Thursday 29 August

Today we will visit a couple of places we saw from the bus yesterday. We take the Metro to Placa de Espanya and then the bus up to the National Museum of Art of Catalonia which is housed in the Palau National (constructed for the 1929 International Exposition). We take our photos and carry on up the hill to the cable car that carries visitors up to the peak, and the Montjuic Castle. Surrounded by a wide, deep ditch, this impressive stone building dates from the 1660's after the "Revolt of Catalonia." Subsequently it was transferred to the Spanish Crown which gradually transformed it into a great fortress.

Back to Sagrada Familia and it is time for a late lunch at a corner coffee shop. Then siesta time to work on photos and/or blogs. Also on Carrer de Corsega is an Italian restaurant that also specialises in gourmet hamburgers. Just for something different we each try one, very good, and a step up from the usual offering.

Friday 30 August

We taxi from the hotel up to Park Guell and arrive by 8.30am. The park was bought by one of Gaudi's patrons in the foothills as a housing development, with Gaudi and his team to build homes with a distinctive style. Only two houses, the gatehouse and other walkways were ever built. The project failed to attract enough interest as it was too far away from the city.

Now UNESCO World Heritage listed, the "Monumental Zone" has an entry fee and timed entry so it's essential to book ahead. We get there early to avoid the worst of the crowds. Organic shapes covered by mosaic, with a method developed by Gaudi, characterise the entry area, so we take lots of selfies as good tourists do. Then a coffee and a walk around the "Natural Zone" which is more park-like but still has Gaudi stone hard landscaping. Kathy buys an inexpensive piece of colourful art, and we then head to the Gaudi House Museum which is one of the only 2 houses, and where the man and his relatives lived for some time. The museum houses furniture designed by Gaudi. If you were his client, he not only designed the building, but the interiors and furnishings as well.

Gaudi spent his last few years living at the building site that is Sagrada Familia Temple (Holy Family) only to be knocked down and killed by a tram in 1926.

After our visit we take the free "Bus Guell" down to the Alfons X metro station, and then walk back down the hill to the hotel. This afternoon is spent organising our luggage transfer to Madrid and doing our blogs. We don't want to carry loads of luggage with us on the Intrepid Tour, unless we have to.
We eat al fresco in the Avenida Gaudi as it is a bit cooler tonight. Pasta for Tony and Goat's cheese salad for Kathy.