Barthelona - Gaudi's City

Placa dEspanya
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Barcelona is such a lovely city, I am just surprised that you don't hear more about it. It is an architecturally fascinating place greatly influenced by the famous (who knew!!) Antoni Gaudi. His most well known work is the as of yet unfinished church La Sagrada Familia. You literally have to see it to believe it.Some of his other work has been called "Seuss-like" and I have to agree especially after seeing Park Guell.

I think one of the more fascinating aspect of Barcelona was the mix of modern and old side by side. Thus even in the older parts of town you find modern architectural pieces creating a pleasant and much appreciated break.

Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, home to an impressive collection of Romanesque art...that we didnt go to see.
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The most famous street in Barcelona is the La Rambla. It is a huge boulevard with shops and restaurants and a central pedestrian part that is lined by trees and filled with the most ingenious street entertainers you will ever see. You can find anything there: flower stalls, bird cages filled with all sorts of birds plus whatever bird feed your heart may desire, reptiles including iguanas, cafes and bars and miles after mile of creative mimes and performers. Truly a mix that is one of a kind.

The weekend fountain show accompanied by classic music - the large fountain is called La Font Magica
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We went to see a Flamenco and Opera show (best place is Southwest of Spain, and Granada, is actually home to Flamenco but we didn't get a chance to catch a show there). The flamenco consisted of a solo female and male shows and then a duet. The female dancer brought to mind a woman defiant and standing in the face of danger.The male dance on the other hand felt more like a victory dance while the duo was ultimately a mating ritual albeit a very passionate one.