Bolger Family Travels: Fifteen Minute Churches & 2,000 Year Old Columns

I didn't have anything planned for Wednesday, except for dinner at Cinc Sentits (how's THAT for a humblebrag).

So I quickly put a list together of sites we hadn't yet visited in Raval and Barri Gotic. Everything was within walking distance of the apartment (a long walk, but that's what we do).

Our first stop was Basilica de la Merce. We had actually had drinks at a bar just outside the church in the Placa de la Merce a few nights earlier with Don and Jennifer. This time, it was just the two of us, and we went into the Baroque Church. I figured we had been to Festa La Merce and enjoyed it, so it was time to check out her church.

Finished in 1775 (a quiet year in world history), it took ten years to build. One of Barcelona's few Baroque churches, it's definitely worth a stop if you have the time. Built over an earlier Gothic church, much of it is built in typically overdone Rococo style.

The highlight is entering the side passage that takes you up stairs behind the church altar to see the Mare de Déu de la Mercè is a gothic work of 1361, attributed to the sculptor Pere Moragues. (Yeah, I cut and paste the second half of that from Wikipedia. So what?)

Just a random. . .well, something!

Angels in the architecture.

Madonna and child.

Church of La Merce

La Merce

Neptune fountain

The Neptune fountain is in Placa de la Merce, at the other end of the square from the church. After admiring it for the few minutes it deserved, an excitable woman rushed up to us and asked if it was Neptune. We confirmed that yes, the guy with the trident is Neptune.

She exclaimed, "oh good. I love Neptune. I'm an astrologer!" As we slowly, but decisively, started to slink away from her, we wished her well and told her to enjoy it. If she didn't know for certain it was Neptune, well, then, she must be a pretty mediocre astrologer. Which is like being a sports gaming tout -- you don't have to be good, you just have to be convincing.

We made it away safely without having fortunes told or whatever it is astrologers do. (If you DO know, don't email me. I don't care.)

Cool store sign in Barri Gotic

From there, we crossed La Rambla into El Raval (turns out all this time I thought I had read it is colloquially called Las Ramblas, but it is not. Sorry for misleading you.).

Everyone will tell you Raval is just now turning the corner from a bit of a rough neighborhood to starting to become charming. "Starting" is a good way to put it. The good news is, there is a lot of renovation and improvement going on. The bad news is, the neighborhood wasn't that charming, and hasn't reached that point yet. But, that does not mean that only Palau Guell, the Mercat de la Boqueria, and the facade of the Church of Betlem are the only reasons to cross into El Raval.

Sign of the camino!

Our first stop in Raval was at the Church of Sant Pau del Camp. Built in 1117, it was well out of town back then. Or so I am told. We were also told it is the oldest church in Barcelona, which makes it at least one of three or four churches to claim that distinction. I'm now at the point where I just nod and murmur when told that at a particular church.

The highlight is the church cloister, and what remains of a tower and bell tower. It's a decidedly charming old church, chapter house, and cloister that sits smack dab in the middle of a decidedly uncharming neighborhood.

Seven hundred year old bird carving

in the cloister of Sant Pau del Camp.

Check out the detail on the eye.

The church tower.

Cloister selfie.

Can never have too many pictures of cloisters.

Mosaic on the church floor.

What's left of the bell tower.

The entrance to the church.

Next, we headed past the famed Raval Cat sculpture on the Rambla de la Raval. The cat was cool, but he never said a mumbling word. It was interesting how many Arabs were on the street -- I suppose this is the area of Barcelona where they have settled.

After two long walks, two churches, and a cat, we were ready for a break. Carol got her cafe con leche, I got my agua con gas, and we shared a raspberry muffin and chocolate croissant on the slightly charming Carrer de L'Hospital.

Raval cat selfie!

From the snack break, it was a short walk to Antic Hospital de la Santa Cruz. Originally built in 1417, with a large arched cloisters surrounding a relaxing courtyard (unless. of course, you were actually a patient at the hospital given the state of health care back in the day). The hospital features two very cool staircases in the center, as well as two fountains.

It is now most famous as the hospital Antoni Gaudi was taken after getting hit by a street car in 1926. At that point, it was no longer one of the top hospitals in Europe, but instead a place for the poor and homeless. Gaudi was so beggarly looking that he was presumed to be homeless, and died a few days later. Look both ways, my friends!

The building is now the Institute for Catalan Studies, but alas was not open the day we went. Still it made for a nice stroll through the middle of it. There were art students from a nearby institute working on projects. I interjected and gave them outstanding advice on how to improve their artistic skills. (Editor's Note: You did NOT! Blogger's Note: Okay, I didn't, but it would have been funny. Except to them. And Carol. I suppose funny just to me, which is probably why I didn't actually intercede).

Cool medieval staircase at the

Hospital where Gaudi died.

Not another arch. . .instead, some detail on an arch!

Fountain in the hospital courtyard.

Our final stop before getting lunch was another "five minute church" as I've dubbed the various and random old churches (the expression doesn't apply to Sagrada Familia, the Cathedral, or Maria Santa del Mar for obvious reasons). The Esglesia de Sant Augusti is a weird duck.

From the outside, it looks unfinished, primarily because the facade was never finished! Built in 1728, it's been dubbed restrained Baroque. I suppose that means it did not go all out for Baroque, but is only partially Baroquen. (Readers, I hope you are laughing with me, and not at me right now!).

The exquisite artwork by Italian artist Claudio Lorenzale is definitely one of the highlights.

(Btw, we tend to spend 15-20 minutes in my "five minute churches," but the term gets the point across. Check them out, but not for too long.)

Church of Sant Augusti

My Google machine taught me just now that

scissors are for tailors. That makes more

sense than representing barbers. Turns

out it was a tailor-made question for Google.

Sant Augusti is conveniently located a half block from La Boqueria, so we stopped in for lunch. Being a Wednesday, we managed to snag two counter seats at a bar, and enjoyed a great meal. One of the best plates of calamari we've ever had. Generous portions of jamon, and a tasty avocado/shrimp salad. Hard to beat.

From there, we cruised back through to Barri Gotic. We made our way to near the Cathedral -- four fluted Corinthian columns of what remains of the Temple Roma d' August. These 2,000 year old columns are all that remain of the temple, but are not made of rich Corinthian leather.