It is almost noon when we take a taxi from the hotel to the Picasso Museum. Our driver is catastrofista. One question launches a thirty minute diatribe on the end of the world.
When we get to the museum, there is a 40-minute line. Audioguides for the kids are not worth the 15€ they're charging because the kids are retaining so little at this point, but we end up buying one anyway after some pleading from Pablo.
Picasso's family moved to Barcelona when he was 13, and he thrived there until he left for Madrid at age 16. Between his 21st and 24th year, Picasso split his time between Barcelona and Paris. Near the end of his life, when a friend suggested opening a Museum featuring his work in his birth city of Malaga, Picasso suggested Barcelona instead.
The Museum provides a fascinating introduction to Picasso's development as an artist and also has an extensive collection of work that he did on his Meninas series in 1957. There is a significant, regrettable mid-career gap in the Museum's collection. No photos are allowed inside.
After leaving the Museum, we walk through the narrow Gothic Quarter streets to the Parc de Ciutadela to meet up with Mari's cousin, Mario Ernesto, who lives in Barcelona. Popsicles are enlisted to sweeten the experience.
Along the way, we stop at the Circulo del Arte on the Carrer de la Princesa, where I take this shot of Nina checking out this photo by Carlos Saura.
While we are waiting for Mario Ernesto, I give the kids spy missions to complete in the Parc, most of which involve two of them hiding from the third one.
When Mario Ernesto arrives, Pablo begins interrogating him. Mario Ernesto handles his probing interview very graciously.
We tell Mario Ernesto that we hope to walk to the Arc de Triomphe and then to the Sagrada Familia. He suggests that we first visit the "Born"--a fin-de-siècle market under which a medieval village was discovered.
In the photos above, you can see both the external structure of the market and the remains of the village discovered below.
Before walking to the Arc and to the Sagrada Familia, Mario Ernesto suggests that we walk back towards the port, where we check out la Plaza Colon.
It doesn't take long for Our Ambassador of Affection to warm up to cousin Mario.
On our way back in the direction of the Sagrada Familia, Mario Ernesto shows us the Pompeu Fabra University which was established in 1990 and has made use of many rehabilitated buildings into its campus. There were lots of these yellow leaves on the sidewalk.
Eventually, we end up taking a bus to unfinished La Sagrada Familia, which was much closer to being unfinished when I first saw it in 1987.
We take a quick walk around the outside of the building. Apparently, Mario Ernesto is a fan of American hard rock. He is also a fan of his fiancee Emmanuelle, who met us there.
Somehow we find a gelateria nearby.
Usually in posed photos like this one, which Mari took, I'm telling the kids: "Pretend like I'm saying something very interesting."
We take a taxi back to hotel at 7:30. While MJ makes a supermarket run, our showering kids flood the bathroom due to reckless deployment of a detachable showerhead.
Supper is delicious, and we get to bed after midnight.
