Day 19 - Montjuic, MNAC and Calçots

After getting ready and feeding Ada breakfast we left the apartment and walked to their car. They park their car in a large parking garage about 6 blocks or so from their apartment. Roger drove us and as we aproached a very large round-about, very reminiscent of European Vacation with the Griswolds. It was the Placa d´espanya (The Place of Spain). Striaght up the hill was a gorgeous building, very palace like. Roger explained that is where we were headed. After winding through a few streets and up the hill, we stopped at the Museu Nacional d´Art de Catalunya (MNAC) or in other words The National Museum of Catalan Art. The building is a very beautiful neoclassical palace turned museum, it is on the north end of the park, Montjuic and has great views of the city. The building is right in front of the Olympic Stadium, where I have been before but I don´t remember. We drove right past the stadium and I was able to see where the Olympic torch was, it still didn´t bring back any memories, but it was cool to see.

Maria and I entertained Ada while Roger got our tickets squared away. He presented us with an audio guide for the tour and Ada was very taken with the device. She held Maria´s the whole time and even listened to some audio very intently. Roger and Maria had to share the audio in Catalan and mine was in English. Thank goodness! The museum was great, it has a huge collection of Romanesque art from 12th, 13th, 14th, etc. churches in the area. It was all very impresive, but as Maria explained, "it is all so graphic and horrible, filled with blood and murder." This is all too true especially after we all listened to a story about St. Barbara who lived a horrible life of torture for converting to Christianity, the story had not a thread of a happy ending and nethier did the mural.

I learned about a Catalon tradition from the story of St. George the Princess and the Dragon. I listened to the story of St. Geroge and the Princess on my audio guide. A dragon came to the city and the people would feed the dragon animals to keep it happy. The dragon eventually began to eat the people and therefore they would select people in the community to sacrafice. One day it became the Princess´s turn for sacrification and on her way to meet her death with the dragon she met St. George. St. George offered to help the Princess and wounded the dragon. He moved to the town and everyone there converted to Christianity and thus he was able to slay the monster. Once I finished listening to the commentary Roger and Maria explained that this story turned into a Catalan tradition, St. George Day. St. George Day takes place on April 23rd and to celebrate you are supposed to buy a rose and a book for your beloved. Generally a man buys a rose for his beloved, and a woman buys a book for her beloved. However, nowadays it can be reversed or you can buy both. I think this is a great tradition! Its another Valentine´s day, but it will be much cheaper and more sentimental without all the hype in the US. I think someday I might start this tradition...if only I had a beloved. :)

We walked through the entire museum, including the Romanesque section, the Gothic section, the Baroque section and the Art Modern section. The art modern section was certainly my favorite. It has works by Picasso, Mir and Casas. When Roger and Maria were visiting us in August they brought me a card of a famous Casas painting and today I was able to see it in person. I like it very much and they had no idea, but it represents my favorite syle of art!

After the museum it was getting time for lunch, 2:00. We stopped by Fundacio Joan Miro, The Miro Foundation which is a gallery for Joan Miro, but it was just about to close. Today is a national holiday in Barcleona, Day of the Immaculate Conception, and all the shops are closed while the museums closed early. So we didn´t get a chance to see it. But Roger drove me to a few different spots in Montjuic so I could see all the views of the city. It was very beautiful and had great views of the ocean and the famous port.

We drove down to central Barcelona and drove around for a long time looking for parking. Everytime a spot would open a Jeep would sneak in before we could get there. We stopped at a stop light and we watched a huge Jeep parallel park in the smallest spot I have ever seen. It took th Jeep a few times, but it was successful. We were all amazed that the driver was able to pull it off. As we drove by there had to be maybe 5 inches on either side of the bumper to the next car, Roger laughed and said, "I hate jeeps." Since we couldn´t find any street parking, Roger finally gave in and we went into a parking garage underground.

We were on a very busy shopping street in Barcelona once we came up from our parking spot, but all the shops were closed. Restaurants were open and they were packed! It was nearing 3:00 and Roger explained that this is the busy lunch hour and we should have made reservations. We tried to go to their favorite place in the area but it had a very long line. As we were walking, I was able to see another Gaudi house and The Tapies Foundation with its crazy wire sculpture.

