The Beach, a View, and a Champagne Cocktail

The beach in Barcelona is full of tourists and pickpockets.  If you want to go to the beach, go to another city.  If you want to spend a ton of money on mediocre restaurants that appear really cool or have your bag stolen, go to the beach in Barcelona.  It sounds like every other beach in the world, except t it is not that nice.  The W Hotel is an attraction unto itself in Barcelona.  It is on the beach in Barcelona, in an area called Barceloneta.  There is a bar on the 26th floor that overlooks most of the city.  I went there to watch the sunset. 

Barceloneta.

La playa.

It is windy on the beach, just like home.

View from the 26th floor.

Sun setting behind Barcelona.

Beach at sunset.

Lovely view.

Lovely Veuve-Cliquot cocktail.

The view was amazing, but on the whole the W felt like Las Vegas and I want to be in Barcelona.  Next time I'll stay at Le Meridian.  Hahaha, yeah right.

Mi Casa Es Esta Casa

I finally went to Casa Mila (or La Pedrera), one of Gaudi's amazing designs that make up Barcelona's landscape.  I have no words for how amazing it was.  I welt up when I was on the terrace just like I did when I was standing in the middle of Parc Guell on my second day here.  I remember looking at slides in art history class and I remember being interested, but nothing takes the place of being there.  The atmosphere of the city puts the work into a context that I cannot explain. 

Casa Mila is in the neighborhood of Exiample on the Passeig de Gracia in the middle of a very busy commercial and residential area.

Waiting along the outside of the building.  Gaudi was inspired by organic things like the spine and tortoise shells -- you can really see it.

I never forgot the image of the entrance I saw in art history class.  It always stayed in my mind as this spider web, dark, almost Gothic like building.  This could not be further from the truth; this building is alive and beautiful and glowing.

The courtyard.

There are no straight lines in the building.

I went straight to the terrace.

The Mediterranean is in the distance.

Montjuic in the distance.

Mosaic and terracotta.

I guess its the chimney -- art historical guess.

It is its own landscape -- amazing.

Inside.

Invierno, anyone with me?  See you in December.

My new bedroom set.

My new view.

My feet on a Gaudi designed tile floor.

The exit.

Al final.

Bailo Mucho

I go dancing at least twice a week and that means I have to stay up until at least 5am twice a week -- oh, Barcelona!

Lots of roses, pre-baila.

Dancing with wonderful friends makes it even more fun (oh, the cava helps too).

Dancing until 5am. . .

is easier after 4 mojitos.

Being in Europe would not be the same without ubiquitous over-priced, techno club (5 Euro for a bottle of water).

Armin van Buuren -- so techno, uhn-tiss, uhn-tiss. . ."Yes, Dieter, I am going to Copenhagen, well, because everybody is going to Copenhagen."

Total unaffected by the smoke and the heat (yeah, right).

Baile!  

4am?

And there is Closure. . .dancing in the 1929 International Exhibition building dedicated to Majorca.  I did that.  Yes, yes.

Did I mention this is the best thing I have ever done and the people are the nicest and best I have ever met?  I hope you can see the fun.  Oh yeah, and this is over the span of a few weeks; it is not one night!

A Movie and A Fortress

Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in July they show films at the old fortress in Montjuic.  Montjuic (or Jewish Mountain -- called so because of a Jewish cemetery there) is in the eastern part of Barcelona, next to the sea and is a large mountain that towers over the city (although it is not the city's largest mountain).  This is where most of the 1992 Olympics were held so, there is the Olympic stadium and pools.  There are also many museums: the Joan Miro museum, Poble Espanyol -- where the 1929 Universal Exhibition was held, etc.  There is also a large fortress that the Spanish built in the 18th century when they finally conquered Catalunya.  They were so afraid of an uprising from the Barcelonins that they built a fortress to protect themselves.  This is where the movies are projected each night.

View of the city from Montjuic at sunset.

Picnic in the park.  Movie in the background!

Music before the movie.

Hubo muchas personas.  For only 5 Euros, why not enjoy a movie at an abandoned fortress?

La puesta del sol.

Shadows on the wall.

La peli empiece!! (Guy Ritchie's RocknRolla). 

Barca at night.  Me encanta.  Buenas. . .noches.