High on the *Buttock list has been a return to Barcelona. The intent was to reprise all of the delights of a visit 15 years ago. Of course some things have changed. The mantra – “Barcelona, Ah, beware the pickpockets!” has not changed. But this is an orderly, polite, high tech city. Where the trains are clean, cheap, frequent and punctual. Arrival of trains is accurately counted down in seconds in Barcelona, rather than the vague, sometime today, expectation of Melbourne trains. When young (30ish) people in crowded trains rise to give us their seats, we are reluctant to admit to such venerability, but politeness dictates acceptance. What a lovely place.

*Buttock list = A list of choice places where one might expect to place the buttocks in order to enjoy a maximum of sedate adventure offset by a minimum of physical effort.

In this, our first experience of Airbnb accommodation, Sweetiepie chose an artist’s atelier. The face of Jura’s art is the range jeweled beetle brooches that he produces. But most of the studio space is taken up with dabbling in multi media sculpture, a lot of plaster casting. Our space is a tiny room above the studio. It contains a bed, a little table, one chair and WiFi! We share a bathroom with Jura – asynchronously, of course. The atelier is located around the corner from a Metro station and a quarter hour walk from the Sagrada.

The early spring weather is delightful for being out and about. First leaves just appearing on the trees lining the avenues. Brisk nights and cool days, tourist density currently modest. However, selfie sticks abound. So much so, that it is only a matter of time before they will be banned from public places. Many of them appear to be permanently welded to the smart phone. The user is consequently forced to make a clumsy maneuver when taking normal photos. A more useful innovation is the walking tour arrangement where the guide talks into a little mike and the customers all wear earpieces. Neat, but further development could remove distracting wind noise from cheap equipment. The most useful piece of recent tech for the tourist is on-line booking to the popular attractions. The process of legal queue jumping is very satisfying. Eventually the on-line ticket holders will probably also have to queue up. An ominous sign is a surcharge by some agencies of 5€ for the privilege of jumping the on-line queue. As yet, on line ticket holders don’t have to queue. But this is early in the season.

Top of the list must be the Sagrada Familia. 15 years ago the Sagrada was an expiatory temple and very much a building site. The pic gives an idea of the current state of play. Due for completion in 2026, it is a remarkable tribute to the continuing vision and support many people. The time line so far:

1852 – Antoni Gaudi is born

1866 – Josep Maria Bocabella, a book seller, founds an association for development of a temple

1878 – Gaudi graduates as an architect.

1882 – first stone laid at Sagrada with Lozano as architect.

1883 – Bocabella dismisses Lozano and appoints Gaudi. Using Lozano’s foundations, Gaudi commences building a design completely different from the conservative neo-gothic originally planned.

1925 – Gaudi dies. Over forty years work have seen the crypt completed and the nativity towers nearly completed.

1936 – 1939 – The Crypt and Gaudi’s workshop are effectively destroyed, being collateral damage due to the Spanish Civil War.

1976 – Completion of Passion Façade.

2010 – Completion of vaults enclosing the interior space. Consecration by Pope Benedict XVI and given the designation of Basilica.

The Boqueria Market thankfully hasn’t changed one jot, only some changes in the people. The breakfast omelet and coffee was OK but not quite up to the ritual omelet breakfasts of 15 years ago. Clearly, the truth changes, only imagination is constant. Fruit salad in a cup and fresh squeezed juice were good – choice of about 20 varieties. Unfortunately, later in the day we failed to pass a massive chocolate shop. The hot chocolate could only be described as uber devastating, having to be diluted with double cream and eaten with a spoon.

Walking through the Barri Gothic quarter is an “Oo Ah!” camera clicking trip. Satellite signals seem to find their way down into the deep, dark alleyways of recycled Roman stonework to enable navigation by smart phone. Standing tall in this area is La Catedral, dedicated to St Eulalia. The locals are proud of this ancient cathedral and would resist any move for the Sagrada Familia Basilica to assume the mantle of Cathedral. As we were in the area anyway and the queue was short we shelled out the 7€ entry fee, walked past some of the 40 side chapels to sit in the front row and do our impression of praying. We had been sitting for maybe 15 minutes among a handful of other people, (probably including people who were doing proper praying) When a procession of about 80 young people all dressed in black (girls all with matching sparkle dangle ear rings) passed down the side aisle and lined up in front of the altar. They sang a series of sacred works gradually morphing into the secular. The half hour program concluded with a number that was mainly body percussion – finger clicking, clapping, thigh slapping and stomping. Turned around to see a full congregation applauding. No, not a dream, just the Nevada Union High School Choir on tour. Check them out on youtube.

Little Eulalia was a devout 13yo Christian virgin. She lived a quiet life of prayer in the hills near Barcelona. The year was 305, The Romans were in power, they called the place Barcionum and Emperor Diocletian didn’t like Christians. He sent governor Dacian to get rid of them. Eulalia came to town and denounced Dacian for being pushy toward Christians. Dacian, being a hard man, horribly tortured Eulalia who would not recant, saying “the Lord is the defender of my soul” with this prayer she died and a sudden snowstorm covered the martyr’s naked body like a white garment. The saint’s commemoration is sometimes given as December 10, possibly correct, in view of the snow. And to this day 13 geese, celebrating the 13 short years of the life of saint Eulalia, strut about in an enclosure in the cloisters of the Cathedral. Not having a clue as to why they are there. Religion can be complicated.

Paying homage to the remarkable Gaudi is our main reason for being in Barcelona. Of course we visited Parc Guell and La Pedrera. Far better coverage of those places is given on the web than anything I might do. Also had a Picasso based guided tour which placed his movements between Malaga, Barcelona and Paris in context.

Used our remaining Metro tickets for a trip town to the harbor. Heavenly breakfast and lunch, lounging about in the sun on the beach by the harbor. Impressed by the decadent array of pleasure craft. The most obscene being a row of luxury yachts 5 stories high, each able to easily accommodate an indoor soccer pitch. Or two.

On a tour of the Catalan Music Palace the grand organ was in action with a Bach fugue. Recording not allowed, but if it was, the above is what you might have seen & heard.  And finally, tapas and coffee at the famous 4 Cats café where Picasso and the terrible arty crowd hung out, even including Gaudi. 4 Cats was a Catalan term for a small crowd of undesirable people.