I started my day with a visit to Montjuic which is a huge, lush, park area which once ascended provides a pretty grand panoramic view of the entire city, especially the port area and overlooking Las Ramblas (where I've spent so much of my time). The 1992 Olympics were held at Montjuic. There is also a tram that runs out of the peak and over the water and to...I don't know where else, but if I can get back up there, I want to find out. I like trams. A lot.
My night activity consisted of attending a traditional Spanish guitar performance by Manuel Gonzalez at Palau de la Musica. Word on the street that I've been spending so much time on was that the theater in and of itself is worth the visit. It is. I've never seen such a pleasantly saccharine interior, very ornate and very lovely. The acoustics were fantastic from my box seat (which made me feel a bit royal, jeans, boots and all). The performance itself was literally perhaps the best live music experience I've ever had. I grabbed a ticket simply for the sake of getting into the theater and seeing "something". So, I wasn't specifically seeking out Spanish guitar. I really wish I'd had company because for as much as I enjoyed it sola, it was definitely the type of outing that would have been augmented by some shared enthusiasm. Here Manuel is from a performance last year at the theater I saw him at last night. Thanks, youtube, now I can share it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1axpAPrM4vk .
The audience liked him so much that he came on for three encore numbers. I was especially struck at the relationship he has with his guitar, which, perhaps, seems obvious, but it was not just about him giving a performance and using an instrument. The performer and the instrument were a duo. He never once set the guitar down. He held it when he bowed, and he entered and exited with it like you would any other partner.
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