April 25, 2019

This is Part Two of today’s lingering in what has become a favorite city of mine, Barcelona.

The Norwegian Airlines inflight magazine noted some Barcelona eateries and I decided to check one out – El Nacional located at the heart of Passeig de Gràcia. Their website touts it as “the first restaurant in Barcelona with different areas where we can try traditional recipes from around the Iberian Peninsula, prepared with high quality produce in unique surroundings. It reflects Barcelona’s social and cultural life.” (elnacionalbcn.com) It was a beautiful space with a cool vibe.

It’s on my list for “next time” because it was s bit too far from my evening commitment, “el mejor arte flamenco de Barcelona at the splendid, beautiful and spectacular Palou de la Música! And if you know me at all, you realize how deeply I LOVE flamenco!!! If you ever get the chance to catch a live performance at this venue, you will clearly enjoy it on several levels – the aesthetics, acoustics, intimacy and history are but a few.

“The Palau de la Música Catalana and the Hospital de Sant Pau, are two of the finest contributions to Barcelona’s architecture by the Catalan art nouveau architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner they were jointly inscribed to UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites in 1997. The Palau de la Música Catalana is an exuberant steel-framed structure full of light and space, and decorated by many of the leading designers of the day.

The Palau de la Música Catalana and the Hospital de la Santa Creu i de Sant Pau, works of the architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner, are two emblematic buildings of Catalan modernista architecture. Located in the city of Barcelona, they were built in the early years of the 20th century and have been on the Unesco World Heritage list since 1997.

The two buildings are good examples of modernista architecture, an artistic movement that arose in Europe in the late 19th century and which, in Catalonia, and especially in Barcelona, became widespread.

Both the Palau de la Música Catalana and the Hospital de la Santa Creu i de Sant Pau are public buildings in which tradition and modernity are fused together. They show a significant renewal of traditional techniques and the incorporation of new architectural solutions. To their architectural value is added beauty and decorative exuberance, becoming works of universal artistic and historical significance.”

The performance featured two talented “guitarras”, a “Cajón” and surprisingly to me, a “flauta” rounding the instrumentals out nicely! The male and female “Cantaores” were haunting with their keening songs and the “bailaor” and “bailaoras” danced so I astoundingly I was moved to tears!!! Honestly, flamenco does that to me every time!!! What a fabulous way to wrap up my visit to Spain!!!