This was originally a Roman ampitheatre, but has been converted to modern condos!
Puccini's favourite coffee shop
Roman wall of a summer house garden. The flowers are still blooming in late November!
The house and garden
The house
Barcelona is
a fascinating city, with more different kinds of architecture than anywhere
else. The buildings range from gothic churches to strange modern creations,
with, of course, Gaudi masterpieces thrown in.
The buildings are really spectacular, each in their own way.
This Gaudi church might be finished by 2030. It has been under construction through most of the twentieth century.
Detail view from the back
Looking down on Barcelona
We are now
in a nice hotel in the shopping district of Barcelona, but it is Sunday, so the
shops are closed. There is, however, a
Christmas market that is open, and very busy.
They have the most wonderful items for Christmas villages and nativity
scenes! There is also a traditional
Catalonian character who represents the fact that we need to keep the land
fertile to receive the blessings of the coming year. I will leave it to your imagination as to how
he fertilizes the earth (not animal manure).
Of course he will become a subtle additional to our Christmas
village. Other characters have been
created in the same position, including Bart Simpson and the royals. It is all great fun.
Can you imagine what you might find at the "Christmas" market?
Hams curing at the restaurant where we had a really nice dinner
We went on the Hop on Hop off bus this afternoon, and into the evening - beautiful!
Tomorrow we will be embarking on the Celebrity Solstice for further explorations in Spain and Portugal, before crossing the Atlantic to Fort Lauderdale, and then home. We miss all our loved ones and friends. Two more weeks till we see you again.
Serenity at Barcelona harbour
Hi Gail and John,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your itinerary and such interesting comments and dialogue. Glad that you could visit Lucca - such a wonderful place.
Keep ahving fun!
Pete and Barb