Barcelona: A Modernisme walk along Avenida Diagonal

Casa des Punxes (House of the Spires)

We were staying in the excellent Ohla Eixample Hotel and naturally decided to explore the art nouveau buildings on our doorstep. The Eixample district was developed from around 1900 on a grid pattern - the name (pronounced i-sham-play) means extension. The most celebrated building on this walk was the Casa des Punxes (above), but there were many other delights and some wonderful surprises.

Our first port of call was the Casa Sayrach at Diagonal 423, attricuted to Manual Sayrach i Carreras. It dates from 1918 and the curvy facade seems to owe a debt to Gaudí.

Further along and just in Rambla de Catalunya on the right was Casa Serra, built by Josep Puig i Catafalch in 1903. It is now rather dwarfed by a modern extension added in 1987.

Further along Diagonal we reached the Palau del Baro de Quadras (1904, again by Josep Puig i Catafalch). The exterior is rather unappealing, I thought, but the arabic style interior is said to be well worth a visit. It was closed, however, so we were denied that.

Opposite, at Diagonal 422, is Casa Comalat. It dates from 1909-11 and is the work of Salvador Valeri i Popurull, one of Barcelona's less well-known Moderista architects. The front is fairly conservative, although the lower balconies have a very fluid appearance, but the rear facade, on Carrer Corsega, is something else altogether, with strange arches, exquisite ceramic tiling and a rippling effect.

Further along Av Diagonal at number 416-420 is the famous Casa des Punxes (House of the Spires - originally Casa Terrada). It was built in 1905 by the celebrated architect Josep Puig i Catafalch for Sr Terrada and is effectivey three houses, one for each of his daughters. One of the ceramic panels on a gable depicts St George.

 Nowadays the building houses a rather impressive presentation of the legend of St George, with more than aint of Game of Thornes. Apart from being the patron saint of Catalunya, St George also plays that role for England, Portugal and Georgia, among others.

In truth there is not much in the way of original features inside the part of the building you can visit, but the roof is pretty impressive.

We enjoyed many details on the exterior, for example this window ... 

... and were delighted to be able to slip into one of the other entrances and see some of the beautiful internal decorative scheme.

A bit further on, on Passeig de Sant Joan is an earlier house by Josep Puig i Catafalch, the Casa Macaya of 1901. This has medieval as well as Moderisme elements.

The courtyard is especially splendid.

Conditions: warm and sunny.

Distance: about three miles

Rating: four and a half stars.

Barcelona: Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau

The main entrance

The Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau (Hospital of the Holy Cross and St Paul) was originally founded (as the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau) in 1401 by the merger of six earlier hospitals. By 1901 it was clear that it was unable to keep pace with the growth of the city and the advances in medicine: a new hospital was necessary. The new hospital was funded by a bequest from the banker Paul Gil who wanted it to bear his Christian name - hence the addition of San Pau. The architect was Luis Domenech i Montaner.

By the end of the 20th century history was repeating itself and the 1902 hospital no longer fitted the needs of modern medicine. Plans were developed for a new hospital (now known again just as the Hospital de San Pau) to be built on an adjacent site. Domenech i Montaner's buildings we designated as a historic artistic monument (similar to being listed in the UK I suppose) and in 1997 as a UNESCO World Heritage site. As the new hospital was built, functions and departments moved into it, and in2009 a comprehensive restoration process began. It opened in its current guise as a museum and cultural center in 2014.

First to be built of the buildings you see today, in 1902, was the entrance pavilion with its tall slender tower. As you enter through the gateway you are immediately struck by its height and by the lovely red brickwork and elaborate decoration.

The visitor entrance is off to the right, with a wonderful decorative panel over the door.

The entrance route takes you underground and you emerge in a rectangular ward with a disaply at ground level and a ribbed ceiling covered in blue ceramic tiles. It is a little disorientating - it's not entirely clear where you are or what the overall shape of the hospital is.

