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East of the market, the pretty, tree-shaded
Plaça de Sant Agusti Vell
and
its amiable neighbourhood restaurants make a great target for lunch. It sits
right in the middle of Sant Pere’s most ambitious regeneration project, which
has opened up a couple of city blocks to the north as a landscaped boulevard.
The southern extension, across c/dels Carders, was completed in the 1990s
and has had time to settle in. Now,
Carrer d’Allada Vermell
is one of the
most agreeable old-town
ramblas
, its overarching trees and small children’s
playground complemented by outdoor cafés and bars. Meanwhile, running
down from Plaça de Sant Agusti Vell,
c/dels Carders
is now a funky retail
quarter mixing grocery stores and cafés with shops selling streetwear, African
and Asian arts and crafts and contemporary jewellery.The little Romanesque
chapel at the end of the street is the
Capella d’en Marcus
(usually locked),
dating back to the twelfth century, though otherwise stripped of interest
during the Civil War.
Museu de la Xocolata
The only other tourist sight in Sant Pere is the city’s
Museu de la Xocolata,
c/del Comerç 36 (Mon &Wed–Sat 10am–7pm, Sun 10am–3pm; €3.90;
T
932
687 878,
W
www.pastisseria.com;o
Jaume I) housed in the former Convent
de Sant Agusti. The thirteenth-century cloister, rediscovered when the
building was renovated, can still be viewed through the building’s main doors.
Plodding audiovisual displays in the museum recount the history of chocolate,
from its origins as a sacred and medicinal product of prehistoric Central
America through to its introduction to Europe as a confection in the
sixteenth century. It’s a topic with some local relevance. The Bourbon army,
which was once quartered in this building, demanded the provision of
chocolate for its sweet-toothed troops. However, whether you go in or not
probably depends on how keen you are to see models of Gaudí buildings or
religious icons sculpted from chocolate. Nonetheless, the museum café serves
a fine cup of hot chocolate – and the
choccie
counter is something to behold
– while at the adjacent Escola de Pastisseria, glass windows allow you to look
onto the students learning their craft in the kitchens.There are also chocolate
workshops, tastings and children’s days organized on a regular basis – enquire
at the museum.
Museu Picasso
The celebrated
Museu Picasso
, c/Montcada 15–23 (Tues–Sun & holidays
10am–8pm; general admission €9, exhibitions €5.80, first Sun of month free;
T
932 563 000,
W
www.museupicasso.bcn.cat;
o
Jaume I) is one of the most
important collections of Picasso’s work in the world, but even so some visitors
are disappointed since the museum contains none of his best-known works,
and few in the Cubist style. But there are almost 4000 works in the permanent
collection, which provide a fascinating opportunity to trace Picasso’s develop-
ment from his early paintings as a young boy to the major works of later years.
It might often seem as if every visitor to Barcelona is trying to get into the
place at the same time, but you can hardly come to the city and not make the
effort.The museum is actually much larger than it first appears, occupying five
adjoining medieval palaces converted specifically to house the artist’s works.
Arriving when it opens is a good way to beat the worst of the crowds.There
are free
guided tours
in English (currently on Thurs at 6pm and Sat at
noon), but you’ll need to book in advance (by phone or by email through the
SANT PERE, LA RIBERA AND CIUTADELLA
|
Museu de la Xocolata • Museu Picasso