It’s the start of another exciting day. This morning, we’re on our own to search for the Pukas Surf School for a Paddle Board lesson. Let’s be clear. The lessons are for Erin and Alex. Roselie, and I are mere spectators! Finding this school turned out to be much more of a challenge than we expected. We went down towards the port until we found the shoreline, and the boardwalk lined with restaurants and garage-like swim club fronts. They were far from luxurious and not very inviting. Most were filled with old tables and plastic chairs. A 1st generation, rusty refrigerator against the wall, would groan to cool club’s sparse refreshments. Many were populated by tanned, retired men wearing only thong swimsuits. Drinking beer and smoking while talking loud at each other – definitely having a great time.
One of Barcelona’s public beaches
After searching for 45 minutes, asking anyone who could speak English and misdirected several times, we finally found the surfing school, a warehouse. Outside the entrance was an array of water sports equipment that had seen better days. When I approached the lone person inside, he admitted that this was THE place. But! He had no information re our reservation for lessons – but not to worry, they will give them an experience. C’est la vie. No worries. Alex and Erin followed him into the warehouse, donned wet suits, and selected the appropriate size paddleboards. The surfer-dude picked up his own board and led the parade to the adjacent public beach.
Measuring up to the adventure
Ready to hit the waves
Paddling we will go!
Once they were out of sight, we strolled along the boardwalk, checking menus from various restaurants, and taking in the activities on the beach…mostly, volleyball. A steady stream of people arrived to enjoy the water and to get relief from the heat and humidity. They were of all ages and all shapes. Fully dressed men and women, would find a spot in the sand, strip down to the full monty, and put on their swimsuits. One area of the beach was devoted to bodybuilding and exercise. Weight workout stations were popular, especially with young men, looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger did during his early years. Wearing tiny briefs, they oiled their bodies to accentuate their Greek godlike build. A steady stream of young women circled the workout area, smiling and enjoying the scenery. Sunscreen is definitely not part of their dermatological care regiment.
Three hours later, the paddleboard duo arrived back at the beach, tired and famished. What do you want to eat? We offered several suggestions. Nope, only a hamburger and fries would do. Back to our hotel and the rooftop café. It was the most immediate place we knew had what they wanted. Mission accomplished.
For the afternoon, the plan was to visit the Museu Picasso, dedicated to the work of Barcelona’s famous native son, Pablo Picasso. Picasso made Barcelona his home despite the fact he was born in Málaga, Spain. The museum has one of the largest collections of his work. Alex and Erin gave us that ‘REALLY?’ look. We could imagine their conversation, “ABC,” Another Bloody Church” or the museum in this case. Instead, they preferred to roam our hotel’s neighborhood in search of souvenirs. Great! We’re going to see Picasso’s work.
Picasso’s later work – cubism
Picasso’s earlier work – realism
The Picasso museum was a real treat. The exhibit segmented his work by periods as defined by the style. His first works were in the classical realism style, which he learned under the tutelage of his father, Ruiz, an artist and art teacher. When Picasso exceeded what his father could teach, his father enrolled him in the prestigious art school in Barcelona. He was 13 years old. At 16, he was admitted to the renowned Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando in Madrid. Not long after starting at the Academy, which was centered on realism, his passion began to evolve to modernism. He moved to Paris, the epicenter of the new art movement. His creations in Paris bookmarked his Blue Period, followed later by the Rose Period, which ended by 1906. At that point, the African art influence came into play, which launched his interest in cubism, a style which most of us attribute to be the brand Picasso. His later years were overlaid with wives and mistresses, as well as influences of contemporary artists like Matisse.
As dusk approached, it was time to start our next adventure: A sidecar tour of Barcelona. Our rides, with our driver-guides, were waiting for us as we exited our hotel.
Our rides for the evening!
Wow! The motorcycles, IMZ-Ural units are Russian-made. They looked like the German sidecar motorcycles we see in WW II movies, except colorful rather than camouflaged. As we adjusted our headsets to communicate with each other, they briefly described the history of these motorcycles. Quite a pedigree.
On the road to see the sights
As the Germans were ready to launch the WWII Eastern Front in 1941, the Russians covertly purchased five of the then-current German models via a Swedish intermediary. Russian engineers disassembled the units and reverse engineered them to the last detail. The motorcycles gave them mobility and speed over off-road terrain. As the Germans began to approach Moscow, they moved the manufacturing to the town of Irbit in the Ural mountains, deep inside the Soviet Union near Siberia. The motorcycle was named after the hills. To-date more than three million have been built and are available in the U.S. with more modern components and features.
A fun way to see Barcelona
Toasting to the Sunset of a great day
Sagrada Família at night
Our three-hour ride covered most of the city, including several sights we had seen earlier. But with the sun setting and darkness approaching, the lighting made everything looked different as if it was the first time we saw it. We stopped at a secluded oversite spot in the park on Mt. Montjuic to enjoy the city view and toast the sunset with a glass of champagne. Our final stop was the Sagrada Família. Darkness and the accent lighting made the church look even grander, hiding the construction equipment. An excellent finale for a fun-packed day. Definitely, Alex’s and Erin’s best-yet event in Spain.
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