At the far end, on the left, is a light and day room with a wonderful high ceiling with beautiful decoration.

You emerge into a large paved area (at the back of the main entrance) and you suddenly begin to understand the scale and design of the hospital. The central building directly in front, once the main operating theatre, is flanked by six pavilions of broadly similar design.

This is a group of buildings on the right ...

... and here is more detail of the beautiful facade of the main building. Note the dragon sculptures..

The pavilions dealt with difficult categories of patient and/or different medical specialisms. The one we entered through proved to be reasonably typical, although not all have yet been restored and one or two are now used for research, educational and cultural activities.

The spaciousness of the site is striking - it is like a village - and the buildings are surrounded by gardens and arranged up the slope of a hill. The latter creates a cooling flow of air and was done with the needs of the patients on mind. Below ground, the pavilions are connected by a vast network of underground passages.

The final stage of the visit is into the entrance pavilion. You wander through an array of spacious halls with extravagantly decorated ceilings. This is the entrance hall.

This is the ceiling of a hallway going off to the right.

In the main hall on the first floor, the feeling is a of a Spainish palace with elaborate stone work and columns.

Finally, a little overwhelmed, we staggered round to the exit and another wonderful mosaic panel. Above it is a statue of Paul Gil.

Rating: five stars. Simply wonderful.

Useful tip: we took the Metro to the Hospital Sant Pau station and found ourselves at the new hospital. It took a 15 minute walk around the perimeter to reach the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau. The better route is to take the metro to Sagrada Familia and walk up the Avinguda Gaudí, which leads straight to the entrance. Obviously you should factor is a visit to the Sagrada Familia as well!

Barcelona: Arc de Triomf, Born, Palau Guell, La Rambla

The Arc de Triomf

We've just arrived in Barcelona and we thought we would start with a mixture of new and old. One of our key objectives is to see as much as possible of the Ruta del Modernisme (Modernisme, or Art Nouveau, Trail). It starts from the Arc de Triomf so we naturally headed off there. The Arc de Triomf was built as the gateway to the 1888 Universal Exhibition which was held in the Parc de la Ciutadella. The architect was Josep Vilaseca.

The first port of call on the Ruta del Modernisme was the Casa Estape in Passeig de Sant Joan (1907 by Bernard Martorelli i Rius). It is hard to get a clear view of the whole of it, but the decoration under the windows viewed from direct1y below is a delight.

No 2, in Avinguda di Valencia, is the red brick Hidroelectrica (electricity company offices) in Av de Vilanova (1896-9 by Pere Falques i Urpi).

We headed through the arch and down to the park. On the right, but more easily seen from the other side because of restoration works, was the famous Castell dels tres Dragons (the castle of three dragons). It was originally built, by Luis Domenech i Montaner as the restauramt for the Universal Exhibition, but later became the zoology museum and gained its present name in the 1920s.

A couple of other park structures are counted as Modernisme but did not impress us. Leaving the park, we entered the district known as El Born. I had been told by a friend that this area was worth a visit as it is on the up and has interesting restaurants. We were very taken with the former Market building if 1887 which is now the Centre for Culture and Memory. We had a nice tapas lunch in a small square opposite.

We wandered through the Born which was largely pedestrianised and had a somewhat Venetian feel to it. We we emerged onto via Ferran and headed towards La Rambla, passing the former Molly's Bar with some nice Modernisme elements.

Soon we had reachd our main target of the day: the Palau Guell, the first work by the great Antoni Gaudi.  The outside is reasonably plain, but notable for the caternary arches. We gradually came to realise that the stone and iron elements were a feature throughout.

Inside it is full of wonders, starting with the astonishing brick pillars in the cellar, originally the stables. They could have been the crypt of an ancient brick church.

On the first floor is an extraordinary high room ...

... with an remarkable small chapel off it (the Guell family were very devout).

Some of the interior decoration is quite remarkable.

