Barcelona, October 23-25

Today is a travel day. Everyone wants as much time as possible in Barcelona, so we're off to an early start, in spite of staying out late after last night's concert in Burgos -- we had dinner at a restaurant Marc recommended for its authentic regional game specialties. (That alarmed our several vegetarians... but fortunately some other options were available!) We're all loaded in and on the road by 8:20 AM. We climb away from Burgos through a ridge of sharp crags, then on through dry, chalky hills with scattered orchards and a few crops wherever water supplies permit. 













A late-morning rest stop offers a nicely treed oasis. Tony and Julian go look over a valley of vineyards, and Calum does some calisthenics a la Cirque... now we know why it's no problem for him to carry his bass around!

As soon as we check in to our Barcelona hotel, everyone dashes out to the nearby metro stop to go explore the city. Many exit the metro at the monument to Columbus on the harbourfront at the foot of Las Ramblas, then head up the magnificent avenue towards the old city, visiting the colourful Las Ramblas market and finding a tapas snack on the way.

With part of Sunday free until the pre-concert soundcheck, and an evening departure scheduled on Monday, there are parts of three days open for sightseeing. Colleagues re-group to visit many famous sites according to personal priorities... Gaudi's whimsical architecture in Parc Guell, his radically-sculptural apartment building and controversial, still-unfinished cathedral La Sacrada Familia, the Miro museum, the beach and more.













































Regular neighbourhoods far from tourist centres like Las Ramblas mix new and old in wonderful ways; we encounter constant delights and surprises. 




















Martin's wife Agapi joins the tour here; she and Martin will stay on together for a few extra days in Spain and Portugal. They join Julian for breakfast opposite Emily, Xiaohan, Praise and Sarah B in our Barcelona hotel's especially pleasant breakfast room.

Our concert takes place in the Sala Martorell, one of two halls in the 10-year-old L'Auditori complex, renowned for its superb acoustics.

The orchestra poses for a group picture on the way in together with Carmen Picanol, the warm and energetic head of the management agency that has arranged the tour. 


Then we go find the stage door; Sarah B, Xiaohan, Emily and EunA are on their way in. 

Marc and Carmen and Carmen's husband Lluis get together at the entrance to the lobby to go over a few last details.














Near L'Auditori are two more buildings that should be on every tourist's list, one of the world's most spectacular office buildings and the lovely neo-Classical Teatro de Catalunya. Tony squeezes in a quick look at both just before the soundcheck.
























No wonder L'Auditori has great acoustics: there is warm, beautiful wood everywhere, throughout the hall itself as well as its use for the main decorative element throughout the building. 





















The concert is a great success. Nurhan and Marc accept applause together after Marc's performance of his Mendelssohn concerto as Emily, Andras, EunA, Sarah S, Martin, Calum and Julian look on...  










By the end of the evening the audience showed such enthusiasm there were four encores!

At 7 pm on Monday, we retrieve our luggage from the hotel and board our bus for the short drive down the coast to Tarragona. Mig leads the way across the street; Emily and Praise are close behind.

Sarah S has already put her suitcase and cello on the bus; she's joined on the sidewalk by composer Kevork Andonian, who has joined the tour for a few days to hear the orchestra perform one of his works. They're in front of the bakery that has probably added at least half a kilo to most of us during our wonderful days in Barcelona.