Barcelona: the Cathedral of the Sea

I will try to keep this complaint brief. Traveling in and out of Barcelona Airport has only been a hassle. I didn't mind taking a late flight that would get me to the airport at approximated 11 PM to Midnight. What I was not prepared for was the French Air Traffic Controller Strike, and how it impacted our flight.   I was to fly WIZZ Air, but WIZZ Air subcontracted to Atlas Air. I actually thanked the crew while departing as a 2:15 AM arrival was far better than spending the night at the airport. After taking a bus that stopped at every stop between the airport and Plaza de Catalunya, a cab, I arrived at my hotel (Martinval) sometime in the very wee hours. Perhaps I will post a blog on being a savvy European traveler. There is plenty to know.

The location of the hotel on Bruc (Eximpla) was lovey. I walked much of the morning, sometimes in the wrong direction, to make my way to the old city. Mistakes in direction, although considerably adding to miles (kms) walked, can bring other bonuses, especially in a city like Barcelona. Accidentally I came upon an gorgeous Art Deco hotel, that has regular jazz. I also came upon one of Gaudi’s first works, named Casa Vincens, a  spectacular tile house built for a tile maker. It is a private home recently sold for 27 million Euros. If you would like to see the inside, it is open to visitors one day a year, St. Rita’s Day,  May 22. Maybe you want to plan your holiday around that event.

Note in the first photo 2 African men holding ropes attached at four ends to the corners of their blankets on which are displayed purses. I remember seeing this years ago in Florence, but not they have the escape technology down to a science. They sell fake name brand purses, and the police are constantly chasing them, so they on alert constantly. I saw as many as ten of them grab the purses and flee down the stairs to the subway in a matter of seconds.

I worked my way down to the old town, the Born. This is the area where Bill and I stayed several years ago. We stayed in a centrally located little flat on one of the old streets. We were a block from the Born’s main street and the same distance to the back of the cathedral.

As preparation for my trip four years ago I read the book, the Cathedral of the Sea by Elizabet Gomez, about the building and history of Maria del Mare Cathedral, built by the local people between 1329 and 1383, meant to be a people's church. Through the many years of Barcelona history it served the people of this neighborhood. It has strong Romanesque bones, with stone columns said to be the narrowest in medieval architecture, supporting the massive structure. The large central round stain glass window was destoyed in an earthquake in 1496 and finally replaced in 1902,

Gone are the renaissance and Baroque hand carved altar pieces, destroyed in a fire that raged for 3 days- eliminating the  altar pieces, paintings, statues, and most of the stained glass windows, except for a few, high in the upper part of the front of the building. The year was 1936 and Spain was mired in Civil War. There is a story there about the perpetrators, but I don't know it. I would expect arson, from some anticlerical group of rebels.

I left the cathedral thinking of the Born, its history and especially the marketplace- The Born Market- my most moving tour. Next