THE REIGN IN SPAIN

 The reign in Spain is not mainly on the plain…but in
the city of Barcelona that reigns as my numero uno city in Spain.
 So, let me take you along to Barcelona.  Ole!!!

Overlooking the harbor, the hill of Montjuic was the
site of the 1929 World’s Fair and the 1992 Olympic Games.  In addition to
the Miro´ Museum and the Olympic Ring and Stadium, Montjuic is also the
location of Museu d’Art de Catalunya  (The Catalonian Museum of
Art) and El Poble Espanyol (The Spanish Village). 

The Catalonian Museum, located in the Palau Nacional,
is the home of medieval treasures.  To the right of the steps below the Palau
is the 1985 reconstruction of the Pavilion designed by Mies van der Rohe for
Germany’s exhibit at the 1929 World’s Fair.    

The Spanish Village is a complex of full-scale replicas of
architectural structures from different regions of Spain. Built as the arts
pavilion for the Barcelona World’s Fair in 1929, it is the fourth most visited
attraction in Barcelona. 

The Spanish Village is also home to a plethora of
restaurants, shops, cafes, tapas bars and flamenco dancing. 
Flamenco fever, with internationally renowned flamenco dancers, can be caught
in clubs or often in concert venues on Montjuic Hill.

Christopher Columbus reigns supreme atop a towering
monument at Placa del Portal de la Pau.  The more than 150-foot
tall Columbus monument (Monument a Colom) stands in the port at the foot
of La Rambla, Barcelona’s lively esplanade.

The twisted medieval streets of the ancient Bari Gothic,
also known as the Gothic Quarter, was the location of the old Jewish
Quarter known as the Call  (derived from the Hebrew word kahal meaning
community or synagogue).  Medieval Barcelona had two Jewish Quarters: Call
Mayor, inside the walls, and Call Menor, outside the walls.

In the Gothic Quarter, stroll around to the back of
Barcelona’s imposing Cathedral and you will find it was constructed with some
interesting building blocks.  Scattered throughout the walls are ancient
burial stones with Hebrew inscriptions.  Nearby, on the wall of the Frederic
Mares Museum is the coat of arms of the Inquisition which expelled all Jews
from Spain. 

If museums are your thing, Barcelona also offers Museu
Picasso and Fundacio´ Joan Miro´.  The former, though not the
most exciting of the world’s Picasso Museums, is witness to the artist’s
connection with Barcelona where he competed his artistic apprenticeship and
where he produced his early works.

The Joan Miro´ Foundation, set up in 1971 by Miro´ himself,
is devoted to the artist’s work and to the promotion of contemporary art in
general.  The collection is located in Parc de Montjuic  (Montjuic
Park).

Visitors from around the world come to Barcelona to follow
the ‘Route Gaudi”, an architectural tour of the works of Antonio Gaudi. a
pioneer in the Modernist Movement of Architecture.  

La Pedrera, one of Gaudi’s later works, exemplifies
the inseparability of art and technique.  Be sure and visit the roof
terrace of the Pedrera where you can observe the skylights and chimneys
as well as a grand overview of the city. 

Nearby, the Casa Batlló is another Gaudi
example of Modernism, the architectural trend of the late 19th and early 20th
centuries.  It was designated as an historic monument in 1969

Gaudi’s Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada  Familia
is by not a Jewish Temple.  However people of all faiths flock to
Barcelona to visit this “Church of the Sacred Family”.  With its surreal
spires, said to resemble a melting wedding cake, it was initiated by Gaudi in
1882 and has not as yet been completed.  However a group of architects,
following Gaudi’s design, have brought the west facade to an advanced stage of
construction.