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Thanks for joining us. Find everything you need for packing — and planning your dream trip to Europe. He painted Impressionist landscapes like Monet, posters like Toulouse-Lautrec, still-lifes like Cézanne, and garishly colored Fauvist works like Henri Matisse.But later, the suicide of his best friend and his own poverty lead Picasso to his Blue Period. While it takes a bit of effort to get here, Park Güell (Catalans pronounce it "gway") offers a unique look at Gaudí's style in a natural rather than urban context. To the end, Picasso continued exploring and loving life through his art. Both options are similar in cost and take about the same amount of time (hourly trains, 1.5 hours each way from downtown Barcelona to the monastery).The museum fills a former theater and is the artist's mausoleum (his tomb is in the crypt below center stage). The vision: to shine like a spiritual lighthouse visible even from out at sea. Episode 505: Switzerland's Great Cities. We'll get caught up in the festivity of Barcelona, enjoying the vibrant street scenes, tasty tapas, and pedestrian-friendly Gothic Quarter. Each district of about 20 square blocks would have its own market, hospital, schools, parks, and daycare.While the original vision was an egalitarian one where each zone was equal, the Eixample became an architectural showcase for its wealthy residents. A variety of street entertainers vie creatively for your attention…and your coins.The bottom of the Ramblas is marked by the Columbus Monument. The square is decorated with statues honoring important Catalans. Pablo’s earliest art is realistic and serious. Some are colorful holes-in-walls giving a glimpse of the crusty Barcelona from before its recent prosperity took hold. Heading home, you’d stroll down the playful arcade — like a surfer’s perfect tube, it’s another nature-inspired Gaudí fantasy. This has been Catalunya's most important pilgrimage site for a thousand years.Barcelona is connected to the valley below Montserrat by a convenient train; from there, a cable car or rack railway (your choice) takes you up to the mountaintop.
She became his wife, muse, model, manager, and emotional compass.An audience of golden statues looks down on the museum. The stools nearby are a fine perch for enjoying both your coffee and the people-watching.Pablo Picasso may have made his career in Paris, but the years he spent in Barcelona — from ages 14 through 23 — were among the most formative of his life.
Yet they all contribute, pushing steadily toward completion.Someday a central 550-foot tower of Jesus will rise above all this. And, on such a beautiful day, you’d sit a spell on Gaudí’s ergonomic benches to enjoy a grand view of this grand city.An hour inland from Barcelona takes us to a mountain stronghold which many consider the heart of Catalunya. It's closed on Sundays.Since as far back as 1200, Barcelonans have bought their animal parts here. Until next time, keep on travelin’.
Then we delve into the Hanseatic heritage and enjoy the salty hospitality of Norway's historic capital, Bergen. Each comes with lively cafés and bars and all are laced together by inviting promenades — much appreciated by strollers, joggers, and bikers.Surprisingly nearby is Barcelona’s gritty old center — the Gothic Quarter.
Dalí loved her attitude.
Conveniently, all of this new construction provided a generation of Modernista architects with a blank canvas for creating boldly experimental designs.For the best Eixample example, ramble Rambla de Catalunya (unrelated to the more famous Ramblas) and pass along Passeig de Gràcia.
The man-made beaches — a series of crescents that stretch for miles — are a huge hit. Gaudí actually lived in this mansion.
And at the heart of the Modernista movement was the Eixample, a carefully planned "new town," just beyond the Old City, with wide sidewalks, hardy shade trees, and a rigid grid plan cropped at the corners to create space and lightness at each intersection. Eaters cobble together a tasty meal of little plates.
In the soaring nave, Gaudí’s columns blossom with life.
And beyond all its great sights be sure to appreciate its elegant sense of style and its Mediterranean knack for good living.The city’s main square, Plaça Catalunya, is the center of the world for 7 million Catalan people. When she died he was devastated. For today’s tourists, mellow Cadaqués offers a peaceful beach-town escape near Barcelona.In the 1920s Salvador Dalí and Gala moved in, bringing international fame to this sleepy Catalan port.Like Dalí’s art, his home defies convention. In seaside Cadaqués, we’ll visit Dalí's home, and in nearby Figueres, we'll experience his playfully surreal mausoleum/museum.This lively market hall is an explosion of chicken legs, bags of live snails, stiff fish, delicious oranges, and odd odors.