Barcelona Day 5: Park Güell

Monday morning we decided to try a mode of public transportation we hadn’t experienced yet in Spain, the buses.  We could use our metro passes to use the city bus system too.  That seemed to be the best way to get to Park Güell and our final Gaudi experience in Barcelona.

We were packed in the bus like a bunch of sardines.  That was an up close and personal view of the people of Spain.  We also met some other nice tourists on their way to the park.  Even though Eric had a hard time understanding Catolian, he was better off than the other tourists and it showed in our navigation of the city bus routes and understanding when and where to get off.  The other tourists were grateful, and there were a lot of other tourists!

It was a beautiful day to walk through the park, and there were lots of quiet corners and shady groves off the beaten path where you could find a place to sit and relax away from the mass of people at the park’s main attractions. 

After seeing all of Gaudi’s architecture it was fun to see his imaginative side unleashed on the landscape and development of land.  Again his vision and attention to detail was inspiring and the visual impact of the park created a sense of relaxation and fun for anyone who entered.

The most comfortable (REALLY!) stone bench in the world. Gaudi was amazing with ergonomics.

Not even his aqueduct system lacked design.

The ceiling of the carriage staging area for community gatherings.

While touring the park we met a local artist, Josè, who took Gaudi’s work and turned it into something of his own.  If you hold the picture one direction you would see Gaudi’s art, if you turned it another direction, you would see Josè’s art melded with Gaudi’s style.

After spending much of the day at the park, Eric said it was time to take a nap!  This was a vacation after all.

Upon returning from the Park we went to the Placa Reial to catch a Flamenco show.  The dancing was very fun to watch, but my favorite part of the show was the Guitarist.  He was amazing to watch!

For dinner?  Tapas, of course.  Squid rings, cod bites, croquets, papas braves, Mediterranean salad, Iberian ham, artisan bread,a cheese plate, the best olives ever with peppers and onions in olive oil and reduced balsalmic vinegar. 

To top the evening off we found a gelato shop…YUMMY!  True gelato tastes nothing like the gelato we have in the states.