The morning started with a trip to the Boqueria where I got wine to take home (mmmm), almonds to eat (mmm), and a Spanish omelette for dinner and tomorrow's snack. Took my haul back to the hotel, then off to the Museu Textil at Palau Real.
There are actually three museums in Palau Real - textiles, ceramics, and design, all with one entry fee. The woman said something to me in Spanish about reduced rate and I pointed to the sign - no, not a student, not unemployed, not a senior citizen. She shook her head at me and said the same thing, and I realized I was trying to pay more... and stopped!!!
The design museum was fairly cool - it was mostly household items, with some graphics towards the end. The textile museum was GREAT: it discussed clothing as achieving one or more of four functions (e.g. hiding, emphasizing, etc.) and then took eras from medieval times to the present, and analyzed what the styles strove to achieve and how they accomplished it. For example, emphasizing silhouette with wide panniered skirts. It gave a great basis of comparison from era to era and was quite fascinating.
The ceramic museum was less so - little English signage, and lots of tiles.
Sadly, the gift store was 99% books and nothing of interest to buy. I would have bought anything from the textile museum, but they had nothing at all related.
A quick stop in El Raval at a little bar for lunch - patatas bravas, anchovies, and manchego. Yum. Did I say quick? - becuase I meant, of course, 2 hours!
A little shopping in the area, which was fruitless, then back to Boqueria for bread and a sampler of olives (1 Euro) - yum yum yum. Back to the hotel to drop stuff off and shower, then off to Montjuic.
I was lazy and took the funicular up Montjuic, and I have to say, Lisbon's funiculars are MUCH cooler. I strolled to the Fundacion Miro, and went in to see the collection. Umm, apparently Miro's main body of work is comprised of the kind of art I don't get. I was through the place in record time, and off for a walk through the Montjuic gardens and back down to the Barri Gothic area.
Some more - you guessed it - SHOPPING! - then back to the hotel for light dinner and packing... except one of the other guests was talking to the owner when I came in, then she and I got to talking, and eventually we sat down on the couch and yakked for a couple hours. It was a lot of fun chatting; she's a year younger than me and from Australia. We exchanged emails and offers of housing if I go to Perth or she comes to Chicago.
So now - late late late. I ate some bread and cheese, I am going to have a TON of Spanish omelette to eat tomorrow... and now, off to pack.
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