Our Trip to Spain
March, 2005


 Here is Bob Maurovich and Nancy Warner in front of our hotel in Barcelona, the Rialto. It was no great shakes as a hotel...in our experience, kind of a second-rank European hotel (reminded us of the one we had in Paris years ago) but the location was SUPER!




This is the street that the Rialto was located on, looking down the street, towards the La Rambla, one of the main, and most fun, streets, in Barcelona. Victor Hugo called it “the most beautiful street in the world.” 

The next five pictures are of the same thing...The LaSagrada Familia. It is a most amazing cathedral, or will be, if it ever gets finished. Started by the famous architect Antoni Gaudi in 1884, it is (according to our guide) about half-finished. They hope to have the roof on it in the next year or so. Gaudi decreed that only contributions from the general public would be used to build the place, so each year they build what they can with the funds available. There is, of course, an incredible about of symbolism embodied in the place. I won’t even begin to try to relate it. Get what you can from the pictures and, if ever in Barcelona, don’t miss it!














These next five are taken at Montserrat, which is about 30 miles northwest of Barcelona. It is the home to an eleventh-century Benedictine monastery. The monastery is the home to the famous Black Madonna, the patron saint of Catalonia.


 















 Here are Eric and Cindy Gilbertson, and Judy and I, in a little park overlooking Barcelona. I thought that Barcelona was an absolutely beautiful city, and one of my very favorite places in the world






Two more from the same park, looking, more or less, the other way. That’s the harbor, and the Mediterranean Sea in the background. That is Eric in the first picture.





In the late afternoon, returning from one of our treks, we came across these people, in a square near the hotel. They were having what appeared to be an impromptu dance - sort of a square dance. Note their briefcases, piled in the center of the ring.



This was part of the waterfront, turned into parks and other attractions done to spiff Barcelona up for the olympics.





The only picture that I have, right now, of Madrid. (Others are still in the camera). This is the Royal Palace, the Palacio Real.