Touring with Meghna and Lori

Our first week in Barcelona was packed with fun, touristy explorations with Meghna and Lori, perfect, curious companions, whose insights, conversations and humour kept us thoroughly entertained and engaged. Together we explored Gaudi creations Parc Guell and Casa Mila, the Picasso Museum and Dali's Fun House in Figueres. While Y & I were busy at the Brazilian Consulate M & L fit in a trip to the Miro Foundation. (which we visited later).

Gaudi, Picasso, Dali, Miro! All here to see! The incredible volume of work, in many mediums, created by each of these artists is in itself remarkable. They were all larger than life characters whose influence crossed the boundaries of art and, in the case of Gaudi, architecture. Almost everyone knows their names and recognizes at least one of their pieces. Is there a quiz on facebook: Which famous Spanish, (more specifically Catalan) artist are you? Such a quiz could reveal plenty about a person's nature. Maybe the Myers Briggs results of these artists might reveal Picasso as more of a perceiving type while Dali a more judging type certainly they were all hugely imaginative, thinking out of the box types. If I had to choose to have dinner with one of them it would be Joan Miro hands down. Exploring the work and lives of these artists has been thought provoking!

With Lori as our fearless driver and Meghna as navigator extraordinaire, piecing together the road with 3 or maybe 4 inadequate maps; we discovered all roads lead to Girona, sometimes Yvonne's memory is very good, and driving to Paris would not take long. We breakfasted in San Pol de Mar, toured the Costa Brava and arrived in gorgeous Cadaques (or "Every What" as I liked to call it) for a much deserved rest. The next morning we were off to Figueres to see the Teatre-Museu Dali. Bizzare, colourful, full of humour and enthralling, my favorite things were these painting of rock figures, later I discovered, ( postcards can be so educational) that the rock pieces were not Dali's but instead Antoni Pixot , long time friend and Dali collaborator.

We had hoped to make it to Montserrat (jagged mountain) by 1PM to hear the boys choir, "La Escolania de Montserrat", singing in the, by all accounts, extraordinary 16th century Benedictine basilica; home of the black virgin; but we were being over ambitious. At sunset we wound our way up up up to to the striking peak. The catholics really had outdone themselves matching the mountains magnificence with their huge magnificant complex. It is sumptuously decked out ready to receive millions of pilgrims that arrive every year. This site tops "The Camino de Santiago" as Spain's ultimate destination for the faithful flock. Yvonne and I lingered at "The Ladder of Knowledge", a sculpture by Subirachs, inspired by the writings of Ramon Llull, a medieval Catalan mystic. Meanwhile Meghna and Lori had gone into the basilica and the boys choir began rehearsing for the next days show. We had arrived right on time after all.

We commemorated Meghna and Lori's final day in Barcelona with a beautiful lunch at Cinc Sentits, a newly Michelin rated restaurant.

(It's no longer just road trips for Michelin. Still the name of the top foodie rating system doesn't work for me). Michelin's all time #1 restaurant is is in Catalonia in Roses, very near Girona.

Lori and Yvonne chose the wine pairings with each of the eight courses plus extras; while Meghna and I simply drank a bottle of red followed by a bottle of white. I remember the famous, Canadian chef's maple syrup shooter. Delicious! For a full detailed description of every bite please refer your questions to Meghna or Yvonne. I should have photographed every course, but I know my outfit best matched the restaurant's decor.