Big sleep in today and our only plans were for the Hop on Hop off Bus.  Breakfast was at our usual, La Estrelle bakery, around the corner.  There is a lovely young man there who was learning to speak English and we were glad to help him out.  In Spain they had a tradition of the God Father giving a chocolate cake decorated with interesting figures and this bakery was an expert in creating these culinary delights.

Our Street in Barcelona

We set off to the Hop on Hop Off bus and 20m down the road was the Gaudi designed Palau Guell. This was the first of many commissions to Antonio Gaudi by Signor Guell. Gaudi worked with local steel workers and other artisans to create a revolutionary building. It is four or five stories high and it was ahead of time for ventilation and the use of light.  Some of the arches were the same shape that a chain has if it is hung.  This gives a completely different appearance that the traditional Gothic and Arabian influenced arches. The stone work was innovative in the use of textures and design features in the walls, floors and ceilings. Gaudi also experimented with textures created by the steel work and these early designs can be seen as the embryos of his later works.  He also created shutters to control the light and ventilation in the home. Generally, though, you can understand how Gaudi incorporated the family’s uses of the home into his design.

Great Stables

Great photography LOL

Dining Room

Shutters

Entrance Hallway

Groovy door

Holy Crap

Chimneys??

Same again

One of Gaudi’s other designs

As I am writing this we are on a high speed train between Barcelona and Madrid, speeding at 300km per hour. Shit….

Tomorrow we are going to Mont Serrat. The guide on this trip told us that Gaudi spent time at Mont Serrat and that he was influenced and wanted to reflect the landscape of Spain in his designs. After visiting Mont Serrat you can understand where his inspiration came from as it has the same rounded flowing mountains that Gaudi incorporated into his designs.

We finally got on the Hop on Hop off Bus and had a great trip around Barcelona and saw many of the major sites around Barcelona and only made us want to spend more time he exploring the city.

We went to our favourite and only restaurant and had a great meal with Sangria. Once again it was excellent; I mean the food was too.

We did try something different.  Sirloin steak Gold with truffled potatoes gratin, sautéed wild mushrooms, foie gras and Pedro Ximenez sauce and seafood paella as mains to share and apple tartin with vanilla ice cream to share.  The food at this restaurant was excellent and the service from Pablo with his waxed moustache second to none.  He was very gracious and what soft hands!!! I knew this from the way he wished us well with his two handed handshake.  This is Louise writing not Ken.  However, he shook Ken’s hand the same way but it didn’t have the same effect.