Barcelona: Culture with Flamenco flair

Barcelona is a BIG city. After arriving late Saturday night it seemed the best way to get indoctrinated the following morning was the hop on-hop off bus that all major European cities offer. This is not a place to discover on foot. As it turned out, the impression from that bus tour (there were actually two) was consistent with our observations that followed. An expansive city with some delightful jewels found in a sea of densely populated square blocks of similar looking buildings. The jewels were well worth discovering, but you had to seek them out. Fortunately our hotel was right in a strategic tourist area very near the Old Town and well known Market.

Among the jewels found around the city were some architectural gems that attract fans from around the world. I also thoroughly enjoyed the Picasso museum. And of course I was most inspired by the flamenco dancers. We saw one show in an old theater with an open bar in the back where loud fans served as the air conditioning. And another in an elegant historic building that may just be the perfect venue to view any show. Yes, I danced the flamenco for Sugar that night on the expensive mall outside our hotel. She videotaped, but too modest to show here.

A few final thoughts. This was the first stop where we stayed in a hotel so for the first time we actually watched some TV. Was good to get caught up in some news from the States, and interesting how virtually every other channel was focused on either local soccer (the Barcelona football club is huge) or old westerns. They love old American westerns, all dubbed in Spanish of course. And all old. I mean Marlin Brando and Ronald Reagan old. Several channels show these old westerns 24/7. Next and last stop: Lisbon.