“He kept on singing his song…” CS Lewis, The Pilgrim’s Regress
I read an article in Time magazine once that said it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become accomplished at whatever is practiced. We visited Picasso’s museum today where the prolific work of the artist is on display, except his most famous work, Guernica, which we saw in Madrid at the Prado. The man lived to a ripe old age and produced over 50,000 works, comprising 1,885 paintings; 1,228 sculptures; 2,880 ceramics, roughly 12,000 drawings, many thousands of prints, and numerous tapestries and rugs.
In his later years he said, “When I was a child, I painted like a man. When I am old, I paint like a child.”
Sadly, photos were not allowed.
The Catalan people who occupy this part of what we know as Spain, have a proud and distinct culture — closer to French in language — with their own sense of national pride. And their music reflects that. Understanding another culture often means experiencing its music and arts, so we took in a choir/symphonic concert this evening at the Palace of Catalan Music. It’s known for its Modernista interior and it didn’t disappoint.
We also happened upon the Catalan dancers, who, after Sunday service, fill the Cathedral square, join hands to form a circle and dance their proud history in slow-stepping tradition. These folks get their aerobic work-out each and every Sunday before heading home to share a family meal. It was no different today, on Corpus Christi Sunday.
All that culture gave us an appetite so we headed back to our favourite pintxos bar — late night tapas in the Catalan tradition is something we can embrace!
