For Whom the Bell Tolls - Metallica

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Barcelona 2-25-07

I know, lots of Hemmingway references but he was a big fan of both Spain and Kenya so it’s not really my fault. I really should have found some modern rock tune due to the theme of this crazy Spanish town. Modernism, everywhere you look. I went on and on about art in Madrid but if the Spanish capital was an ornate classic art mecca, than Barcelona is Madrid’s bizzaro twin. At the very end of the 19th century Barcelona’s leaders and planners had amazing foresight to jump on the modern art and architecture bandwagon big time. Because of their faith in the amazing artists of the time their city is now the most interesting architectural wonders around. It’s like the reverse of Ayn Rand’s ‘The Fountainhead’. The ‘who is John Gault’ name on the street here is Gaudi, or as the Spaniards call him: God’s Architect.

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The brilliant Antoni Gaudi is the city’s hero and guiding light. He was the force behind the Sagrada Familia cathedral that’s been going up for the last hundred years or so. The cathedral is just a psychedelic twist of steel, concrete, art and religion. I can’t come close to describing this amazing structure (or any of his other works really) but I HAVE to see it once it’s finished. (My guess is another 25 years easy unless they get their butts in high gear soon.) There are 8 spires now with 4 more to go, including 2 monsters that will be the tallest points in the city. The sculptures of Christ’s life are just otherworldly. The way Gaudi tried to make the concrete reach a fluid almost natural feel are what really stand out and his signature broken tile mosaics are just hypnotic. The Pak Guell and La Pedrera building seem part of a funky world where elves and hobbits could easily dwell. Not sure if Gaudi inspired Tolkien and Disney or the Grimm Bros inspired Gaudi.

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Along with the many Gaudi works there are dozens of other modernist buildings that were decorate the streets along with amazing thoroughfares that have huge pedestrian walks down the middle, like the Rambla where human statues hawk for Euros per photo and vendors sell pigeons and roosters. The big park has the coolest classic fountain I’ve ever seen and what appeared to be a casual circus school or something. Barcelona has gone one step further down the modern art road by placing amazing modern sculptures everywhere, Miro, Lichtenstein, Gehry. Who needs a museum, but they’ve got those too – including a whole Roman era building devoted to Picasso. It makes even an art barbarian like myself feel enamored.

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Couchsurfing with Corinne and Jose only added to that cultural enhancement. Their exquisite cooking was almost wasted on my ex-smoker’s palette, almost. I’m hooked on Spanish dried ham now. Dinner out with their friends made a first stop back to the West after Africa very sophisticated and very fun.