Most of you know I am obsessed with Broadway and on this Sunday was the Tony Awards. Chelsey and I went to the show last year and it was more spectacular than you could image. So being six hours ahead we didn’t get the broadcast and all the results weren’t out until 4 a.m., so I couldn’t find out anything until Monday morning. Internet is not an easy thing to find over here. Either it is everywhere or nowhere. So we had seen lots of places that had Internet in Barcelona, but you know how you can never find something we you actually want it? Well, we trekked and couldn’t find any so it was after our tour that we finally got Internet. I was a little surprised by the results and a little disappointed. I have seen Billy Elliot and Shrek and love both of the shows. It is hard to compare shows for things like best musical because they are so different. Billy Elliot tells the story of a boy who wants to dance and the workers strike in London. It is a brilliant work and the boys who play Billy are extremely talented, but to me Shrek is Broadway (the show also has amazing Webisodes at swamptostage.com that give you a behind the scenes look at how they created the show and interviews with the cast). It is spectacular sets, characters, costumes and talent. The show takes the story of Shrek that you know and takes it one step further. The show is quarky and funny, but you fall in love with the characters and their struggles and the happy ending! I was surprised it didn’t take best musical and that Sutton Foster didn’t take best actress. I don’t think donkey was nominated for best supporting actor, but he should have been. It is always a tossup because I was shocked Wicked didn’t win in 2003 when Avenue Q took the top prize. It took me many years to get over the grudge and see Avenue Q and while I love the show and think it is great, I love Wicked and wish it had won. Off my soap box and back to Barcelona….
Our flight to Seville didn’t leave until 5:30, so we had the morning to get a few last minute things in for Barcelona. We had already seen the music palace, but decided to go on the tour. The only disappointment was that you could not take pictures. The music hall was original built for a choir of townspeople that is still around today. The main auditorium has a beautiful stained glass sky light that was of the sun and the decorations on the ceiling, columns and walls were flowers and trees. The sky light actually domes inward and above is another floor that has a glass ceiling that lets the light in so that water doesn’t get in it. The stage has 18 statues of women whose bodies were mosaic with their heads and instruments made of porcelain coming of the wall. In the center of the stage was the organ, with 3,772 pipes. The organ had not be used in more than 30 years when they restored it and also made it electronic, so it can play by remote control. The size of the stage can be enlarged by adding to the end toward the audience, covering up the first two rows of seats. The stage also has risers that can come out to accommodate various size choirs or productions. The facility can hold some dance performances, but with a maximum of two dancers at a time and it also hosts concert versions of operas but they don’t host full versions because the stage has no curtain and can’t accommodate sets or backgrounds. It was built in three years, which is impressive compared to how long they took to build other things. Another intresting thing was that the statues on either side of the front of the stage were constructed of artificial stone so that they did not affect the sound waves from vocals or instruments on the stage.
Another thing that has puzzled me this trip is having to show your passport to switch currency. I have traveled to Europe four times and never show my passport to switch money. Dad and I stood in line at this bank for like half an hour and got up to change money and he asked for a passport. Well, we don’t carry them with us (the pick pockets are bad) and so we couldn’t switch any. And it is not like other people know this and we are out of the loop. The two Americans behind us who needed to do the same thing didn’t have their passports. Here is a travel tip: Even if you plan on switching money once you get to where ever you are going, go there with some currency already. Currency exchange at an airport is highway robbery. AAA charges $12 to exchange up to $1000 or free above that and most banks can send off to get other currencies as well. It makes things much less stressful when you already have money for transportation or food when you first arrive.
After the tour we wander to see a few more of Gaudi’s architectural works before heading to the metro and aerobus to get to the airport. Our flight was on SpanAir, which was night, but not as nice as Aegean Air.
Our flight to Seville didn’t leave until 5:30, so we had the morning to get a few last minute things in for Barcelona. We had already seen the music palace, but decided to go on the tour. The only disappointment was that you could not take pictures. The music hall was original built for a choir of townspeople that is still around today. The main auditorium has a beautiful stained glass sky light that was of the sun and the decorations on the ceiling, columns and walls were flowers and trees. The sky light actually domes inward and above is another floor that has a glass ceiling that lets the light in so that water doesn’t get in it. The stage has 18 statues of women whose bodies were mosaic with their heads and instruments made of porcelain coming of the wall. In the center of the stage was the organ, with 3,772 pipes. The organ had not be used in more than 30 years when they restored it and also made it electronic, so it can play by remote control. The size of the stage can be enlarged by adding to the end toward the audience, covering up the first two rows of seats. The stage also has risers that can come out to accommodate various size choirs or productions. The facility can hold some dance performances, but with a maximum of two dancers at a time and it also hosts concert versions of operas but they don’t host full versions because the stage has no curtain and can’t accommodate sets or backgrounds. It was built in three years, which is impressive compared to how long they took to build other things. Another intresting thing was that the statues on either side of the front of the stage were constructed of artificial stone so that they did not affect the sound waves from vocals or instruments on the stage.
Another thing that has puzzled me this trip is having to show your passport to switch currency. I have traveled to Europe four times and never show my passport to switch money. Dad and I stood in line at this bank for like half an hour and got up to change money and he asked for a passport. Well, we don’t carry them with us (the pick pockets are bad) and so we couldn’t switch any. And it is not like other people know this and we are out of the loop. The two Americans behind us who needed to do the same thing didn’t have their passports. Here is a travel tip: Even if you plan on switching money once you get to where ever you are going, go there with some currency already. Currency exchange at an airport is highway robbery. AAA charges $12 to exchange up to $1000 or free above that and most banks can send off to get other currencies as well. It makes things much less stressful when you already have money for transportation or food when you first arrive.
After the tour we wander to see a few more of Gaudi’s architectural works before heading to the metro and aerobus to get to the airport. Our flight was on SpanAir, which was night, but not as nice as Aegean Air.
No comments:
Post a Comment