We finally got a chance to rest our feet on day four, hopping on a bus which took us to the top of historic Montjuïc Hill for panoramic views (such as the one above this text) of Barcelona and a visit to the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya-MNAC (Museum of Catalan Art). Famous for said views (I can definitely confirm that they are breathtaking!), Montjuïc Hill is home to a wide variety of cultural institutions, sports centers, and museums, as well as Montjuïc Castle, which dates from 1640 or so; this elevated region was also the site of the 1929 International Exposition and the 1992 Olympic Games. Its name, literally "Jewish Mountain" in Catalan, may come from the presence of an ancient Jewish cemetery established on Montjuïc.
After stopping for the obligatory photo-op (let's be real, the views were too good to pass up), we spent the morning at the Museum of Catalan Art, soaking in over 1,000 years of Catalan artistic production. There were so many highlights, particularly its fascinating collection of Medieval Romanesque murals and panels (c. 11th to 13th centuries), the best and largest in Europe, as well as a variety of 19th- and 20th-century Catalan art. The museum's website offers a really thorough overview of its extensive collections if you're interested in learning more, and provides info on upcoming and temporary exhibitions. I would definitely recommend a visit!
We certainly enjoyed the high-speed, AVE train to Madrid (Europe knows how to do public transit), and Frederico masterfully shepherded us and all of our luggage from bus to train to bus to our hotel in Madrid. As Frederico is from Madrid, his enthusiasm and deep love for his city inspired many hilarious monologues and stories on the way to Madrid, and it was hard not to be as excited as he was to explore the city by the time we arrived. In front of the Cervantes Monument, Frederico surprised us with a riveting monologue as none other than the character of Don Quixote. His utterly astonishing performance captivated not only us, but many of the other people milling about the plaza; he had quite an audience by the time he finished, and my mom and I were convinced that he had some alternative career on the stage.
Oh, I almost forget to tell you about the most exciting news of all: we found out that our trip to Madrid coincided with the festivities of World Pride 2017, hosted by none other than Madrid, Spain! It was incredible. Rainbows, rainbows EVERYWHERE. Because 3 million people were expected to descend upon the city over the course of the celebration, we stayed in a different hotel than past tours: the Hotel Emperador on Gran Via. It was an incredible opportunity to be a part of the city's Pride activities (more to come on that later in the trip). After a quick orientation walk, Frederico ushered us into the most charming tapas restaurant for yet another delicious meal before retiring for the evening.
After stopping for the obligatory photo-op (let's be real, the views were too good to pass up), we spent the morning at the Museum of Catalan Art, soaking in over 1,000 years of Catalan artistic production. There were so many highlights, particularly its fascinating collection of Medieval Romanesque murals and panels (c. 11th to 13th centuries), the best and largest in Europe, as well as a variety of 19th- and 20th-century Catalan art. The museum's website offers a really thorough overview of its extensive collections if you're interested in learning more, and provides info on upcoming and temporary exhibitions. I would definitely recommend a visit!
We certainly enjoyed the high-speed, AVE train to Madrid (Europe knows how to do public transit), and Frederico masterfully shepherded us and all of our luggage from bus to train to bus to our hotel in Madrid. As Frederico is from Madrid, his enthusiasm and deep love for his city inspired many hilarious monologues and stories on the way to Madrid, and it was hard not to be as excited as he was to explore the city by the time we arrived. In front of the Cervantes Monument, Frederico surprised us with a riveting monologue as none other than the character of Don Quixote. His utterly astonishing performance captivated not only us, but many of the other people milling about the plaza; he had quite an audience by the time he finished, and my mom and I were convinced that he had some alternative career on the stage.
Oh, I almost forget to tell you about the most exciting news of all: we found out that our trip to Madrid coincided with the festivities of World Pride 2017, hosted by none other than Madrid, Spain! It was incredible. Rainbows, rainbows EVERYWHERE. Because 3 million people were expected to descend upon the city over the course of the celebration, we stayed in a different hotel than past tours: the Hotel Emperador on Gran Via. It was an incredible opportunity to be a part of the city's Pride activities (more to come on that later in the trip). After a quick orientation walk, Frederico ushered us into the most charming tapas restaurant for yet another delicious meal before retiring for the evening.