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Goats, Gaudi, Goulets: Barcelona P1

 


Yes,  as I begin this post I am in Barcelona and no, that's not the goat.  Patience!

I arrived after a gorgeous train ride from Toulouse through Girona and the easternmost Pyrenees.  I've been to Spain, and Barcelona, a few times. Friends were surprised it made my short list.  Why?  Two reasons.  Most of my trips were work-related.  My first real vacation here was 18 years ago with my kids. They were middle schoolers; it was a different itinerary.  I've had a long list of items for the grown-ups only return trip.  Second?  My sister, Lorri, was joining me.  Before finalizing my travel plan back in March, my sister asked to join me over the US Memorial Day weekend, basically no matter where I was.  Lorri is a first grade teacher and she's had a helluva challenging year.  She needed a grown-ups only trip, too.  We went back and forth between Barca and Dublin.  While I know she's eager to get to Ireland, it's a longer trip I know we'll do together in the future, so I made the decision.  We booked Barca and I promised she would love it.  She did. 😍

This is part one of the journey.  A pure tourist post with a sprinkling of fun, inspiration, information and views to take your breath away.  Read along and enjoy!




Before we dig in, I know what you're thinking:  total click bait title.  Yep.  But I'm going to reverse the order on that topic trio and start with the one that might have stumped some of you...

The Goulets.  Close friends and family know this back story, but for those who do not, I'll keep it short. My sister and I call each other 'Goulet'.  The nickname started when I was 16, she was 14; I was in my third year of French, Lorri in her first.  One text book character was Denise Goulet. Later in the year they added her sister, Louise, which happens to be my middle name.  Friends found it perfectly fitting for us to become the Goulet sisters.  It stuck.  If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, my sister has been tagging me in all her "Goulets take Barcelona" stories.  And yes, she's the pithier one. She's also a FAB sister; I'm super lucky.  

We pack a LOT into a trip and these last 5 days were no different.

Lorri's Tuesday schedule:  teach 1st graders, drive 4 hours to Newark, fly 7.5 hours to Barcelona, start the Hop On/Off bus tour by 10AM Wednesday.  She's a rock star!   



Water, bananas, trail mix, and 10K more steps at Park Guell.  It's only 1PM...or 13:00?



When the museum on your tour is also hosting Barcelona's Beer Festival, it becomes a "when in Rome" moment.  My sister isn't even a beer drinker...unless it's kiwi sour from Poland!? 



Gaudi.  I am fascinated by Catalan modernism, especially architect Antoni Gaudí and I was relieved and thrilled when my sister was similarly awestruck. It's more than his work; it's the sensibility, philanthropy, humanity he brought to his craft and the era.  I'll dive deeper into that in my next post.  For now, enjoy the first wave of our Gaudi binge.

 We began in Park Guell. I remember my first trip and my then 12 and 9 YO kids saying Gaudí was like the Dr. Seuss of Spanish architecture.  Fitting!











While Park Guell boasts acres of Gaudí's signature trencar mosaics, bold colors and soft, undulating shapes, Palau Guell is dark, edgy, angular.  Every main floor ceiling has a different, complex pattern.  One major objective was to make the small, urban space feel more grandiose and spacious; this steered many materials, design and architectural decisions.









What I'll call the more "playful" Gaudi is on full display in these clever rooftop chimney covers. 


Here's a 360 look:



Goats. Stumped?  Not surprised.  Goats were part of our day at Montserrat, mountain home to Santa Maria de Montserrat Monastery, one hour northwest of Barcelona.  We booked a 5-hour small group hiking tour called Montserrat Off the Beaten Path.  The day began with a 2.5 hour, 3-mile hike which included the last 1000 feet to the 4100 foot peak before descending back down to the monastery and small village.  Halfway up the mountain, we stumbled upon three mountain goats grazing on the hillside.  The guide was thrilled; it happens rarely.

It was a challenging trail in mostly good ways until it narrowed and made a sharp turn to a bare mountain side.  It looked as if we would be walking off the mountain into the air.  It caught me off guard and I blurted "oh f*ing hell no" when I saw it, to the group's amusement.  It was narrow ledge of a rock climbing section.  The guide told us to stay close to the mountain, away from the edge, and no stopping for pictures.  I hugged that stone wall harder than I hugged my kids before leaving them on their first day at college.  

We were in and out of the rain at the end of the hike and sheltered in the cathedral during a short downpour.  The weather may have cheated us out of the long distance Pyrenees views, but the cool, damp air made eerily-lovely small clouds and mists across the courtyard and village, captured below.  

Fun fact:  Montserrat celebrates its 1,000th birthday in 2025.  It remains a pilgrimage site and despite the elevation and winding journey, Sunday masses are SRO. 

Highly recommended day trip.  Goat video also included.

Not quite at the summit.


Abbey, village and residences


 
200m up, small viewing platforms like below built into the hillside


Almost to the top



Return trip, other side of the mountain


Goats grazing and scratching



Cathedral and, in the background w/bright light, the Black Madonna


View from the courtyard after a brief, heavy rain




Next post soon with more Catalan Modernism, beach time, and a step way back in time....1BC specifically.  Then off to my next destination!  







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