Barcelona – Cathedral and a Flamenco Show

Our last full day before the cruise was very interesting. We saw the Barcelona Cathedral that is one of the must-see tourist places and we took in a live authentic Flamenco Show at a small venue. I did not know what to expect with the Flamenco show and was a bit nervous as we arrived, as they guided us down into a dark basement!

Barcelona Cathedral

The official name is the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia and is the home of the archbishop of Catalonia Spain. It was built during the 13th and 14th centuries. The facade is in the neo-Gothic style and is quite elaborate with many spires, arches, and intricate details.

The building is huge at just over 300 feet long (a football field) and 131 feet wide. The tallest point is 230 feet tall at the peak. It is located in the Gothic Quarter and was about a 45-minute pleasant walk from our apartment.

We have visited many, many churches in Italy, but there are few here in Barcelona, but this one is outstanding. Many side cathedrals all with a family name or sponsor if you will.

Pat went into the confessional to discuss her darkest secrets with Friar Randy intently listening. Just kidding folks! 🙂 Well, I actually did ask her, but she politely declined.

The church’s patron saint, Eulalia came with a troubling story. According to Catholic tradition, she suffered martyrdom during Roman times in the city. One story says that she was exposed naked in the public square and a miraculous snowfall in mid-spring covered her nudity before being executed for what I do not know.

The cathedral has a secluded Gothic cloister where 13 white geese are kept, the number explained by the assertion that Eulalia was 13 when she was martyred.

The highlight of this tour was an opportunity to walk up to the roof and see the city from that height. What a view!

Flamenco Show

We heard about this show through the concierge of our Airbnb apartment building. We love to experience the local culture for wherever we are, so not knowing much about this show, we signed up for tickets. A venue with about twenty people.

From some internet research, here is a small tutorial on the art form. From Britanica: Flamenco, form of song, dance, and instrumental (mostly guitar) music commonly associated with the Andalusian Roma (Gypsies) of southern Spain. The roots of flamenco, though somewhat mysterious, seem to lie in the Roma migration from Rajasthan (in northwest India) to Spain between the 9th and 14th centuries.

These migrants brought with them musical instruments, such as tambourines, bells, and wooden castanets, and an extensive repertoire of songs and dances. In Spain they encountered the rich cultures of the Sephardic Jews and the Moors. Their centuries-long cultural intermingling produced the unique art form known as flamenco.

It is characterized by profound emotion and deals with themes of death, anguish, despair, or religious doubt. After the mid-19th century, flamenco song was usually accompanied by guitar music and a stick that was beat on the floor to keep time and a dancer performing a series of choreographed dance steps and improvised styles. Baile, or dance, has been the dominant element of flamenco since that time, though it is never performed without accompaniment.

As I stated earlier, the stage is in the basement of a small bar. We were seated in an area with small tables and 2 chairs per table. Our table was 2-3 rows from the raised stage. The performance was about an hour long and included the guitar player, singer, and two dancers. Let me tell you the dancers were incredible with fast foot work and after a dance or two were exhausted and sweat covered. That was a workout!

So, there you have it. Lots of guitar, percussion, and loud emotional vocals in Spanish perhaps but mainly just a loud chanting and I’m not sure if there were words or not. A very expressive performance.

Wrap Up

We survived the day and expanded our cultural knowledge! Thanks for following along! Take care and God Bless.