Saturday, October 30, 2021

Barcelona: Born Area Beautiful Flat Old Town Centre (Airbnb), Day 8 of 8

Walking Route: Apartment to Casa Vicens and back, 5 miles

It poured and poured and poured. But it was warm (around 70 degrees), and this was our last day in Spain, so we went out anyway.

We walked to Casa Vicens, the first house designed by Gaudi in Barcelona. Ken opted to explore the neighborhood while I explored the house. Airbnb offered Casa Vicens for a one-night stay in October, and I tried to sign up for it but didn't get it. Staying here would have been delightful, but just touring it was too. Even in this very first commission, Gaudi's style was already clear and beautiful. I loved the hour I had to myself with the audio tour (and a small number of other visitors).

We got drenched on the walk back to the apartment. Several times, we ducked into store fronts (with other pedestrians) to wait out particularly heavy and windy deluges. We went about 6 blocks out of our way to return to a gift store where I had seen a figurine I wanted to buy our grandson Josh. Luckily, Ken, with his excellent sense of direction and memory for places, was able to get us to it.

Back at the apartment, we put our clothes in the washer/dryer and took hot showers, then packed, checked in for our flights home, messaged our drivers for the airport transfers, taped up the bike boxes, tidied the apartment, took out the recycling, and cleaned out the refrigerator.

For dinner, we had reservations at our favorite neighborhood tapas bar, Casa Lolea. We enjoyed another delicious meal with sangria (for me), dessert, and espresso.

That is it. Our driver arrives at 7:30 Sunday morning (Barcelona time), and if all goes well, we will be home by 11:00 Sunday night (Northfield time). Another awesome adventure behind us. Many more ahead (we hope!).

Casa Vicens was built between 1883 and 1885. Manuel Vicens commissioned Gaudi to design a summer home for his family in the village of Gracias, then just outside the Barcelona city limits.

The entrance hall opens onto a small terrace, and wrought iron fences and gates link the terrace to the street. The coffered ceilings and two-tiered walls appear throughout the house, with different finishes, colors, and species of flora featured in the various rooms.

The entrance hall opens to the dining room, which in turn leads to a covered porch, accessed through doors on either side of the fireplace.

The covered porch has comfortable wooden benches, wooden screens to filter the sunlight, and a fountain. The weblike wheel atop the fountain constantly circulates water. When the sun shines through it, rainbows sparkle in the light. (The sun was not shining the day I was there.)

The center of the ceiling is detailed in blue.

Behind the dining room is a very small smoking room, where men would retire to talk and smoke after dinner.

Windows and doors from the smoking room lead directly to the main terrace. The terrace is also accessible from walkways around the house and from the hallway that connects all the rooms on the ground floor.

The daughter's bedroom and bathroom, main bedroom and terrace, and women's sitting room are on the first floor. The daughter's room is a pink lower tier, with a textured floral upper tier.

 

Ceiling detail in the daughter's room.

Daughter's room.

Ceiling detail in bathroom.

Wall detail in bathroom.

Most homes did not have indoor plumbing in the bathrooms. Gaudi not only provided indoor plumbing; he designed the bathroom as three separate rooms. One room was for the tub and sink...

...one was for dressing,...

...and one was for the toilet.

The main bedroom has two doors to a terrace. Looking back at the house and up to the second story, you can see the care Gaudi took with detailing the exterior.

Planters on the terrace are decorated with tiles illustrating flowers and plants common to the native gardens around the house. The benches are the same design as those on the covered porch below.

The main bedroom was originally two bedrooms--one for the husband, one for the wife. In later years, the wall between them was removed. You can see the different designs and colors used for the two bedrooms. Both bedrooms had the same dimensions and the same ceiling design.

Detail at corner of first-floor terrace.

Ceiling of women's sitting room on first floor.

The women's sitting room on the first floor is the same dimensions as the smoking room below.

The sitting room is lighter and airier, with wooden screens that are similar to (but not the same as) those on the covered porch.

Before Gaudi began his design for the house, he visited the site and took note of the native flora. He then incorporated those flowers and plants in his design. One element that he used was a palm fern. He cut a frond, made a mold of it, and cast metal fronds for use in the house.

Chimneys.

Rooftop walkways. Even in a simple family home, Gaudi created easy access to rooftop views.

And it poured all the way to Casa Vicens and back to the apartment.