We joined this line, without knowing what the purpose was:)

We joined this line, without knowing what the purpose was:), originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

The Black Madonna otherwise known as La Moreneta is a popular pilgrimage destination in Spain. It is believed to have been carved by St Luke in 50AD and brought to Spain. It was hidden in some cove and rediscovered in 880AD. The legend says the discovery by shepherds was led by a bight light and heavenly music. It was too heavy to be moved and so it stayed in Montserrat.  ( In Catalan this translates to serrated mountain)Many miracles have been reported through the intercession through the virgin Mary at Montserrat. Currently the image is in an alcove behind the main altar. And this queue is us trailing from the front of the church right pass the church at the fringe of it into the alcove. A wonderful experience definitely!!

How do you get there? By taking the metro from:

Dep: Placa Espanya stn. Barcelona 
Arr: Monsterrat Aeri stn.
(Journey time approx. 1 hr.) 

paella

paella, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

We tried paella in a restaurant along the Passeig de Gracia. This is the picture. It looked like pulut. I didn't enjoy this much. But the Sangria helped somewhat. The seafood gave this a sweet taste which was weird. So no....my tastebuds aren't suited to paella.

Paella is a Valencian rise dish that originated on the east coast of Spain. There are three types; Valencian paella, seafood paella and mixed paella.

inside casa batllo

inside casa batllo, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

There are so many pictures to choose from. And I am humbled by the more exciting and arty pictures I see on other people's blogs. So I'm going to post a simple picture taken inside Casa Battlo. The top of the picture is the airwell which has special ventilation points so you won't feel stiffled inside the building. The windows are of separate apartments. And the blue tiles are positioned with the darker tiles closer to the top. That way, seen from below the blue appears uniform from bottom to top. Wasn't Gaudi clever?

Casa Batllo has minimal straight lines if you see it from outside. It was oval deformed windows which gives the building a cartoon-like appearance that will draw you to it even if you didn't know it was a famous must-see-Gaudi-building. It looks a bit like a dragon from certain angles. And the mosaic tiles have a strange but delightful shimmer to it. The building was originally built by Emili Sala Cortes in 1877. The original building must not have been too nice but the Batllo's bought it perhaps due to its location. After purchasing the building, Josep Batllo hired Gaudi to design his home. After many refurbishments we now see the amazing work of Gaudi. The tour through with the audio guide gives meaning to each part of the house. I enjoyed my visit very much. It was rather rushed as I gave up my lunch break for this. ( After which I rushed back to the conference for the afternoon session)

*ERS conference

fridge magnets from barcelona

fridge magnets from barcelona, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

The temperature was extremely hot on day one and rather chilly on the last day and PERFECT in between. Folks kept telling me to see Gaudi in Barcelona. And I'm pleased to report that I have seen most of the Gaudi buildings in Barcelona. It's not difficult to get to the places. Casa Batllo and Le Pedrera are on Passeig de Gràcia which is a rather long avenue in Barceona and is regarded as one of the most expensive streets in Spain. The avenue has very nice benches and street lights which were designed by Pere Falques i Urpi in 1906. But of course, the most famous buildings are by Gaudi. If you exit the Passeig de Gracia line Casa Battllo will be on your left and Le Pedrera will be to your left on the opposite side of the avenue. Oh yes and the Majestic hotel will also be to your right.

Catedral de Barcelona

the cathedral in Barcelona, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

Here is the main cathedral in Barcelona which is conveniently located within walking distance of at least two metro stations. Building started in 1298, many many many years ago. I think they call this Gothic architecture which is architecture in late medieval times; pointed arches, large windows, rose windows and ribbed vault and an emphasis on height.The greatest surviving number of Gothic buildings are churches. Other examples of Gothic churches would include;Notre Dame in Paris, Westminster Abbey in the UK where Fergie got married ( yes you didn't need to know this ..hehe) and Christchurch Cathedral in Dublin

I attended sunset mass in Spanish here. It was a dull and gloomy Saturday as you can see from the picture above. This was taken just after a huge downpour ( where I got drenched and was forced to buy a pink umbrella with multiple words saying barcelona all over it ) and just before mass. Quite a crowd heading in. I got here early and managed to get a seat for mass.

