rooms. These underground rooms are exactly as they were when Churchill left them. Down here in claustrophobic conditions, dozens of secretaries and assistants typed battle orders, translated Morse code, and tracked convoys crossing the Atlantic. We saw a closet where Churchill spoke to FDR and later Truman on a special scrambled transatlantic phone. And Churchill’s bedroom with one of his signature cigars on the nightstand.




Original German 250 kilo bomb

 



The Churchill museum (established within the war rooms) traced the ups and mostly downs of Churchill’s life before becoming Prime Minister. He had been a scholastic failure, nearly went bankrupt, and thought his political career was over after he mishandled the disastrous battle at Gallipoli. But then at the age of 65, he saves England from the Nazis! Never too late, huh?

 We celebrated our last night in London with friends Gill and Len who we met 5 years ago at Lake Bled in Slovenia. We had a fun night dining on Italian food and then hitting a local pub for a bit of beer and dancing.

A few final thoughts on London. Just as Paris is all about beauty, London displays the industrious nature of the British with a heavy dose of perseverance and a staunchness of character -- a people that have survived so much and still remain proudly standing. We especially love the way the Brits look out for visitors. From the constant announcements on the Tube to “mind the gap” (the space between the subway car and the platform), to the warnings painted on the sidewalks at most busy intersections to “Look to the Left” (or Right) -- helpful reminders for those of us who may forget that the Brits drive on the left.

London is not at all exotic, nothing like a Bangkok or a Beijing, but we feel completely at home here. In spite of terrorist threats and all the upheaval in the world, we feel safe and sound in a Britain that is still Great!



Cheers from Gill and Len!



Art Museums and the Ripper

Hello from London Town!

And welcome to our new blog! Please let us know any comments or suggestions.

We arrived here late Monday night. Our flight was uneventful except for a 1 ½ hr. delay because we had to return to the terminal just before take-off to drop off an ill passenger (that was a new one).. Unfortunately, Virgin Air was quite disappointing: The food was tasteless, the entertainment system outdated, and lots of things were broken (including one of the toilets). We had heard such good things about this airline but would be in no hurry to fly them again.


Distinctive red telephone booth

 Our hotel, The Caring Hotel, is your typical British budget accommodation. A very clean but very tiny room with an even tinier bathroom. Low wattage lighting and no frills whatsoever (one towel a piece, no shampoo etc.) But, it is perfect for us, and the price is quite reasonable (for London). The neighborhood is great -- tree-lined streets and lots of stately Georgian buildings with white pillars flanking the doors (most of which are now hotels). Plus, three Tube (subway) stops and lots of shops are close by.

Our first day was a full one beginning with a trip to The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square. We have not been here in almost 15 years and were thrilled to see that little has changed. London still has the distinctive red double-decker buses, black taxis, and red telephone booths on every corner.




Trafalgar Square

 We have to thank Rick Steves for suggesting The National Gallery museum’s audio guide. He says it is one of the best in Europe, and we would have to agree. The museum traces the history of painting up to the Impressionists and the commentary on the paintings was brilliant -- Anne felt as if she was spending a day in art school!



The café in the crypt at St. Martin in the Field Church made an atmospheric choice for a healthy lunch. Feeling energetic, we decided to walk along the Thames to the Tower of London. The weather was perfect: blue skies, crisp and cool -- pretty amazing for London LOL. All that walking made us thirsty so we stopped off at The Black Friar pub. This ancient place was once a monastery, and Henry VIII supposedly met with his court here to figure out how he could get rid of his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. History is all around us here. We each had a pint and continued on our trek.



Tower Bridge 



Our goal was to join the “Rippin’ Yarns Jack the Ripper” tour at 6:45. Every walking tour outfit in London offers a Jack the Ripper tour, but this one is conducted by a genuine Beefeater, one of the 36 guard/tour guides at The Tower of London. Our Beefeater guide, Ken, explained that all the Beefeaters and their families actually live inside the Tower. They are on call 24/7 in case there’s a fire (or some fool falls in the moat!).

Anyway, other than being a bit overdramatic from time to time, Ken gave us a great tour and a lot of new details about The Ripper (not to mention showing us some very grisly pictures). By the conclusion of the tour, Ken had laid out a pretty convincing argument about the true identity of Jack the Ripper. If you want all the gory details, just drop us an email.

On Tuesday, we moved on to modern art with a visit to The Tate Modern. BTW, many museums in London are free (which helps to offset the high expense of everything else!) As an example, one discounted ride on the Tube costs 1.80 pounds (about $2.88 American dollars!)



A carpet of "sunflower seeds."

 Modern art is always fun and the Tate was a hoot. Our favorite art work was a special exhibit by Ai Weiwei, a Chinese guy who covered the floor of the main hall with “sunflower seeds.” The “seeds” were actually made of porcelain and hand-painted by 1600 Chinese artisans. There must have been millions of these seeds. The best part was that this was an interactive exhibit so everybody was playing in the seeds -- throwing them in the air, rolling around in them, etc. What an incredibly imaginative and joyful work of art!

Tuesday night, we headed for the Adelphi Theater to see “Love Never Dies,” the sequel to “Phantom of the Opera.” The Phantom is a hard act to follow, and the sequel has received mixed reviews. Frank thought it was a bit of a “chick flick” -- too little action and no memorable songs. Anne was familiar with the music and enjoyed it much more. Both agreed that the special effects and magical illusions were nothing like we had ever seen before; live theater has really come a long way.

Hope all is well and that you are enjoying a beautiful fall. More museums, theater and walking tours to come.

Cheers from Merry Olde England!
　
　



Frank plays with his nuts (or should we say sunflower seeds)!