Modernism in L'Eixample

Okay, seriously now.  I am definitely going to take the metro EVERYWHERE I GO TOMORROW, because this is getting ridiculous.  Not only do I walk a lot to begin with, but today Jessie and I finally got around to doing the Modernism in L'Eixample walking tour that we had talked about a week ago. 

And then, after we were finished with that, I went ahead and walked some more!! Pass the Ibuprofen pah-leese! 

What a wonderful city Barcelona is though!  For those of you who have visited here, these photos will remind you of how much you also love this city. For those who haven't yet had the chance, I hope you can get a better feel for Barna by looking at the photos I'm attaching.

In the late 1800's, urban development plans to expand the city were drawn up, creating grids of wide streets with diamond-shaped intersections that linked the city of Barcelona with the town of Gracia.  This is how city "blocks" in L'Eixample became known as "manzanas" (apples).  I've read that originally these "manzanas" were to have houses built on just two sides, leaving lots of space for greenery and parkland on the other two sides.  Nice try with that!  Everyone and their dog wanted to live in L'Eixample and real estate was at a prime!  Wealthy bourgeois families bought up all the property along the Passeig de Gracia and around, (remember the photos and previous blog of Gaudi's Casa Batllo, for example?  Filthy rich that family!) and, in a nutshell, this is how the barrio of L'Eixample (the Enlargement) was built. 

Modernism marked a huge period of development for Barcelona, but it was also a time for the freedom of the arts (think: Picasso, Gaudi, to name only a couple...), and that is really apparent in the city's architecture.  The majority of the Modernista's were erected somewhere between 1880 and 1910.  They say as many as 2000 buildings in Barcelona show traits of the Modernista influence.  To me, the buildings seem really playful and fantasy like, a little eclectic, and very eccentric!  Especially those of Gaudi or those of the architects who were influenced by Gaudi. 

One of the only problems with keeping your eyes in the sky and checking out all the wonderful scenery is that, well, you can't see where you're walking.  Or more precisely, what you're walking in!  Dog doo everywhere I tell ya!!  It's a typical European city.  Well, where would you do your thing if you were a dog in this city?  It's not like everyone has a yard... it's not even like every second house has a yard!  Grass?  What's that?  ha!

Jessie and I never had to ask for directions once! Nope, we figured it out all on our own! :)

Week 1 of Spanish lessons completed!  My vocabulary is expanding by at least a couple of words every day.  I'm happy about that! 

Have a happy long weekend everyone!  Que tengas un buen fin de semana largo!  And eat some turkey for me, can you? 

Besos,

Charleen xo