We walked a block or two and stopped at a restaurant called El Grop. It suited us just fine and Maria was able to get Ada situated. They had and English menu for me here, but it didn´t matter much since Roger does all the ordering for me. I am very thankful for him, otherwise I am sure I would eat terrible food here in Barcelona. He ordered me a drink called Clara, which is beer with lemon Fanta mixed together. I thought it was delicious and I was very happy to have one. I told Roger I wanted the chicken breast with potatoes and I left the rest up to him. He explained that he ordered calçots for all of us to share. This is a very popular dish in Catalan, especially in the south. Before the dish came out the waitress brought us a plate full of bibbs and plastic gloves for us to wear. Roger told me that it can be very messy, so we all put our bibbs on. This worked out well for Ada who has recently refused to wear a bibb, but after seeing all of us with our bibb´s on, she decided she wanted to wear hers to. Calçots is a dish of roasted green onions and a sauce. You take the green onions and peel back the bad layers, then you dip the onion in the sauce and soak it for a few seconds and then put it in your mouth and eat it. It is hard to explain, but I was able to get a picture of me eating it. Its a rather strange food, but it did taste very good. Roger told me I should make it for Mom and Dad when I get home, but I quickly explained their hate for onions and the thought was dismissed. We ordered two plates full of the onions and ate away. Roger and Maria said when you have this dish in the south they make you eat a whole kilo of it and you get soaked in the sauce. They can´t wait to take Ada once she is a little older. Roger also ordered a dish of cooked oysters and this was the first time I have ever eaten cooked ostyers...I loved them! I couldn´t believe that I actually liked them and I couldn´t stop eating them. I suppose it helps when you order them close to the sea and not in Nebraska! :) Lunch also consisted of the traditional bread with tomato,my chicken with potatoes and to top it off ice cream. I was able to share my ice cream with Ada who waved her hands up and down just like she did in Nebraska. So cute!

After our long lunch we went back to the car and attempted to drive to Parc Guell. It was getting dark at this point and Roger and Maria were not exactly sure how to get there. It was 5:30 and we knew the park closed at 6, so there was very little chance we could see it anyway. They think we drove by it, but parking was unavailable and I told them not to worry about it so we drove on. On the drive we passed the most beautiful hospital called Hospital de la Santa Creu I Sant Pau. We all laughed at how great it would be to stay at a place so beautiful whenyou are sick. Roger drove on, but with my full belly and the moving motion of the car, what do you think I did? Fell asleep...yep, sure did. So I missed some of the drive, but he drove us to the top of the mountain and we were able to get out and see an amazing view of the city at night with all its lights shining bright. It was gorgeous!

On our way down they drove me by a place that is very special to them...the hospital Ada was born at. It is called the Maternity hospital and they are very proud to have had Ada there. We then drove down the Diagonal del Mar for a long time until finally we reached their parking garage. After a short walk home we were able to relax and let Ada walk around the apartment for a while. Roger and I exchanged photos, which I will be very happy with later. While Roger and Maria gave Ada a bath I called Uncle Jim to check in before my arrival in Paris tomorrow! The plan is for me to meet him at his bookstore tomorrow, so I wish me luck on the metro with my very large backpack! After I meet him we will go shopping for a bed for me to sleep on...an air matress! Perfect. I offered to sleep on the floor, but he insisted I do not.

Roger informed me that tonight is a momentous occasion for Ada, she kissed Roger on the lips for the first time tonight. They were so excited and Ada was clapping her hands in celebration. Generally when Ada gives "petos" (kisses) she just leans toward you with an open mouth, but tonight she puckered her lips and gave her Dad and Mom a real kiss. It was so cute! We were able to Skype Dad while Ada ate her dinner. We wanted him to remind her to eat all her vegetables! I think she enjoys watching him on camera and its so fun to see him too.

After that, they took Ada to bed and I spent some time typing this up. Then it was turn for our dinner. Roger served up some pizza, cheese, sausage and ham and wine. For dessert we had a lovely chocolate cake filled with more melted chocolate. It was delicious. Dinner was filled with laughter while Maria made fun of Roger. It was all good fun.

Tonight I will spend some time trying to repack my bag and then I will get some shut-eye. I have to get up early and head to the train station with Roger to catch the train to the airport. Then I am off on my flight to Paris. I am very excited to see Uncle Jim, but I am not very excited about heading farther North in the cold cold climate. Barcleona weather has been a nice break from the freezing cold up here!

Petos para tú!
Anna