A Well Kept Man

In going through photos on my computer, I realized I didn't really blog much about my trip to Spain aside from some Christmas Market stories. I plan to write about both Barcelona and Madrid, so this post will focus on Barcelona. The highlight of my trip to Spain hands down is all of the architecture contributed by Antoni Gaudí, a Catalan who belonged to the Art Nouveau movement and whose many buildings and structures provide a glimpse into one of the most unique and surreal masters of this movement. Throughout the streets of Barcelona there are countless examples of his work, including the Casa Milà and Casa Batlló pictured at left and right (respectively). These two buildings are magnificent examples of his talent, as well as a testament to his crazy mind. They are so unlike any building I have ever seen in my life...very cool!

The other major contribution Gaudí made to Barcelona is the still unfinished La Sagrada Família temple which has been under construction since 1882 (it should be done sometime in the next twenty years, so make your travel arrangements accordingly). It is truly a unique structure of which I have never seen an equal. The church retains many aspects of Gothic architecture but with a twist that makes you wonder just what kind of sauce this guy put on his paella. The colors he used in the stain glass are bright and vibrant, which is very much at odds with many of the European churches I have seen in the last several months. The statues on the outside facades as well are so unique to what you would expect in a church. They are much more modern and powerful in terms of the images they convey. This megalithic church definitely stands out against all of the others...

His final work I saw was the Park Güell, a garden of sorts with little fairy tale houses and mosaic tile benches. The park has different areas; one is the two houses near the entrance which make you feel like you are entering some sort of magical land, another is a wide open area which looks and feels like it should contain a market or performance stage depending on the day. There are also unique walkways and bird nests, a dragon sculpture, and tiled mosaics on the ceilings. It was a great place to just sit and rest my legs from all of the walking and sightseeing.

Speaking of walking, every day I easily walked three to four miles exploring the various parts of the city. I managed to trek all the way up to the top of the hill where the 1992 Summer Olympics were held to check out the facilities and Olympic torch. From this vantage point I was able to see the entire city laid out before me which was quite the view. I also walked along the boardwalk to the beach which has since eroded due to storms this winter. Barcelona built this beach for the Olympics, but unfortunately it no longer exists (or so I am told). There are many lovely places to eat along the coastline, many with three or four course meals for a decent price (15-25 euros).

My final exciting adventure was the weekly market just off La Rambla which I was fortunate enough to experience before getting on a train to Madrid. Each vendor was packed with every food stuff you could possibly imagine...fish, meats, fruits, vegetables, drinks, offal, nuts, candy, breads, the list could go on and on if I was more specific but I wouldn't want to bore you. I bought some fresh fruit and a fruit drink to enjoy as I meandered among the various stalls. My favorites were the fishmongers, where the crabs, lobsters, and other crustaceans were still moving...as well as the piles of fish I have never seen before. The air was ripe with the smell of seawater and the smell of fresh fish in this area, while the other parts of the market smelled of dried hams and fresh fruits. If you would like to see all of the pictures, click here to go and see them on Flickr! (I seem to be running out of room to put pictures on this page...)

The Barcelona Christmas Market, or Fira de Santa Llúcia was one of the best markets I have been to thus far. The ambiance and atmosphere truly made it an exceptional marketplace. The streets of Barcelona were packed with people looking for the perfect items for their Nativity scenes. The biggest difference with this particular Christmas market was the lack of trinkets and knick-knacks. Instead of going to a store like Target or Christmas-Decorations-R-Us, the Catalans (aka people living in and around Barcelona) shop at these Christmas markets to find the perfect baby Jesus, as well as goats, sheep, Wise Guys, and the lot. One could find anything from a very North African scene, to the barn-like Nativity most of us are used to.

Booths had basically one of about five or six things. The first was the Nativity setting and associated paraphernalia. Trees, straw, moss, pebbles, mangers, huts, coves, caves, palaces, and saw dust filled about 10% of the stalls. I was impressed by the variety and creativity of birth-scenes for Jesus. The next booths contained every imaginable size, shape, and look of Nativity figures. The biggest were probably around the size of a Barbie doll, the smallest were around the size of your thumb (if your thumb is about two inches long). These booths represented closer to 25-40% of the stalls. The stalls containing live trees, mistletoe, and holly decorations represented another 10% or so (we are now up to 45-60% of the marketplace so far). About 15% had other Christmas decorations of the commercial variety (Santa Claus stuff, red bows, lights, tinsel, ornaments, etc.). The remaining stalls were dedicated to very Catalan items.

I suppose every culture and region of the world has their own Christmas traditions, mostly revolving around the same central theme of either Santa Claus or the Baby Jesus. Barcelonians (I think I just made up a word) have two very unique traditions. They are related, although they are different. The first will be described here, the second will be described in a future posting. In the Nativity scenes of those who describe themselves as Barcelonians or Catalan, there exists a curious figure known as the Caganer. I will not translate this word as it is a PG-13 word, but for the sake of information I shall indicate that it is a figure that represents fertility and equality. Loosely translated it means the defecator. As you can see from the picture (above left) you can see that it is aptly named (although I have chosen not to show an extreme closeup, even though it may produce some teenage giggles. Feel free to do an internet search for this item, although I claim no responsibility for the content you may find). Catalans hide one of these somewhere in their Nativity scenes and children apparently enjoy trying to find it. Truly an interesting custom.  My favorite is either the Barack Obama caganer or the Smurf ones...tough choice.

I would rate this Christmas Market as a very strong 8.5 out of 10. It does lose a little bit for the lack of food related Christmas cheer (e.g. no mulled wine nor cinnamon toasted almonds, nor Spanish-related Christmas foods) and for the constant feeling that someone is going to try and pick your pocket. The crowds were very intense and one couldn't really walk, it was more of a shuffle. Either way, I would recommend a visit to Barcelona's Fira de Santa Llúcia if you happen to be in the area around Christmas time. The various plazas around the city also have Nativity scenes set up, and there are many lights and decorations which give the city a definite Christmas feel.