Montjuic

Started the day with breakfast in bed. A nice change of pace, but the brekky wasn't terrific. Caught the Metro and a Funicular (always fun) part-way up Montjuic, so named (translates as Jewish Mountain) for the Jewish cemetary, and possible settlement, there used to be. Plenty of places to visit here:

1. Fundacio Joan Miro: A large collection of work by this Spanish artist, which we enjoyed even though information was scarce. In summary, Miro has a very idiosyncratic style, and he developed a personal symbology and abstracted forms that are often quite whimsical, and endeared him to the surrealists. There were also homage works by Rauschenberg, Duchamp, Ernst, Masson, Matisse, Christo and Acconci.

2. Castell de Montjuic: A punishing acent up the hill, rewarded with a beer break. This 17th C castle was used as a political prison and execution ground, but now houses a military museum. Splendid views of the city, which sprawls immensely across the bay. Met a nice couple - Christian and Marieke - from Holland, and arranged to meet for dinner.

3. Museu Nacionale d'Art de Catalunya: Built for the 1929 World Exhibition, this is huge and beautifully laid-out collection. A world-class set of Romanesque frescoes and altarpieces harvested from decaying churches in Catalonia gives way to a display of minor works by a wide array of Renaissance artists such as Velazquez, Rubens, Carracci, Titian, Lotto, Il Veronese, Goya, Perugino, Lorenzo Monaco, Gaddi, Fra Angelico, El Greco, Tintoretto and Gainsborough.

Long walk home, then another nice dinner at Attic with our new Dutch friends. Had a good time discussing beer, housing prices, marijuana, travel and theme parks. Very interesting!