Barcelona?

[Flake]

So I'm going to be spending a week in Spain, not far outside Barcelona.

Other than the Gaudi buildings and Picasso gallery anything arty or just plain cool I might want to go see?
(reasonably reachable via public transport as we're not hiring a motor.)

[Chingwa]

The old town is pretty cool, cathedrals and architecture and such. one thing I had really wanted to do while I was there (but circumstances conspired against me) was to go to the Monastery at Mont Serrat... it isn't too far outside of Barcelona, would make a good day trip.

Eat Paealla.
Drink Fresh Orange Juice.

[chaosrocks]

buy a classical guitar
barcelona has the best luthiers in the world

[GhostValkyrie]

You should go see the Guggenheim Bilbao, and Valencia.

[TASmith]

I'd actually skip the Bilbao. I'm not into conceptual art. Bilbao itself is very small and clean, feels kinda swiss. Spend a day or two in Park Guell, walk to the Miro museum, and there's another one for medieval art that's one of the most beautiful in teh world. The building itself is on a hill overlooking the city, with great long steps to the front door. I remember thinking, wow, if they just stuck a bed in the front hall, I could live here. Check out the Picasso Museum there and also, what's his face? There's another famous spanish painter I'm forgetting... Antoni Tàpies. He's got his own museum there too. When I was there in 2001, they actually had some nice Picasso etchings which kinda stole the show for me.

Ask around for the best sangria, and have fun! Also, I've heard Saville is a great place, but never got to go.

[Chingwa]

I've heard Saville is a great place, but never got to go.
You mean Seville right? I've heard great things about it, the whole south of Spain is a bit of it's own country (not unlike Barcelona.. it's spain, but spain+)

Segovia is a pretty awesome medieval city... the setting is beautiful, situated on a high plain with mountains surrounding. I'd recommend it but it's not anywhere near Barcelona... it would be a trip in itself to get there :) And if you're going to do that, you might as well do Toledo too, another great medieval city... and why not spend 3 days in Madrid? If you're looking for art, Madrid's Prado is the garden of Eden....

Spain is great and divers country. but it's too big to take in all at once... but a trip to Barcelona is a great intro.

[aspenboy]

You may want to go there: http://www.salvador-dali.org/museus/figueres/en_index.html

There's train from Barcelona directly to Figueres, it takes about 2h to get there - but it's worth it.

In Barcelona you can also visit this museum: http://www.mnac.es/?lan=003, great place and a lot of art to see there.

[TASmith]

"Madrid's Prado is the garden of Eden.... "

seconded.

[Brendan N]

fuckin lucky you, oh man I wish I could go. Don't know too much of Barcelona besides that it has an awesome football club. I know it is the hometown of Antoni Tapies - if you ever wanted to see an intelligent and subtle approach to composition, this guy is one of the best abstract artists ever ever in my books. Dunno if you'll find anything on him there...

man do I want to go to Spain...

[TASmith]

if you go to the antoni tapies museum, they've got one painting hung backwards with a pair of jeans hanging on it. It's called something like "pants hanging on canvas". Quite a joke.

[Flake]

Thnaks for the suggestions people, I'll try and actually get to a few rather than just go with my usual "make it up as you go" approach to all things.

man do I want to go to Spain...
Might be cheaper than you think if you're willing and able to do a "last minute flight, pack and go" job.
Tourist season is basically over by October. Flights would be the killer from SA though.. :/

Anyway ta again all, see you in a week, assuming the sunlight does not melt my pasty Scottish flesh. (got factor 30'000 sunblock, should be good to go)

[Flake]

'Ola peeps. Slight bump that is art related.

If you happen to find yourself in Northern Spain, go to the Picasso museum, it was mindbendingly good I thought.

I never quite got the guys work until now but seeing a few hundred of them in a chronological order gave me a whole new perspective on what he was trying to do with it all. It'd make total sense as an animated gif probably.

9 Euros. Good luck on finding the ticket office though (cubist floor plan?)

There were also a couple by Goya and Velasquez in the temp collection, relating to the whole "Las Meninas" thing, very badass. Would go again and the sketchbook stuff is sweet. I almost missed the Velasquez, I'd have been like "TURN THIS BUS AROUND OR I KILL YOU!!", which would have been very uncool. Investigate the interesting layout properly before you go, never know what is lurking in some obscure room.

Edit: twisty old streets in Barcelona would be an awesome setting for an action movie or "Counterstrike" level.