Barcelona Day 4 (Sep 10 2008)

Just wanted to let you all know that if you don't hear from me, I'm fine. Our laptop battery died, and the charger doesnt work here. Right now I'm at Dan's job on a spare computer. We're going out to eat with his coworkers in a few minutes. His office is very nice, 7th floor overlooking La Rambla! Didn't do too much today, I tried to get out to see a few sites, but only found one. Tomorrow should be good though, it's a bank holiday here, so Dan is off work, we're gonna take the 'Bus Turista' which zips you from site to site, and you can get on and off as you like. It's about $30 for one day, and it goes everywhere, and you get a book of coupons for the attractions.

So far so good, I'm getting around ok, but am afraid to use the subways alone. No purse snatchings though =)

Hope you all are well.
============================================================================

This was the day my excursions caught up with me. I tried to get out to see a few things...but didn't realize how tired I was. I did manage to find Casa Calvet.



Casa Calvet is a building, designed by Antoni Gaudí for a textile manufacturer which served as both a commercial property (in the basement and on the ground floor) and a residence. It is located at 1900 Carrer de Casp 48, Eixample district of Barcelona.

Gaudí scholars agree that this building is the most conventional of his works, partly because it had to be squeezed in between older structures and partly because it was sited in one of the most elegant sections of Barcelona. Its symmetry, balance and orderly rhythm are unusual for Gaudí's works. However, the curves and double gable at the top, the projecting oriel at the entrance— almost baroque in its drama, and isolated witty details are modernista elements.

Bulging balconies alternate with smaller, shallower balconies. Mushrooms above the oriel at the center allude to the owner's favorite hobby.

Columns flanking the entrance are in the form of stacked bobbins— an allusion to the family business of textile manufacture. Lluís Permanyer claims that "the gallery at ground level is the facade's most outstanding feature, a daring combination of wrought iron and stone in which decorative historical elements such as a cypress, an olive tree, horns of plenty, and the Catalan coat of arms can be discerned".



Three sculpted heads at the top also allude to the owner: One is Sant Pere Màrtir Calvet i Carbonell (the owner's father) and two are patron saints of Vilassar, Andreu Calvet's home town.

That was it for my morning. Although I did stop at the Parc Joan Miró to get a picture of this scultpture, "Woman and Bird" by Joan Miró



I went back to the hotel to nap, then met Dan at his office (where I wrote the above email). We went out to dinner for tapas.

Salted cod salad



And mussels



Then we went out to a celebration with his co-workers. No one spoke very much Engligh, but the sangria was flowing and I had a fantastic time.