Costa Brava

Along the winding trail

Costa Brava, the most beautiful coastline in Spain, I submit. Steves seems to think Nerja is the best, but he is wrong. He doesn't even mention Costa Brava! Forgetting some of the most idyllic beaches and coastal landscape is shocking negligence. I don't remember where I've had heard of it before, but for some reason Costa Brava was in my head as the place to go while we were living in Barcelona.

Yes, Micah tricked me into pointing

We decided to take the first weekend in October and rent a little apartment right on the water. Our friend from Georgetown, Antonella (who is also studying at ESADE) joined and we had a fun time weaving through city traffic and the castle dotted hills. It didn't take much time from sunny Barcelona to get here, but it was pouring rain upon arrival. The mild Mediterranean was in a tempestuous mood. When it stopped raining we walked down the beach to a chiringuito (brilliant inventions - bars on the sand) for a refreshing drink. When another storm blew in we hunkered down for dinner and cards, listening to the crashing waves.

In front of the tiny fishing village with Anto

The storm vacated overnight leaving an immaculately clear sky and beautiful, balmy weather. We hiked the surrounding cliffs and beaches, passed quaint (and I mean quaint) fishing villages, improved our tans (well Micah not so much), and played in the waves. The storm the previous day was a God send as there were actual waves (abnormal for a sea that's more like a lake).

Micah and I climbed up into the prohibited area. Sh!

Even castle rubble is cool!

Walking back from our little beach cove we hit up another chiringuito. While we were sitting there watching the enthusiastic surfers we saw one of the men fly into the air, landing in the water face first. We didn't think much of it until we saw someone dragging his limp body from the waves. Everyone on the beach was freaking out, I was freaking out, and people were attempting to drag him out of the lapping waters. We still aren't sure exactly what happened, but we know that he was alive, and I don't think he broke his neck because I saw him raise his arm. However, we sat at that chiringuito for 15 minutes waiting for the ambulance. 45 minutes later we left and the paramedics still hadn't carted him to the hospital. Note to self: do not get injured in Costa Brava.

The only way to this fortress was climbing. Wish we had more time!

Later that same day we ventured further up the coast, trying to get to Dalit's birth place. The sojourners all lost impetus half-way there and we stopped in some little town called "Roses" for a coffee. This throw back the American '50s (or 70s? I'm not sure) had a tree growing in the courtyard so we were immediately charmed. 

You tell me, 50s or 70? Maybe 70s

Driving back we saw the biggest ever wine emporium and stopped over for our evening's enjoyment. We decided to start off with some real Catalonian food (which is good because when we got to the restaurant the first thing the waitress said to us was: "We don't serve pizza or burger, only Catalunyan food." Cheeky). We ate the most delicious mussels, fried calamari, and botifarras with Catalunyan craft beer and headed back to the apartment for post restaurant revelry.

Best mussels ever.

View from the balcony of our apartment

The final day was spent meandering back to Barcelona. We stopped off at Lloret de Mar, a famous tourist spot, to see a castle. It turns out, the "castle" is actually a private villa (ridiculous!), so we hiked around a little, ate ice cream, and left the tourists behind.

Yes. I would live here.

The trees will find a way!

Moral of the story? Go to Costa Brava rather than Nerja. Sorry Stevey boy.

Parc Güell

The gingerbread houses and the sea

Parc Güell, Gaudi's natural masterpiece. Originally designed as an upscale housing development now overrun with tourist, it is probably one of the most interesting parks (architecturally speaking) I've ever seen.

The entrance, and Dr. Seuss' house.

Above you see the entrance to the park. Supposedly that building is made of gingerbread...I think Steves was just being fantastical. So you're walking up a random street between random high rises, you see the gingerbread houses and turn to find this:

The "whimsical" (as Steves puts it) staircase. Can you spy Micah?

