Picasso, World-Renowned Markets, Barcelona Aquarium, Flamenco, and Fireworks to Celebrate Sant Joan!

We had a very busy day of walking today!  We started the day with a walking tour to be introduced to some sections of Barcelona we hadn't previously visited on our way to the Museo Picasso de Barcelona.  It was really interesting to see the collection of Picasso pieces in Barcelona.  They have pieces from all of his periods, most interestingly from his youth and early in his career.  While you can see works from his Rose, Blue, and Cubist periods in nearly every major gallery in the world, including the Chicago Art Institute, today was the first time I saw his work from his youth and early career.  I also saw some of his ceramic work, which I was unaware of before visiting the museum.

After visiting the museum, we walked to two markets.  Barcelona is home to some of the world's best markets, where shoppers can buy all kinds of specialty foods.  It is really fun to walk through them to see all of the items available.  I was especially struck by the affordability of a number of specialty food items that would cost an arm and a leg in the United States. I picked up some olive oil that is supposed to be some of the best olive oil in Spain. 

After the markets, we headed to a restaurant where we picked up a picnic lunch to enjoy near the waterfront. 

In the afternoon, we met at the hostel where we regrouped, and then walked to the Aquarium, where I saw the largest sharks and sting rays I have ever seen in captivity.

After having dinner on our own, we again regrouped and relaxed a little at the hostel before going to a traditional Spanish Flamenco show.  The show was absolutely amazing.  This was my first flamenco dance experience, and I didn't previously realize that it was a dance that involved so much foot work and rhythmic foot stomping, similar to Irish dancing or tap dancing.  The dance style is incredibly assertive, especially in the feet, while in the upper body, the dancers move with more fluidity.  It was truly a unique and special experience for me in Barcelona, and many of the students left saying that it was "incredible."

Tonight, as we try to get to bed so that we are refreshed for our excursion tomorrow outside of Barcelona (to the cities of Figueres and Girona), Barcelona is alive with energy and excitement, celebrating San Juan.  Sant Joan in Spain is the midsummer solstice celebration marking the start of the summer season and the day with the longest period of daylight in the year. In Spain and Barcelona the Sant Joan celebrations are on the evening of the 23rd June. The day after is the 24th June and this is Saint John's day and a public holiday in Catalonia and Spain. The Sant Joan fiestas take place from sundown to sunrise on the night before Saint John's day, and are also called "verbenas," which means open-air fiestas or celebrations.The Sant Joan festival is also called "La Nit de Sant Joan" - the night of Saint John.