17. Mass at the nearby Cathedral and dinner at Café Europa
18. Day 2 –
We pick up our rental car at
the Atocha Train Station, site
of the March 2004 bombing
that killed 191 people – 911
days after 9/11
(We quickly learned to look
for the “Salida” man to
help us find our way out of
the subways)
19. Our first stop was El Escorial and the Valley of the Fallen
20. The monument is an underground
church and the tomb of General
Francisco Franco, topped with a 500
foot stone cross which can be seen from
a distance of 30 miles. Although
supposedly honoring all the dead in the
Spanish Civil war, many Spaniards see
the site as a reminder of the years of
suffering under a Fascist dictator. The
prisoners on the Republican side, many
of whom lost their lives in the process,
were forced to quarry this huge cavern
out of the rock.
23. Segovia is Spain and Castile at its best - twisting alleyways, the highest
concentration of Romanesque churches in all of Europe, pedestrian streets
where no cars are allowed, all surrounded by the city's medieval wall. On
the northwest extreme of the wall is the famous Alcázar castle where
Queen Isabel promised Columbus the financial backing he needed to
discover America. On the southeast end is the world renowned Roman
aqueduct, the longest and best preserved of its kind anywhere.
The tallest building in Segovia is still the
16th-century Cathedral, a
prominent landmark as one
approaches from any
direction.
32. And suddenly, you
turn a corner and see
the giant Roman
aqueduct, constructed
almost 2000 years ago
33.
34.
35. The aqueduct transports water 20 miles to
the city from a spring in the nearby
mountains. At its tallest, the
aqueduct reaches a height of
93.5 feet. There are both
single and double arches
supported by pillars.
43. Back on the road to Toledo,
…where you take an elevator
ride up to the “old city”
44. Toledo is a just south of Madrid. It is the capital of the community of
Castile-La Mancha. It was declared a World Heritage Site by
UNESCO in 1986 for its extensive cultural and monumental heritage
as one of the former capitals of the Spanish Empire and place of
coexistence of Christian, Jewish and Moorish cultures.
53. Centro de Arte Reina Sofía – with works by Pablo Picasso,
Joan Miró, Salvador Dalí and others (but again, no pictures allowed)
Guernica is a painting by Pablo Picasso, depicting the
Nazi German bombing of Guernica, Spain on April 26,
1937 during the Spanish Civil War
54. At 7:30 PM we fly to Lisbon
and taxi up a long and winding
cobblestone road to Hotel
Albergaria Senhora Do Monte
Not only is it a charming little
room full of Portuguese tile….
55. …..the view off the balcony is breathtaking!
The castle to left, the lights of Lisbon, and the
Christo Rei statue glowing from across the river
76. Day 5 -
We fly to Barcelona at 10 AM and take
the bus to the creepy Hostel L’Antic Espai
We ring the bell, are admitted inside, then
climb the ancient stairway to be allowed in
77. ….to the very lavish hotel lobby,
decorated in the style known as
Catalonian modernisme
78. The hotel is in the Eixample area of
the city, with a balcony overlooking
the Grand Vía
We take a walk down
the Ramblas….
93. La Sagrada Família (in Catalan, “The Holy Family”) is a massive Roman
Catholic basilica. Antoni Gaudí designed and started construction in
1882 and worked on the project for over 40 years.
94. The building was designed to be built over 200 years, and with no
government funds….only public donations. When asked about
the long construction period, Gaudí is said to have joked, “My
client is not in a hurry.”
95.
96. Our ride then takes us out to
the harbor, with Montjuïc in
the distance
97. We end the bike tour with lunch at
an outdoor bar on the beach in
Barceloneta
98. Back to foot travel, we walk through
the Old City seeking out the sites in
the book, Shadow of the Wind, by
Carlos Ruiz Zafón
99. We lose our way and find
ourselves on Manzana de la
Discordia (Block of Discord)
Casa Batlió, designed by Antoni
Gaudí and Casa Amatller,
designed by Puig i Cadafalch
100. After a short rain, we walk over to
Casa Milà
Casa Milà, or La Pedrera, is the largest civil building designed by Gaudí. It
was constructed between 1906 and 1910. It was Gaudi's last work before
devoting himself to the construction of the Sagrada Família.
101. They say the roof is closed
because of rain, but we
sneak up anyway….well
worth the risk of getting
reprimanded!
102.
103. View from the top –
Sagrada Família in
the distance
104. Goudí designed
so much more
than buildings
Art in the parks,
Paving tiles lamp posts
Wall tiles, door
Furniture knobs, coat hooks
105. The hanging chain sculpture….
….with its mirror image,
was the inspiration for one of
Gaudí’s buildings
106. We walk back to our hotel
seeing glimpses of Gaudí’s
genius throughout the city
107. Day 7 – We rent a car to drive to Montserrat and Tarragona
After a short
detour, we see
what we’re
looking for
high in the
mountains
west of
Barcelona
108. The funicular takes us up the
mountain to the Benedictine
abbey, Santa María de
Montserrat (“jagged rock”)
120. After dinner overlooking the
sea and ruins, we get back in
the car to find a place to
spread Uncle Nick’s ashes…
in the Mediterranean as he
requested
121. We find a beautiful beach with a rocky point at the end – other than a
couple of surfers, the only other visitor was an older gentleman with his
dog….that looked remarkably like Uncle Nick’s dog, Sparky
122. As it begins to sprinkle, we
say a prayer and send Uncle
Nick on his way to Greece
123. As we begin to
walk away, the
gentleman asks in
Catalonian what
we were doing
He nods and smiles knowingly as we try to explain in our broken Spanish
124. And as we drive back to Barcelona, the rain stops and the clouds
separate as if to open the gates of Heaven
125. Day 8 – our last day in Barcelona
A walk through the city and a climb to Montjuïc
Plaça
de
España
126.
127. Montjuïc is a broad shallow hill overlooking the harbor southeast of the city
centre. It was the site of several fortifications, the latest of which, the Castell
de Montjuïc, remains today. The fortress dates from the 17th century. In 1842
the garrison (loyal to the Madrid government) shelled parts of the city following
disturbances. It served as a prison, often holding political prisoners, until the
time of General Franco. The castle was the site of numerous executions.
The Palau Nacional houses the
Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya
