Spain

Well we have lived in the shadow of Sagrada Familia (Gaudi’s enormous and unfinished cathedral – a bit like a sand drip castle), for almost 3 weeks now so decided it was time to join the throngs of tourists who visit it each day and have a look inside. Actually we picked today because it was really cold and rainy and a lot of tourists only go out in fine weather but it was still very busy. Apparently it is the most visited tourist attraction in Barcelona and I believe it.

It is an enormous structure and will be almost twice as high when it is finished. The exterior is sculptured, carved and laid with tiles. There is religious symbolism everywhere. The interior uses different types and coloured stones and copies nature to look like a forest, leaves, flowers and stars.

Work is still in progress in the centre and building the remaining 5 towers which will be as big or bigger than the present ones – it is hard to imagine. It is due to be finished by 2020 and will be great to see then.

Gaudi’s work looks so simple and natural but then you see the sketches and the miniature models that he built and see the amount of maths and geometry that is needed to calculate the stresses and weight. Because he died before it was finished other artists have been working on it so there are a number of different styles but it is Gaudi’s overall building that is the masterpiece.

Even the little schoolhouse on the same grounds is amazing with its rippling roof and curved walls – nothing is straight.

Every suburban block supposedly offers residents all the variety of shops they need for their daily lives – a bar, a restaurant, a newspaper stand, a hardware store, a hair dresser, a bread shop and a fruit shop. The corner store (even if not on the corner) is alive and well in these older parts of Barcelona. You don’t need a car to go shopping – you can just walk around the block. Every day when we walk a different way somewhere we discover yet another local supermarket or fruit shop but the most interesting place to shop is at the markets.

El Mercat Boqueria in central Barcelona is probably the biggest fruit and veg market I have seen. There a stalls selling every type of fresh and processed food fruit, veg, fish, meat, sausages, cheese, bread, dired herbs, even one whole stall selling chillies of every size, shape and colour. All the veg and fruits are stacked in steep mountains just amazing that they don't all fall down.

Then there are stall of the most tantilising chocolates, sweets, nuts, breads and pastries.

The meat stalls are very daunting, the whole animal is there, skinned and ready to be cut up depending on what part you ask for. I couldn't even recognise the internal organs (brains, intestines, tongues, and hooves perhaps) that were for sale too.

Due to the season and some over-production in the area, there is a glut of strawberries at the moment, so a kilo only cost 1 eruo (about $1.60). Do you know how many strawberries you get in a kilo - a lot! Strawberrries are cheaper than potatoes and onions! This market also did some very nice mixed fruit juices and containers of a variety of mixed fruit salads all ready to eat with a spoon included.

The prices are generally lower, there is more variety and a livelier atmosphere than in the local supermarkets.

The Spanish have got the art of eating out down to a fine art.

It is very easy to slip into their way of life and join the masses that choose to eat lunch in restaurants. It is the most important and biggest meal here and a ´Menu del Dia´does it very well. For something between 7 and 9 Euros ($A 12-16) you can fill up for the whole day.

There is usually a first and second course (el primero y segundo plato), bread, dessert and drink. (pan, postres y bebida). The choices are varied in quality but usually substantial and the drinks include anything from beer, wine, soft drink or milkshakes. Salad often features too so it is not all heavy.

So from about 1.30pm-4pm the restaurants do a busy turn over. It provides the workers with a good meal in the middle of the day, it fills up those hours of siesta when you might not want or be able to go home and it gets you out with the crowd.

In fact the only draw back is that it seems everyone smokes over here. In the cafes, restaurants and bars. I guess the anti-smoking lobby hasn´t made much ground here in Spain yet but aprt from that eating our has been a generally fulfilling experience.

We are slowly exploring Barcelona and discovering new places even in our own neighbourhood each day.

We visited Park Guell the other day. It is another of Gaudi’s fantastic creations. It is very large – we only saw part – but there are artistic flourishes everywhere. The tile work is extensive and amazing. The buildings are like fairy’s houses with scalloped, tiled roofs and mosaic patterns around the windows. There is a large viewing area with a curved, flowing tiled seat all around the edge. Every part is a different pattern or combination of shapes and colours but it all fits together beautifully. Nothing is as it should be – rough stone pillars that look almost natural except they are repeated again and again. the columns slope, inwards or diagonally, rocks hang down from the ceilings. It is certainly creative, often playful, and even childlike.

Well we found a way through all the red tape and are now locals in Barcelona renting an apartment. It is pretty swish … on the surface. We have a fantastic view from our balcony, living room and bedroom of the Sagrada Familia. They light it up at night too and it looks even better then, because you can’t see the cranes that are working on it or the congestion of buildings between us and it. Now we have got our things scattered around it looks much more like our home. It is pretty comfortable and very quiet.
It is fully furnished so we just have to get food and work out how to use everything. We don’t have a wireless internet connection from our flat though. We must just have very lucky in the hostel, I might take my computer for a walk around the block and to the park and see if I can pick anything up. Directly below us is an internet café (without the café as Max says) and it is pretty cheap – 1 euro ($2) for 1 hour. Max has already spent a fair bit of time there. Also just below us is a good little supermarket and a bar/ restaurant.
We went for a walk yesterday afternoon to a mall area we hadn’t seen before. There were lots of bars and restaurants all with views of Sagrada Familia and leading to an old, ornate and amazing hospital with lots of decorative tiles and towers. It still operates as a hospital apparently but all the grounds are open to the public. There is so much elaborate and different architecture here in general use, it creates a whole artistic atmosphere.