A pretty cool surprise despite all the people teaming the steps and balconies (even on a Monday).The first time we hiked up the hill to this treasure we went in the side entrance using the open air escalators but missing the most iconic part of the park. Foley had told us this was the best place in Barcelona. We got there and thought: "These Rockies aren't very Rocky. That John Denver's full of crap." Whether that's true of Foley or not, you can tell from the pictures (well, I still maintain it is categorically not the best place in Barcelona, but it's cool).

Below is the highest point in the park. Gaudi wanted to build a chapel here, but they found prehistoric remains so they decided to build this instead...Two of the crosses indicate the cardinal points (N-S-E-W) while the other points skyward. Three crosses on top of a hill stone name "Calvari." (Thank you Park Guell website)

It doesn't look high, but no railings and jostling people is a little unnerving.

The park winds its way all over the little hill. Idyllic houses peak there way out of the trees and shrubbery. It must be cool living in this architects park, but maybe you get tired of the rubber neckers.

 We walked almost all around the green areas of the park the first time without climbing down those steps at the top of the blog or seeing the famous dragon below. But we did see some excellent views and renegade merchants running through the underbrush to escape from the local police sauntering behind. I think it's all for show. I've never seen any of these hawkers get caught even with police populating the exits.

View of the city from one of the lookout points.

The Hall of 100 Columns was originally built as a produce market for the envisioned rich man's haven but now remains empty of apples, figs, and pears and full of gaudy trinkets sold by a different kind of merchant than envisioned. One with strings on his carpet of wares, ready for a quick get-a-way.

Under the arches

If you look at the top of the next photo you see people siting on the undulating benches, the first nods to ergonomics. And if you look even closer you will see they are made of tiny tiles of varying shapes. No tile is square, their broken pieces used to design a terrace of unique beauty. Our pastor at the International Church here said we are like the broken pieces and God uses us for his unique masterpiece. A function that square, "perfect" tiles could not perform. I thought that was pretty cool.

I'm not sure what all this open space was meant for. Maybe acrobatics? At any rate, it needs a fountain. On second thought maybe there was one and I don't remember.

Evidently the natural looking columns in the back form a perfect surfers tube.

I love pillar

This "dragon" is supposed to personify (or dragonify? not sure) the dragon of Barcelona that St. George was said to have slain. Doesn't look very menacing to me, but people were a lot smaller in St. George's 2nd Cen. AD so maybe this dragon is quite large in comparison.

The "dragon"...

La Cascada, Santa Maria, and Adios Foleys

Evidently the young Antoni Gaudí helped his mentor Josep Fontserè design this masterpiece.

After La Mercè the Foleys returned for one last hurrah. And it was intense (as shown below).

Principe Nutella sandwich. A little scary, but evidently delicious

If you are thinking that the Trevi fountain is the most beautiful fountain in Europe, think again. I submit that La Cascada in the Parc de la Ciutadella takes the cake, which is why I don't understand Rick Steve's cursory mention of it. 

If the following slew of pictures does not convince you, either you are blind, delusional, or you just need to come and see it for yourself. This once pathetic "waterfall," devoid of adourning statues, was built in 1882. They realized it was kind of lame without any gold chariots and added all the frosting in 1888 for the Universal Exhibition which make it the gorgeous fountain it is today.

Enthralled

Triton, don't tempt me with your coquetry.

Real seahorses. Bet you had no idea.

The first hipogriff?

Because evidently viewers get tired of just looking at pictures with no people.

So when we get together with the Foleys we don't do much other than walk around and search for coffee and food. Food and coffee are so unifiying. So this edition will again highlight Caelum. Our favorite little pastelería that makes it ok for adults to sit and drink tea for hours outside of the UK.

Adult tea party

It wasn't the most delicious one we had, but made for the best picture. Winners were the almond cookies.

A dungeon of indulgence.

One of the only other sites we ventured to together was the Santa Maria del Mar. The building took only 55 years (beginning in 1329, consecration in 1384) and was built on the spot where the Apostle James preached. This church is in the "pure Catalan Gothic style" (not sure what that means, but sounds cool). This church was a conception of the masses of the El Born district: built by local funds and labor. A truly layman's church. Be inspired.

