Barcelona and Northern Spain

Barcelona and Northern Spain

This is a travelogue of our mid-September 2001 trip to Northern Spain with Tauck World Discoveries. We had traveled to Europe nine times before, both on our own and on organized tours. There are advantages and disadvantages to both, but we prefer organized tours because they're more relaxing, and because we don't have to deal with reservations or planning our trip.

Our trip to Northern Spain was the best tour that we have ever taken. The tour company, our guide Matt Curran, and our traveling companions were exceptional. On top of all that, the weather was perfect.

Barcelona - Days 1 & 2
Our tour with Tauck World Discoveries began with two days in Barcelona. Toward the end of the 19th century, a new style of art and architecture was born in Barcelona. It was called Modernisme, and it was a variant of Art Noveau. Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia and Modernisme became a means of self-expression for Catalan nationalism. Barcelona is one of the Mediterranean’s busiest ports, and considers itself one of the greatest cities in Europe.




					Our flight arrived in Barcelona early in the morning. The top left picture is a view of the city just before we landed. Above is a view of Barcelona from Montjunic. The pictures on the left and below are of our hotel, the Le Meridien Barcelona. The hotel was located in the heart of the Las Ramblas, Barcelona's famous walking street.






The Las Ramblas





Las Ramblas is Barcelona's best known street, and some say it's the most famous street in Spain. It's a wide, tree-lined avenue, about twenty blocks long, extending from the Placa de Catalunya down to the port. With only one narrow lane of traffic in each direction, the avenue is mostly a pedestrian walkway.











				A street market near Las Ramblas How to use this page: All of the pictures can be enlarged by clicking on them. When you click, your browser will open the enlarged picture in a separate window. To return to this page, close the window that has the enlarged picture in it. Underlined text are links that take you to other web sites with more information on the subject. My pictures and graphics are copyrighted and cannot be used or reproduced without my permission.


				La Pedrera The famous architect, Antonio Gaudí put all his daring into this building. Considered one of his masterpieces, it houses a museum on the top floors. The building was first occupied in 1911 at the moment the city embraced modernity. The original elements of Gaudí's architecture are conserved. We were very impressed with this building. It's a timeless work of art and should not be missed during a visit to Barcelona.



				One of Gaudí's most complete works is Casa Batlló. The tile roof is designed to look like the back of a dragon. The roof also has a round tower with a floral dome topped with a four-branched cross, one of Gaudí's favorite motifs. We were happy that our tour included a "Get Acquainted Dinner" at the casa on our first night in Barcelona.








					Gaudí's greatest and most enduring masterpiece is La Sangrada Famila. In 1883, a year after work had begun on a Neo-Gothic church, the task of completing it was given to Gaudí who changed everything. It became his life's work and he lived on the site for 16 years. Only one tower had been completed before his death. Work on the church continues today, financed through public donations. It is already one of the most recognized symbols of Barcelona and I believe it will be one of the most widely recognized European landmarks when it is finally completed. It is estimated that the church will be completed in 50 years. La Sangrada Familia means "The Holy Family" It's not a cathedral because it is not the residence of a bishop.


















Gaudí's most popular architecture is very organic. Columns in the interior of the church are designed to look like trees. Gaudí's design for the spires were said to have been inspired by the jagged profile of Monserrat. (Pictures of the Monestir de Montserrat are featured later in this travelogue.) Gaudí's famous park, Parc Guell is on a hill overlooking Barcelona. In the picture below, the two towers in the far distance mark the beaches of the Mediterranean. The Park is easily reached by the Barcelona Bus Touristic. The Bus Touristic provides reliable and frequent transportation service to all of Barcelona's top attractions, and is by far the best way to see the city at your own pace. I highly recommend buying a ticket. One of Gaudí's famous works is this Dragon, guarding the steps in Park Guell. Although created in the early 1900's this work is still surprisingly modern.




				The Poble Espanyol (Spanish Village) was built for the 1929 World Exposition. Building styles from many regions of Spain are showcased here. The Poble is worth a visit, and I highly recommend the Flamenco Show at El Tablo De Carmen, one of the restaurants there. The village was refurbished in the late eighties and is now a favorite place to visit for both Tourists and Barcelonans. Resident artists produce a wide range of crafts, including hand-blown glass, ceramics, sculpture, Toledo damascene and Catalan canvas sandals







		Barcelona Cathedral This Gothic Cathedral was begun in 1298 on the foundations of a Roman Temple and a Moorish Mosque. The facade in the picture as completed in the late 19th century.







				This is Barcelona's Old Town area.








