Gaudi Returns

Word on the street (and I've been spending time on the street) is that a return to Casa Battle at night is even more striking that during the day. So, I went back, and it was quite magnificient.

Before returning to Gaudi, I cruised La Ribera (which is not too far from my Las Ramblas or from passeig Gracia) and had a great time poking around some really charming streets and parks and eventually found myself on Carrer Princessa. To someone who was not somewhat searching for the Museu Picasso a day ago, this doesn't mean anything; to someone who was this means everything. So, I found the Museu Picasso.

The building itself is discreet and old and charming (needless to say at this point), and the collection within is utterly fantastic. Similar to the way I felt about all of Dali's work in one place, the sizeable collection of Picasso in one place at one time actually enhanced the experience rather than overwhelm it. It was really beneficial to see the timeline of his work and how both place and circumstance influenced him. My second favorite epoch was his Blue Era which was said to have been a result of his exposure to Baudelaire; blue being expressive of both sadness and sincerity. Shortly after the Blue Era, he encountered Velazquez and turned out an incredible number of paintings all dubbed (precisely or in part) "Las Meninas" (the maids of honor). These were my favorites by far (all 58 of them).