How is it possible that a small and simple community banded together to build something like this?

Posting about a church is incomplete without the rose window...

...and other stained glass

The space was once highly decorated but the working class burned the Baroque frills as protest to the church siding with Franco during the Spanish Civil war (1930s). (Thanks Rick Steves for the info)

From our perch at Cafe Magnifico

After over a week of awesomeness came the end of the "Summer of Steve" (don't even ask about the given appellation, Foley is strange). We saw our friends off in their taxi to their new callings in Israel and soon Jordan. We will miss them.

Foley with his Miss America pose

 
(As always, thank you Wikipedia and Rick Steves. You are so informative. And our walking tour guide Catherine...Law school really messes you up when you fear retribution for not citing your knowledge on something that you're not getting money for nor graded on...or maybe that's a good thing)

Festival La Mercè

Awaiting the entrance of the Castelleres in Plaza St. Jaume

La Mercè is the annual festival of Barcelona, which means it is the biggest excuse to go crazy the whole year. There are pop-up concerts, more paper maché giant people, dragons, and of course Castelleres.

The festival celebrates the Virgin of Grace, Mare de Déu de la Mercè, and Barcelona's co-patron saint Eulàlia. Supposedly in the middle ages Barcelona was suffering a plague of locusts. Some counsel voted to ask the Virgin's assistance (why you need a vote for something like that I have no idea). Well, evidently the plague ceased and Mercè was named patron saint of Barcelona. They've been celebrating her ever since.

Eulàlia's is a sad story, which I will probably tell in a later blog of the Gothic corridor (as we saw where the Romans sent her down a hilled street in a barrel of knives and glass, torturing her to try and get her to recant Christ). But since this festival is mostly about Mercè, and happy things like getting rid of pestilential pests, let's focus on that.




We started out the day trying to find the Castelleres. We braved the crowded streets to find these legendary human castles. I was armed with the Mercè program, so we were fairly sure we would be able to find them. But there were two stated plazas for the Castelleres and we weren't sure which one was the main show. We started with the earlier of the two because we figured we could go to the second if the first didn't work out. 

The wrap black fabric around their waists for lower back protection...I wonder if it actually helps. This guy looks pretty serious about it.

Well, we found ourselves in the midst of a square populated with Catalonians and immigrants picketing about something or other (the immigrants were picketing for papers and the Catalonians kept yelling "ladrones" if that gives you an idea). Well, we thought this was kind of weird. The paper maché giants were in attendance, and we saw groups of people behind a metal partition dressed in team colors so we decided to stick it out. 

Micah not so jazzed about all the yelling

An hour went by with no castles. I asked three different people and they all said there would be a casteller both in this square and the other on the program. No dice. The Catalunyan government officials marched out of the church and all the casteller teams started to follow them. Cries of "Ladrones" (yeah, these Catalonians don't seem to like any politicians whether they be Spanish or Catalonian) died away as the locals vacated the square leaving a pack of tourists looking around confusedly.

You can't see the first level of ox-like men. But you can just make out the tiny child that climbs to the top.

So we, evidently, had just waited an hour in a random square without seeing much more than a favorite Catalonian past time (picketing). We rushed up to the Plaza de St. Jaume as a last ditch effort to get a view of the Castellers. The Plaza was chockerblock full of people. We muscled our way into the main square in hopes of seeing at least the tops of the Castellers. Well luckily Castelleres go about 7 people high so we got a pretty good view even behind the craning multitude.

The real human pyramid.

(Better experienced full screen)

Getting out of the masses was a bit unnerving for a claustraphobic person like myself, but there was no stampede so we were able to avoid getting trampled. We wandered around the peopled streets and came across a delicious looking window display of piled pastries.

Yum!

I love pastries, so we had to stop in. It happened to be one of the suggested places Lisa had discovered in her research. Everything in Caelum is made by monks and nuns, and yes it tasted heavenly.

Sweets, jams, and every type of Chartreuse imaginable

Almond cake with Catalan creme topping. So good.