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barcelona (guadi)m picasso and dali

Holiday Ideas & Foreign Travel
didds
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barcelona (guadi)m picasso and dali

#128398

Postby didds » March 27th, 2018, 5:35 pm

Looking to cobble together a trip to barcelona to see the cathedral and other gaudi "stuff", plus picasso and dali museums. I know nothing about architecture and art, but mrs didds really likes itall (but equally knows nothing about it).

We can cobble together our own trip (which is historically what we have always done for holidays and trips etc), but are open to a "package" as this seems something that may lend it self to it.

any recommendations/advice/avoids?

didds

UncleIan
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Re: barcelona (guadi)m picasso and dali

#128512

Postby UncleIan » March 28th, 2018, 9:59 am

Park Guell and the Sagrada Familia both generally need advance tickets. Got caught by that one, got into the cathedral the next day, but we will have to go back ;) for Park Guell.

BBC4 have just had a series on The Art of Spain. The last one covers Gaudi Picasso Miro. It'll be on iplayer. He's scathing of the cathedral, but I think he was just being mardy for the sake of it. It's astounding.

Getting around on the Metro, buy the 10 trips ticket, probably a Carnet, you get one ticket, but whoever goes first just passes it back to the second person. We were told that's the cheapest way, worked for this family of four.

Oh, Las Ramblas? Closer to the port you go, closer to the red light district you are. But I'm sure the ladies would leave the tourist couples alone. It didn't feel unsafe but it's a big city so normal cautions apply.

Cheesy as it is, the open top bus tours do go to all the high points.

If you're used to cobbling stuff together yourself, Barca should present no problems at all.

bungeejumper
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Re: barcelona (guadi)m picasso and dali

#128521

Postby bungeejumper » March 28th, 2018, 10:22 am

Best four day city break we've ever had. Barcelona is a pretty incredible city. As already mentioned, the metro gets you everywhere, but even the taxis aren't (weren't?) expensive.

Ramblas is great, the old city is fascinating. The Picasso museum also, although (as Mr Graham Dixon almost forgot to mention) it isn't yer familiar French-period - there are no blue periods, almost no cubism, and a lot of his Barcelona-period stuff that isn't what you'd call mainstream. The best Dali stuff is up the coast at Figueras - matbe a day excursion?

Highlights of our trip, besides Gaudi and Park Guell (obviously!) were the food market, the Miro museum (right up on a hill) and the National Museum of Catalonian art, which is largely religious frescoes, but don't let that put you off because it's absolutely stunning.

You need good walking shoes to get the best of it. The beach is nice but it's out of the way and takes a bit of finding. Food and cafes are magnificent. And don't get pickpocketed, because they ain't kidding about that - I got jostled in the metro by somebody who had his fingers halfway into my pocket. (I thumped him! And he ran like hell. No point in involving the police, it would only have cost me half a day of my holiday.)

Loved the place, would go back any time. :D

BJ

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Re: barcelona (guadi)m picasso and dali

#128535

Postby bungeejumper » March 28th, 2018, 11:15 am

PS: Dali excursion from Barcelona to Figueres, 16 euros by train: https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Travel-g1 ... ueres.html

I'm sure I wouldn't know, because we drove there by car from France! I still have my cherished pics of my old green Rover parked right outside the pink Dali mausoleum (with the gigantic eggs on top), back in the days when you could still get a free parking place there. :) All right, Dali was a brand rather than an inspiration by that time, but it's still got some of the very greatest of his work, and it's a fab day out. Wouldn't have missed it for anything.

Have just re-read Ian's post about Mr Graham-Dixon and Gaudi's cathedral. Totally agree that G-D was being useless, and precious, and just a bit luvvy, in condemning the decision to complete the cathedral. (He was a young, strident, elbowy art critic who was making enemies everywhere by being "outspoken".) Gaudi himself understood that his cathedral was going to take a helluva long time to complete, and that other generations would need to interpret his ideas if it were ever to be finished, but he was OK with that.

Gaudi was, of course, eventually killed by a tram ( think?) while walking to work on the cathedral one morning. Whereupon he was mistaken for a tramp in his raggedy old coat and didn't get taken to hospital. I like to think that the old geezer is still laughing at us about that one.

It'll take your breath away. Don't miss it.

BJ

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Re: barcelona (guadi)m picasso and dali

#128577

Postby Watis » March 28th, 2018, 1:34 pm

didds:

We had a short break in Barcelona three years ago.

The Gaudi structures are the main draw architecturally, of course. The Sagrada Familia is well worth a visit but it is likely to be still a construction site. It’s hard to ‘spend a few moments in contemplation’ as suggested by the audio tour at one point when there’s the buzz of angle grinders to distract you. But it was sufficiently near completion even then for visitors to be able to see how it might look when complete.

For me, the gem is the Casa Batllo. I have never felt so moved by a building as I was by this one. This house has almost no straight edges and the audio/visual tour, on a tablet, makes the best use of this tech that I’ve come across. Again, entry is by timed ticket to control numbers and make the experience a pleasure.

https://www.casabatllo.es/en/

Bear in mind that there’s no shelter where they have you queue for these attractions so dress appropriately for the sun or the rain - whatever the weather throws at you on the day.

I was aware of Barcelona’s reputation for crime so tool some precautions - a money belt, phone and camera concealed, etc. But the locals walk about holding their mobiles out just as they do here, and I never saw anything remotely untoward. Perhaps I was lucky?

https://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com ... afety.html

The place I felt most vulnerable was the covered market off to one side of Las Ramblas. Because is so busy and crowded, people are jostling past you all the time.

My first visit to Park Guell was a one day excursion from a cruise ship. Then, the entire park was freely accessible. Now, the central part with Gaudi’s ceramic art is charged for, as UncleIan said. But, unless you want to be up close, you can see much of it from the free areas. However, the park is now plagued by hawkers selling water and selfie sticks, which rather spoils the visit.

HTH,

Watis

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Re: barcelona (guadi)m picasso and dali

#128739

Postby Gaggsy » March 29th, 2018, 8:18 am

We had a great experience on a guided walking tour - http://freewalkingtoursbarcelona.com/en/
Definitely worth it as it puts the history of the city into perspective.
Not too taxing either (we had my 84 year old mother with us and she managed it fine).

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Re: barcelona (guadi)m picasso and dali

#128771

Postby BrummieDave » March 29th, 2018, 10:30 am

Agree with all the above, and the open top bus will take you to these places as well as the Camp Nou (which is after all architecture) and I think the Olympic Stadium.

But if Mrs D wants a real treat, the Catalan Opera House is just off La Ramblas, and is truly magnificent. http://www.liceubarcelona.cat/#

Wander in early morning, and you can look in the auditorium, and have a good coffee in somewhere much quieter and relaxing than its surroundings!


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