Last day

Today was the last day of the Johnson plus Hart vacation.

In keeping with the spirit of our vacation, we started off the day separately (actually, we're all getting along well despite the horribly hot weather). Carl, Brendan, and Joan left for the Picasso museum while Steve, Cate, and I took the metro to the Catalyan art museum in Montjuic. We saw an exhibition of war photographer Robert Caro's work. His coverage of the Spanish Civil War in the late 1930s and D-Day is remarkable.

We met up at la Boqueria, which may or may not be the largest open-air market in Europe, for lunch. Brendan's excellent Spanish got us fresh baguettes, apples, nuts, and, our favorite, Manchengo cheese. We wandered around the grounds of the University of Barcelona and then took the Metro to Segrada Familia, Gaudi's Catholic creation. We like the back, with its bunches of fruit and unfinished left side, better than the front, which has an unappealing 1960s feel.

Then it was back to the Hostal Goya to pack. We left the Hostal and ambled down to the Barri Gothic for delicious tapas and ice cream. Good food and great conversation made for a lovely last night!