"The artist's job is not to succumb to despair, but find an antidote to the emptiness of existence."
Gertrude Stein (Midnight in Paris)
You can't miss the Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA), as it's the only modern building in the Gothic heart of the Old City, and as a contemporary art building it's architecture certainly matches it's content. Pause for a moment to watch the skateboarders out the front, because they are pretty good.
However, I'm getting ahead of myself. Firstly, it's a good idea to purchase The Barcelona Card, because it enables you to visit 23 museums and attractions for free. Plus you get free public transport. I bought mine online, went to an internet cafe, printed out the receipt, and walked to the Information Centre at Cataluna Plaza (at west end of La Rambla) to pick it up. The prices at time of travel were for a two day adult pass 37 Euro, or a 5 day pass, which I bought, was 62 Euro. A good thing to know is that the card only allows free access to the Picasso Museum after 5pm.
After picking up the Barcelona Card I was magically pulled by the Siren song of McDonalds opposite Cataluna Plaza. My secret confession is that I like McDonalds, and I try and visit McDonalds in every country I go to. There are subtitle changes to the menu in every country. In Monaco and Italy you can get wedges for instance. Plus, they have clean toilets, and WiFi. I didn't notice anything different on the Spanish menu, but maybe I need to go back and do some more research! It is more expensive than Australia or America. A double cheesburger meal was 4.99 Euro. Incidentally, the best McDonalds I've been to is in Monte Carlo, Monaco, with big flat screen television screens on the walls, and fine views over the harbour.
The Barcelona Card enables free admission to the MACBA (pictured above). It is quiet and peaceful inside the museum. You can relax on these beanbags to contemplate what you have just seen. To practical matters; they have nice toilets!
Spanish artist, Eulalia Grau's work is prominently featured. "Since the early seventies, Eulalia has been creating photographic montages and collages in the avant-garde tradition of an art committed to values that happen to be in crisis at the time of production of the work. She criticises the way in which the press at the time, in line with the political and economic powers, serves the interests of a controlled, censured, unjust and male-dominated society."
Lawrence Weiner's drawings are featured. There was an interesting film on Mei Shigenabo, who lived under a number of false identities in the Middle East as her mother was in hiding as the leader of the Japanese Red Army Faction. She only learnt her real name in her teens.
There are many other interesting artists and works, which makes the MACBA well worth visiting.
Still struggling with a cold that was about as much as I could do for the day. If I only had a short time here, I would probably soldier on to see all the sights.
It is in situations like this you need to bring a first aid kit. I was tempted to add cold and flu tablets before I left, and these would have been invaluable if I had to press on. In my little First Aid Kit I bring: Nurofen tablets, a small packet of tissues, anti diarrhea tablets (which aint't no fun to have I can tell you on the road), antiseptic cream, bandaids and small bandages, tweezers, and other items. I found the Nurofen tablets a help in relieving the discomfort of the cold, along with the tissues of course. When you need these items, you are going to really need them, and you don't want to be hunting around trying to find a Pharmacy that is open in a foreign country.
Further information:
The Barcelona Card - http://www.barcelona-card.com/en/index.html, this website provides further information on the purchase of a Barcelona Card and purchasing tickets to the football at Europe's largest stadium in Barcelona.
The highlights of the Barcelona Card:
Free admissions to 23 sights.
Discounts for over further 75 museums, cultural institutions, leisure activities, shops, pubs and restaurants.
Free use of public transport, i.e. metro and urban buses, trams, trains and Montjuïc Funicular and FGC in zone 1 (total urban area).
Free train ride and free use of bus 46 from the airport into the city centre and back.
Booklet with city map, metro plan and brief descriptions of the institutions where you get discounts. The booklet is in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Catalan.
The Barcelona Card is available for 2, 3, 4 or 5 consecutive days
Barcelona Card for children: 4-12 years
MACBA - http://www.macba.cat/en/
There's an Internet cafe at 88-94 La Rambla if you need to print out Barcelona Card receipt
