Barcelona - Home of Picasso

Hola!  Our first full day in Barcelona took us to breakfast across the street to our free internet place to check email, etc.  I can't believe in this day and age this hotel limits your internet, and you have to pay 2 Euro per hour.  Crazy.  If we could just get on anytime we wanted, but we have to call the desk, and use it for 1 hour, period.

Anyway, before my hour is up, I should get this written.  We started walking down towards the Picasso museum.  He grew up here and all of his early work is housed here in a very nice museum that is easy to get around in.  We saw his first attempts and the painting "The First Communion" which he won his first award.

The first Communion - Piccaso aged 14

He was 14.  When you see all of the progression from early to later works Picasso starts making some sense.  We have seen many of his later work, but now we feel like we have seen, much like the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam, how he developed. Picasso donated the pieces to the museum in his later life because he was so proud to be from Barcelona.  Here are a few of the pieces we saw today (there are over 3,000 pieces of art here).

The pigeons - We bought some of this series (postcards)

Then we were off to the Barcelona Cathedral.  It was built in 1298 to 1450 on the site of a Roman Temple of Jupiter from 343 AD.  Pretty gorgeous.

Barcelona had a rebirth in the 1600's and many of the side chapels we re-done.  Really spectacular.

The Black Madonna and Child

This is 13th century

Stained glass in this era was limited because the walls needed to
support the roof.  

Very nice cathedral, considering it is small (by European standards) and not very famous.

Came back to the neighborhood and had a pizza and tapas.  Nothing to write home about.  Then had a siesta. 

We just got back from a stroll down the Ramblas, which is a street that is a big pedestrian mall with 20 jillion people on it. 

 We stopped by the market (have to do that in every city).  This one had lots of fun stuff.

fans along the way

Beverly's Spanish cousin

Pretty narrow streets

Jerry is SAVED!!!!

Fruit that they make into juice for you.  

More ham - I wonder where are the pigs?

nuts

Rabbit with all the innards

In the back right is a goat head.  These are pig lungs and stomach in the front

Here's what I'm talkin' about!!!

Just fill up the bag - 4 pieces about $7.50

candied fruit

beautiful peppers

Spanish walleye - cuttlefish 

whole pig to roast, only 65 euros

We've had a good day, and are now looking for a restaurant to eat at tonight.  We are both sort of hungry for meat, so....we will see.  It is hard for Jerry to make a decision.  I'll fill you in tomorrow.  Adios!