Modernista Heaven

We had a good idea that Hotel Astoria was well located when we booked it but quite frankly we didn’t realize it was located in the middle of Modernista heaven in the Eixample neighborhood. Everywhere I looked I got an eyeful of some of the most unusual buildings I have ever seen by such renowned architects as Antoni Gaudi, Josep Puig i Cadafalch and Lluis Domenech I Montaner. I can’t remember how many times I stepped off curbs without seeing them because I was so busy gawking at such marvels as the rippling gray stone façade of Gaudi’s La Pedrera (the Stone Quarry ) which is studded with ‘seaweed’ in the form of wrought-iron balconies.

The Manzana De La Discordia (Block of Discord) was the most outlandish example I’ve ever seen of “keeping up with the Joneses.” Three wealthy neighbors were intent on outdoing each other as they were building their dream homes so they each hired one of the most famous architects of the time (Gaudi, Puig I Cadafalch and Domenech I Montaner) to design them. The end result was three very eclectic houses built right next to one another. Gaudi’s weird-looking house of the dragon stands next to Puig I Cadafalch’s medieval Dutch looking Casa Amatller, which is next to Domenech I Mantaner’s more rounded Casa Lleo Morera. It would be interesting to hear what the city planners in Bellevue thought about this concoction of grandiose homes.


While walking down Avinguda Diagonal, I was struck by the numbers of motorbikes and bicycles. They are very popular because there’s absolutely no place to park. What really struck my fancy was watching a nice-looking woman in a tailored white suit and high heels getting on her motor bike and taking off down the street. She has more guts than I do and I’m no wallflower!

As Steve and were strolling down the Passeig de Gracia (the Rodeo Drive of Barcelona), we saw many sidewalk vendors selling knock-offs of high-priced designer merchandise that was sold at the upscale stores (Gucci, Chanel, Coach, Prada, etc.) that lined the street. Apparently, selling knock-off goods in this elite neighborhood isn’t allowed as we saw one of the sidewalk vendors quickly gather his purses (which were chained together) and run as fast as he could down the street. He escaped but the police ended up with the purses. I thought about making a deal with the police for a great price on a “knock off” handbag but stopped short before I got myself in trouble. I just thought it would be funny to go home and tell my friends that my bag was a real “steal.”

More photos of Barcelona's Modernista Creations
Photos of Gaudí’s Park Güell