We’ve been in Barcelona (BCN) for some weeks now, but have been waiting to blog until we get our heads around this wonderful city and how to talk about it – a city of walkable spaces, amazing architecture, friendly people. How to begin – ah yes, always the basics.
We arrived in Barcelona in the late afternoon on October 1st after an uneventful flight from Santiago de Compostela – just the kind of flight you want to have. After a short taxi ride, there was the port, the city, and the sun setting over the hills behind the city producing an orangey glow over the Mediterranean. A very fitting greeting . . . .
Plaza de Palacio
Our apartment is on a pedestrian street, so we needed to be dropped off the nearby Plaza de Palacio. As we walked down the short pedestrian street, we caught our first glimpse of the wonderful Santa Maria del Mar Church (more about her later).
We had walked past the door to our building, but finally found and entered a graffiti-marked wood door, and then climbed 47 steps – even though the apartment is described as being on the first floor. (Europeans sometimes have an unusual way of counting.)
We were greeted by another old wood door that after some effort we opened. The apartment is on three levels and has been restored only 2 years ago. The building itself is about 200 years old.
The first level has a galley kitchen fairly well-equipped, a living room with comfortable furniture, and a bathroom. The second level (which is up) has the master bedroom, another bathroom, and a very large walk-in closet.
The third level (which is down) is the second bedroom. 
Total space in the apartment is about 900 sq. ft. – which by European standards is good.
At first Dale wasn’t enthralled with the apartment, but as we have settled in and have seen other apartments in our area, we now like the apartment a lot and think we live in a relative palace. Besides, Dale had a great space for writing. Perspective is important.
Our apartment is in an area called El Born – an old part of the city just a few blocks from the Mediterranean.
Historically, this is a fisherman’s area, but now it is trendy and filled with designer shops, boutiques, restaurants.
You wouldn’t know it though – the trendiness that is – because many streets are from the 14th century or so, and the flagstone is kinda’ dirty. When the shops are closed, barriers are rolled down (for security purposes), so often streets look forbidding and unwelcoming.
So after unpacking a little, we went out to explore our new environment.
The centerpiece of our neighborhood is the above-mentioned Santa Maria del Mar Church. It is about 50 meters from our front door, and we can definitely hear the bells marking each quarter hour and the top of each hour from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 mid-night. The church was built in the 14th century in just 54 years, and is imposing from the outside with a magnificent tower, but inside is where this edifice really shines – literally.
There are lovely stain glass windows that capture the light from the outside and make the entire building glow. It is glorious. It’s considered one of the four best examples of Gothic architecture in BCN and, even more tellingly, is the place where every bride wants to be married.
There are many interesting stories about Santa Maria del Mar including this one – Ignacio de Loyola, founder of the Jesuit Order, begged for alms on its steps in 1525. There are beggars on the same steps today, and we give them some coins as we walk in and out.
Another hallmark of our area is the Passeig de Born – a walking street with many shops, bars, and restaurants. At night, ancient street lights glow and make the entire area a lively and spectacularly beautiful sight. When the weather is warm, this area is filled with people until the early morning hours. Also close by us is the Eternal Flame that commemorates those who died in the War of Spanish Succession in the early eighteenth century (1702-14). It has become the symbol of Catalonia’s struggle for freedom and independence, and thousands of people rally here every September 11th to celebrate all that is distinctive about Catalonia.
More fun facts about El Born – very nearby (not more than 10 meters) is Barcelona’s shortest street, Carrer de l'Anisadeta, measuring only 30’ feet long. Three minutes walking from us is the narrowest street, Carrer de les Mosques (Street of the Flies).
Nearby as well is the famous Picasso Museum located in a series of converted palaces on what was 13th-century BCN’s most aristocratic street, Carrer Montcada. Picasso spent much of his adolescence and some of his young adult life here, and the collection is very comprehensive with regard to his early work.
Picasso’s dad taught art in a building here in El Born, and it is rumored that his family lived in one of the apartments in this medieval building.
Of course, BCN is known for its modernist Art Nouveau buildings. But it has a history of good architecture, and many buildings are fascinating in the detail work that is shown. Sgraffito designs, a decorative technique from the 18th century – the top layer of color is scratched off showing the color beneath – appears on so many buildings.
We became entranced and enchanted with the different designs over our heads and took countless photos (well, Elsa did, anyway). Here are a few examples.
We could go on and on – El Born is amazing. Literally within ten minutes walking from our apartment are so many wonderful restaurants, shops, buildings.
Every day is an adventure, beginning with our first night in Barcelona, we stumbled upon an Asian restaurant that was loaded with charm and had wonderful food.
We learned from the waitress this was the last night the restaurant would be operating; they had lost their lease. So we had a delightful dinner in a wonderful setting as our first exposure to Barcelona – and this was indicative of the great time we would have in our adopted home for 10 weeks.
Love, Dale and Elsa
