My Year With Hemingway: Barcelona = Mediterranean, Gaudi, Picasso, Dali, Beaches, Catalonians = Beauty

Entrance to Guell Park -- Both de Gaudi Buildings (All Photos Credited to Drew Smith)

To be in Barcelona is to be in a painting...to be inside a moving work of art. The beauty is so ubiquitous that you find that even you are a part of it. You are watching it and a part of it at the same time. The visual feast begins with the mountain backdrops next to the blues of the Mediterranean Sea, continuing with the architecture of de Gaudi, the paintings of Picasso, and -- of course -- the beauty of the catalonian people, all enframed by the swaying green palm trees, enraptured by a soft sea breeze everywhere you go. It is easy to see why this is a major Honeymoon destination.

The Palm Tree Laden Parc Guell -- Another Gaudi Masterpiece (View from the Top)

Drew and I hiked to the very top point overlooking the city, in preparation for Kili and for the great view, while Dad enjoyed sitting at the outdoor cafe below. After leaving this park, you should stop by “The Gaudi 4 D Experience” which pays tribute to his life and work in an amazingly high tech way.

Everywhere you look there is art... inside buildings with the famous Pablo Picasso Art Gallery, in the many parks, in the street art, and best of all -- the buildings themselves.

Barcelona Beach Front -- Ten Miles on the Med

Located on the Mediterranean, with nearly ten miles of beachfront, Barcelona is considered the capital of the Catalonian Region of Spain. It has a very pleasant climate, with a constant ocean breeze, the mediterranean dry heat, and palm trees everywhere.

My son, Drew, wanted us to see a city he has visited four times now. I am glad he did. It is truly striking and is the kind of place that can only be taken in by being there in person.

de Gaudi's "Temple of the La Sagrada Familia" Still Under Construction is a Must See

First, of course, you must see the Temple of the La Sagrada Familia" designed by Antonia Gaudi -- the modernist architectural genius who is the best known architect of the region and perhaps the best known modernist period. He considered this his finest masterpiece, but he also designed the city's main park overlooking the entire city, as well as several key buildings and villas during the time he was alive.

Dad Sitting Next to a Life Size Statue of de Gaudi in the "Gaudi 4D Experience Museum" Near the Parc Guell

We were also able to go swimming in the Mediterranean -- one of the bluest places you will ever visit. Drew and I wanted to check that one off our list of oceans and seas to swim in, plus it was the closest thing to a “beach day” that I am likely to see this year. Dad also took a dip. The place is clothing optional, but nobody seemed to care or even notice. It was not a big deal... but I have a feeling the Americans in the area were pretty shocked.

Barcelona has many outdoor cafes and bars, and entire avenues and plazas where people like to stroll outside in the pleasant climate. We highly recommend ordering the calamari. I am not sure what it is but we found it to be the most amazing calamari in the world! A must!

Another must is the Bar Marsella, which I blogged about in an earlier post ("Midnight in Barcelona"). It has been untouched for over 100 years, has been there for 150 years, was where Hemingway, Gaudi, Picasso, Dali and many others drank a new drink invented there known as absinthe. It was hard to find, and now is in jeopardy of closing due to a developer. Sign the petition on-line to keep it open. In my opinion, the Bar Marsella puts the "bar" in "Barcelona".

Sign the petition on-line to keep it open. In my opinion, the Bar Marsella puts the "bar" in "Barcelona".

Of course, Dad and I had a mission to make the Picasso Art Museum, one of his favorites and also a member of “The Lost Generation” with Hemingway. It is located in a beautiful old villa in the middle of “the old town” section of Barcelona, where the streets are so narrow there is limited access by automobiles. The museum was created by one of his friends during his lifetime and contains the largest Picasso collection anywhere. The visit here was one of the most “Old Europe” places of our trip, and if you go there it is a must.

Inside the Picasso Museum

Dad also has always loved the “Flamenco Dancers” of Spain. Although Drew tells us that the real culture of “Flamenco” is in Southern Spain, we got away for a performance and dinner the night before our departure for France... figuring we might not get that opportunity again.

We also rented a car... something I highly recommend you research before you attempt. We managed it somehow, and after spending three days in this beautiful city were sad to leave for France the next day. But before we left, we would stop at one of the most unique museums in Spain and in the World -- the Salvador Dali Theatre-Museum just south of the French border, in the Artist's hometown of Figueres. It is the most visited site in Catalonia. When you see my next blog post, you will see why.