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- 03/21/2022
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Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
ARROW - 25. Chapter 25
We arrived in Barcelona a little past noon. Taking a taxi to our hotel, I explained to Colin that there is only one museum and features paintings by Picasso.
We checked in at our hotel, Hotel Bagues, which is unique in that they have a swimming pool on the roof. I thought Colin would enjoy swimming above the city.
“Armand, let’s have lunch, and then we can walk around the city or go to the museum.”
“We can have lunch at that restaurant only a few minutes from here, but first, I want to show you the swimming pool.” Going to the roof, Colin was surprised to see the pool and a bar. “We have to come here this afternoon.”
I smiled, “Let’s go and have lunch.”
We went to a restaurant called Bonatapa, and I think when Colin saw the name, he focused on the Tapa in the name. Looking at the menu, “Armand, they have Paella.”
I knew what Colin would order, and I chose rice with lobster. When they delivered our food and a glass of beer, Colin looked at my lobster, he shared his seafood Paella, and I shared my lobster. I knew there would be lobster pieces in his Paella, but I had a large lobster. The smile on his face was worth sharing.
After lunch, we walked to the museum. I wasn’t a fan of Picasso’s later years, but his earlier years were more to my liking. “I like Picasso’s early years. This painting titled Harlequin is an example of his blue period and was painted in 1917. As the years passed, his style changed. This painting title ‘Blanquita Suarez Barcelona, also painted in 1917, shows his experimentation with different styles.”
Walking through the museum looking at his various paintings, “Armand, it looks his early paintings are more realistic.”
“I think he went through phases. His paintings in the late 1800s were of a similar style to the early artists of that period, with one exception. The backgrounds in his paintings were dark.”
“Do you think you’ll change your style over time?”
“I don’t know, but I hope not.” I heard, ‘you won’t.’ I smiled as I recognized GG’s voice.
As we were walking back to the hotel, “Armand, look at that crazy designed building. It looks like an apartment building, but it isn’t like any apartment building I have seen before.”
“That is the work of Antoni Gaudi. He was an architect whose approach was unique to Art Nouveau. You’ll see a lot of his work here, and this apartment building is one of the first Art Nouveau buildings in the world. Tomorrow I’ll show you the rest. Let’s go swimming and will have an early night.”
Walking back to the hotel, we kept bumping shoulders and laughing. I was hoping Colin was having a good time. After dragging him through one museum after another, I didn’t want him to get bored.
Arriving at the hotel, we changed into our swim trunks. I never understood why it took so long to change clothes, but I wasn’t complaining. Putting on the hotel robes and slippers, we went to the roof. Colin had his camera and took pictures of the pool and the street from the pool area.
“No one will believe that a hotel has a pool on their roof. Do you realize the structure that would be needed to support this pool?”
I just smiled. His reaction was worth the visit to Barcelona.
We swam in the pool, and as more and more people showed up, we sat in the lounges by the pool and people-watch. We sat close to each other, and every once in a while, our knees would touch, then we would look at each other and smile.
We must have sat there for at least 4 hours. “Armand, what are we going to do for dinner?”
I looked at the clock over the bar, “It’s early. Dinner is usually served later than we do in the States, and most people take a nap in the early afternoon when the sun is the hottest.”
“Okay, let’s go and take a Spanish siesta.”
I laughed. Our siesta won’t be a Spanish siesta.
We went back to our room under the pretense of taking a siesta. Eventually, we fell asleep, and we had to reassure ourselves we were in love and married.
We woke up hungry. Showering, dressed we went to a restaurant called Besta.
Arriving, we were shown to our table by a handsome young man who said he was the son of one of the chefs and was a Catalonian.
Looking over the menu, I suggested to Colin we have the oysters with thinly sliced dry beef for a starter and then surf’n’turf for the main course. I asked our waiter to select a wine to go with each course. Collin just smiled since I ordered everything in Spanish. I have decided before our next trip, Colin will learn a few phrases in a foreign language besides oui.
Colin suggested we walk a while before heading back to our hotel. As we were walking, Colin said he wanted to see more of Gaudi’s work. He no sooner said that when we walked toward the Basilica de la Sagrada Familia. “This church is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it was commissioned in 1883, and they say it still isn’t finished. Maybe before we leave, we can go inside. They say there are artworks inside that are worth viewing.”
“Wait, construction was started in 1883 and still isn’t finished?”
“That is what they say.”
“That is hard to believe.”
“Tomorrow will visit Gaudi’s park and his home, and you will be amazed at his architectural creations.”
“What else will be doing?”
“There’s a section of the city called the Gothic Quarter. You’ll like that, and they’re supposed to be relics of ancient Roman buildings."
We continued to walk, commenting on some of the structures we saw. It was evident that many of the structures were by architects who Gaudi influenced.
As we got near our hotel, “Are your feet tired from all of the walking we did today?”
I looked at him, and I would predict he would say no, but then I saw the makings of a grin. “Do you think you could massage them tonight? If we are going to walk a lot tomorrow, they will be sore, and you might have to massage them tomorrow as well.”
Colin is very ticklish, so massaging his feet will get him laughing, which will require me to make him quiet by kissing him, which ultimately leads to a repeat of our wedding night. I learned his trick when we were together before our wedding, and that was also when I learned about the significance of a certain number.
In the morning, we had breakfast in the hotel bar. That sounds a little weird to tell anyone you had breakfast in a bar. But that is where they served breakfast.
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26
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3
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
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