Monestir de Montserrat - Morning of Day 3 We left Barcelona on the third day of our tour. Our first stop was the Monastery of Montserrat (The Serrated Mountains). Built on a 4,000-foot cliff, the monastery is considered Catalonia’s holiest place. The monastery was first mentioned in the 9th century, enlarged in the 11th century, and in 1409, became independent of Rome. In 1811, the French attacked Catalonia and the monastery was destroyed. It was rebuilt and repopulated in 1844, and is now run by Benedictine Monks. The most notable icon at Montserrat is the Black Madonna. It is said that to have been made by St. Luke and brought to Montserrat by St. Peter in 50 AD. Carbon dating, however, has determined that the statue was carved around the 12th Century. Regardless of its origin and like all other religious objects, the Black Madonna represents humankind’s faith in God.






				Montserrat is a very easy day trip from Barcelona. It's spectacular setting makes it a "Must See" if your visiting Barcelona.The main square at Montserrat is the Placa de Santa Maria. The Basophilic can be reached through the curved archways. You can get very close to the Black Madonna which sits behind the altar. Just follow the signs on the right side of the Basilica entrance. The Madonna sits behind glass, but her wooden orb protrudes so that pilgrims can touch it. The basilica facade was built in 1900, replacing the facade of the original church that dated back to 1592.






					Here are a couple of pictures to give you an idea of how high the monastery sits above the valley. When you expand the first picture, you can see a cable car in the right hand corner, that can be used to get to the monastery. Our tour bus drove up to it, although the road in the picture is not the one used to access the monastery. The actual road is very good, and there is a lot of parking at the entrance.

					Even if you're not a religious person, it's hard not to feel inspired by the monastery's spectacular setting.

Cardona - Afternoon of Day 3 This castle, set high on a hill, was once home to the Dukes of Cardona, constables to the crown of Aragon. The castle was rebuilt in the 18th century and now houses a parador (Paradors are state-run hotels). Next to the castle is an 11th century Romanesque church, the Esglesia de Sant Vicenc. The castle looks down on the town and on the Montanya de Sal (Salt Mountain), a huge salt deposit that has been mined since Roman Times.










				Cardona's salt mountain, originally mined by the Romans.



One of the courtyards (above right) and the dining room (below left) at the Parador de Cardona. We had lunch here. Parador is an old Spanish word for a lodging place for travelers of respectable rank. In the late 1920’s, a national network of these state-run hotels were established. Many of the paradors are converted castles, places, or monasteries. The prices at the paradors are comparable with other luxury hotels.




This is the interior of the Esglesia de Sant Vicenc located in the castle. The church is built in the Romanesque style. Like the ancient Roman Temples, alabaster is used in place of glass for its windows

				After lunch, we were back on the road and bound for La Seu D'Urgell.

La Seu d'Urgell - Evening of Day 3 and morning of Day 4
This ancient Pyrenean town guards one of the passes between Spain and France.



We stayed overnight at the Hotel El Castell. Below is a picture of our room (better than it looks in this picture) and the view from our window.




Below is the view from the hotel terrace. The second picture is of a concert that was arranged for us in the castle just above the hotel.The Hotel El Castell is an excellent hotel with a Michlein-rated restaurant. Dinner at the restaurant was great.







La Seu d'Urgell is one of the oldest cities in Catalonia. The historical center of the town is contains the Santa Maria Cathedral. It's located about 10 minutes away from Andora.







				A unique feature of La Seu d'Urgell are its arcaded streets.






				Above right, the Olympic White Water Venue. La Seu d'Urgell was host to the white water sports during the Olympics. Here's the park where the events were held. The river that the rafters are on is man-made.

	The Pyrenees Mountains - Afternoon of Day 4 and morning of Day 5 This mountain chain of southwestern Europe stretches from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea on the east to the Bay of Biscay on the Atlantic Ocean on the west. The Pyrenees form the high wall between France and Spain that has played such a significant role in the history of both countries and of Europe as a whole. The range is some 270 miles long; it is barely six miles wide at its eastern end, but at its center it reaches some 80 miles in width. Except in a few places, where Spanish territory juts northward or French southward, the crest of the chain marks the boundary between the two countries




				This is some scenery on our way through the Pyrenees. A small town, Sort is popular with white water kayakers, because of the fast river that runs through it.




				From Sort, we wound our way up to the Bonaigua Pass. The second picture shows one of the many wild horses in this area.Here are some pictures just before we went over the pass. The 6,300' pass leads to the Valle D'Aran. Belonging to Spain, this valley was virtually isolated until the construction of the Bonaigua Pass in 1925.






The top picture is just before going over the Bonaigua Pass, and the bottom Picture is just after going over the pass, with the Valle d'Aran far below.




				We stayed is the small and beautiful town of Arties. Here are some pictures of our hotel, the Parador de Arties in the Valle d'Aran.




				A picture of the lobby and the road next to the Parador. Our stay at the Parador de Arties on Tuesday, September 10, marks the end of the first part of this travelogue.


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