The roof could only be by Gaudi with its strange columns and pillars many covered by ceramics.    

When we had recovered, we headed back to La Rambla and headed towards Plaza Catalunya, noting a few nice but minor Modernisme buildings as we passed.  This is Casa Doctor Genove at number 77.

 And this is Antiga Casa Figueras at number 83.

Conditions: sunny and mild.

Distance: three miles?

Rating: fours stars.

Winterborne Stickland

 The main street of the village

We were in Poole for the weekend and wanted an easy walk as I gradually get back into proper walking. This one from Pub walks in Dorset by Anne-Marie Edwards seemed to fit the bill. It is a rectangular walk involving two ascents and two descents (the village and the Winterborne stream run along the valley).

We parked outside the village pub (The Crown Inn) and turned right and then left to begin the westward climb. Almost immediately I spotted a Comma, the first of the year.

You turn left into a field and have a nice, if partial, view of the 13th century church of St Mary.

Exiting the field by a path you cross a pretty stream ...

 ... and come to a road with some nice thatched cottages.

You continue climbing in a south westerly direction across farmland. Now you turn right and descend into valley along a field-edge path. It was great to be in the open country but the view across to the opposite ridge was a bit hazy and not that interesting. I took a snap anyway.

At the bottom you cross the road and climb another field edge path with Canada Farm off to the left. At the top you turn left onto Lady Caroline's Drove,  named for Lady Caroline Hambro (wife of the Danish Banker who bought the village and the land around it in 1852. We were struck by a male Brimstone flying up and down the Drove in a fruitless search for a mate. We had seen several other males, but none so systematic.

The Drove led to a short section of road and then a path which turned into a lane descending back to the village. We admired a newly built, but thatched, house. It was very well done.

 Down in the village we had a closer look at the church

... and enjoyed the lovely 16th century wagon roof, whose bosses seemed to have been painted by the local school children.

It remained only to have a refreshing drink at the pub.

Conditions: sunny and warm!

From: Pub walks in Dorset by Anne-Marie Edwards

Map: Explorer 117 (Cerne Abbas & Bere Regis).

Distance: 4.5 miles.

Rating: three stars. It was good to get out there, but field edge paths are a bit limited when there are no crops or life in the hedgerow.

Hungerford

The Bear Inn

I am in Hungerford for an MOT for my car and I thought I might as well use the time for a walk around the town.  I started at the 17th century Bear Inn and headed towards the river Kennet passing Great Grooms antique shop on the right. It dates from the early 19th century.

Further along I passed the picturesque former fire station ...

... to reach the pleasing 1827 bridge over the river.

I had a little wander on the far bank as far as the former mill, but it was too muddy for further exploration.

I retraced my steps and turned left into the High Street - Hungerford is basically a linear town. On the left just after the canal bridge is Bridge House, mid 18th century with a Regency iron porch and a 19th century iron bridge to the first floor (Pevsner).

Passing under the railway bridge, I came to the Town Hall on the right. It was built in 1870-1 and restored in 1987-8/.

The facade has a lot of delicate flower motifs which are very attractive.

The upper part of the High Street has a pleasing medley of houses on the right hand side including the striking mustrad coloured United Reformed (Congregational) church.

The same is true on the left. Pevsner describes this are as "one the of the most satisfying  townscapes in Berkshire".

Reaching the end of the High Street, I retraced my steps as far as the Town Hall and then turned left into Church Lane and right into the Croft, which has a sort of village green feel to it. At the end lies the church of St Lawrence. The medieval church collapsed when its tower was rebuilt in 1811 and was replaced a few years later in a neo-Perpendicular style (Pevsner again).

I walked back into the town along the canal tow path (very muddy) and discovered from an information board that the area by the canal bridge was once a busy dock.

Conditions: grey, cool.

Distance: a couple of miles or so.

Rating: 3 stars. A very pleasant stroll, but nothing really outstanding.