On a previous trip, we had become enchanted by the Palau de Música Catalana, and we had to go back this time just to see the building again. I'll show you just a few examples of the incredible decoration of the concert hall. Here's the upper level and the stained glass skylight:
Here's a detail of the mosaics in the ceiling:
There's a new staircase at the side of the building, and as you walk down you see in the stairwell the names of donors . . . printed on long tubes like organ pipes. I thought that was a nice touch:
Later in the day we went to the neighborhood called El Born, which has had its ups and downs over the years. A huge building that was once a market hall was slated for demolition, but after big demonstrations by local activists in 1977(?), it was made into a community center instead. In addition to meeting rooms and workshop space, there are exhibits of various interesting topics; we saw long lists of books that had been banned for one reason or another (mostly dumb) throughout Europe in the 20th century.
The most impressive aspect of the building is its floor, which is being excavated and examined for its record of the neighborhood in the 18th century, before it was all paved over for the construction of the market hall:
September 11 is an important date. Surely you remember the 18th century War of the Spanish Succession -- on 9/11/1714 the forces of King Philip V finally crushed Catalonia, ending its independence. Along the walkway above the excavated floor, there are summaries and illustrations of Barcelona around that time. We always like historical museums, even when the story is sad for the locals.
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