This cathedral is in the Gothic area of Barcelona and the nearest metro station in Jaume which is the yellow L4 line. If you walk...you'll end up near a Rambla and Hard Rock Cafe which was the rendezvous point for dinner plans.

Pavlova

Pavlova, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

This was home made and it tasted absolutely delicious. Twas made by a mere 14 year old girl. Talented? Yes. Better than the same dish served at Alexis. I had a lovely dinner with friends...we were served home cooked food served some cocktails and wine and chatted on nothing medical at all:) Waze was accurate and led me to Wangsa Maju with only one hiccup...which wasn't its fault. My iphone died just after I turn on into DUKE highway which caused a bit of problems. I got confused and so did it. BUT I arrived on time:) Yes for once. I'm usually notorious for getting lost and arriving late. Things are looking up!!

Pasta by Maggi

Pasta by Maggi, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

Found in a shop near the bus stop; interesting noodles not seen in Malaysia. But the brand is familliar. We popped into this stall to buy some water. After walking up Montjuic and around the Palau Nacional as well as trying on numerous shoes along La Rambla and taking loads of pictures.....we realise a spot of bubbly water would be just the thing to end the day. We took the bus back to the hotel. Number 94 or 95 will take you almost right to the front of the hotel. A word of warning, the buses aren't air condition and oh oh oh....it got very warm in the bus.

*city centre, Barcelona

Amazing Variety

Amazing Variety, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

Its true...we are deprived shoe-wise in Malaysia. Just take a look at the wide selection of shoes in this shop....along La Rambla. ( Central Barcelona) I stuck my feet in most of these shoes and spent some time admiring the effect. You know, it makes a difference the decent cut and soft leather. And most important....they carry my size in most shops.

Montjuïc

Montjuïc, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

Feeling a little bit like Christopher Columbus, we set out to explore Barcelona as we know it. ( In our case very little having succumbed to laziness the week before re googling places to visit) When we got out of the train station, we spent a few minutes staring and sniffing the air. No reason but it felt ( at that time) like the right thing to do. This hill caught our eye. I now know it's called Montjuïc which is described as a shallow hill with a broad top. It felt STEEP especially in the scorching sun and I have tan lines on my feet to prove just how hot that day was.The climb up was helped by a few small escalators to the side. But oh boy...the view from the top was amazing! Certainly worth the tan. At the top of the stairs is the Palau Nacional and if you turn 180 degrees you will get a breathtaking view of the city centre. QUite the right way to introduce Barcelona to us.

Tickets please

Tickets please, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

On day one in Barcelona, we chucked out bags and made full use of the afternoon. It was blazing hot. I thought of my the sweaters I packed taking up space in the bag and kicked self for not believing the weather predictions. We were housed at the Renaissance Fira and the nearest train station was "Europa Fira". The most sensible advice would be to buy a T-10 ticket. You get ten free trips and you can share this with a friend. Which we did.

sangria

sangria, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

There must be a secret recipe which the locals share at their own peril with non-locals. Sangria tastes much better in its own country. The waiter told us the ingredients,
sugar, cognac, lemonade, water etc and I forgot the rest.

Sangria normally consists of wine, fruit, sweetener and brandy. The alcoholic content can vary from 4 to 11 percent. I suspect the sangrias we had increased in alcohol content from day 1-day 3.

bubbly water

bubbly water, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

Sparkling water in Barcelona has a tinge of saltiness. Weird! I suppose it goes nicely with the tapas. And the DO the tapas so very nicely here. The octupus tapas was soft and tender and tasty to the core. We had it two nights in a row with some sangria. Again...very smooth and nice to drink.