Inspired by long-percolating desires to see Spain we spent a fine week there in late February.
The country proved to be as fascinating and accomodating as everyone says.

Bilbao
The new Guggenheim museum in Bilbao on the North coast drew us there for a weekend.
It happened to be the weekend that city celebrates Carnaval - such costumes!
      Bilbao Carnaval

The musuem is a fantastic feat of architecture, impressive from end to end.
      Guggenheim Bilbao

The trip to Barcelona from Bilbao takes most of the day across the splendid Spanish countryside. Tidy towns and farmland, groves and rivers stradle the rail line and the Pyrenees mountains are visible far to the east. - the first time I've ever seen the Mediterranean Sea ... lovely !
     The Train from Bilbao to Barcelona

Barcelona
Barcelona is a vibrant city, big and bustling but very welcoming to the tourist. It has strong traditions of bold art and architecture and there is much to see of both. A few days is only enough to catch some of the brilliant high points.
      La Rambla and other wanderings
      Museu de Joan Miro
      Museu-Teatro Salvadore Dali - Side trip by train to Figueres
      The architecture of Antoni Gaudi
         Palau Guell - early mansion for the Family Guell
         Mercat La Boqueria - a big city market with a creative edge
         Casa Battlo - a family mansion with early signs of Gaudi's groundbreaking future
         Park Guell - a community development, never completed but a fantastical start now a park
         Pedrada - apartment house with an organic appearance and innovative design throughout
         Sagrada Familia - Gaudi's tour-de-force, the divine cathedral, still under construction
     Other Modernisme Architecture of the early 1900's