Whiling away time in Barcelona

https://photos.app.goo.gl/S6aV5woxKUE3HxyY9

To while away my Barcelona time today, i did some exploring in the gothic quarter, which also happens to be where the original Roman city was centred. There are quite substantial remains of the Roman town walls, put up in the late empire as it became beset with invasion. A sense of the urgency of the erection of the walls can be seen in the way that the builders made use of recycled stone. Sitting at the very base on the wall win one place is a tombstone or something, engraved with a latin inscription. As i explored the museum of the history of Barcelona i saw a lot more. I can imagine the frantic searching for stone to get the wall up, the destruction of so many elements of the civilisation the wall was meant to protect.

And so i to the museum, which is really an archeaological site. In the course of doing some xort of works, whole sections of the Roman city were uncovered and now lie beneath moe recent buildings, excavated and interspersed with artefacts found on site. There were signs of the streets, with draianage, mosaics in situ in houses, a garum (fish sauce) factory, a winery, a tannery, i think, and then laid over these, the late roman remains of the walls and early christian churches.

Some of the artefacts were delightful. A set of gaming dice, a stone board game base,  and it goes. I loved it.

Afterwards i visited the museum of catalonian history, which does an excellent job of providing an overview of cqtalonia ffom prehistory to today. There was a reproduction of stone art from a ppalaeaolithich cave, and mortar and pestle and so much else. I found the illustration of the origin of the catalan flag interesting. As a catalan noble lay dying in battle, the french king used his fingers to daub the dying catalans shield with his own blood! 

The reproductions of daily life at different times seemed authentic and the whole place left me feeling much more knowledgeable about  catalonia. An excellent museum.  It has certainly got me in the mood for a month of exploring...