La Ribera - Barcelona - page 190

To the southeast, in what might be seen as an exercise in black humour, the fort's former
arsenal now houses the Parlament de Catalunya ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.parlament.cat ;
guided tours 10am-1pm Sat, Sun & holidays) . You can join free guided tours, in Catalan and
Spanish only, on Saturdays and Sundays. The building is open for independent visiting on
11 September from 10am to 7pm. On show to the public are the sweeping Escala d'Honor
(Stairway of Honour) and the several solemn halls that lead to the Saló de Sessions, the
semicircular auditorium where parliament sits. In the lily pond at the centre of the garden in
front of the building is a statue of a seemingly heartbroken woman, Desconsol (Distress;
1907), by Josep Llimona.
The Passeig de Picasso side of the park is lined with several buildings constructed for, or
just before, the Universal Exhibition. The medieval-looking caprice at the top end is the
most engaging. Known as the Castell dels Tres Dragons ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ) (Castle of
the Three Dragons), it long housed the Museu de Zoologia, which has since moved to the
Fòrum area and is now known as the Museu Blau. Domènech i Montaner put the 'castle's'
trimmings on a pioneering steel frame. The coats of arms are all invented and the whole
building exudes a teasing, playful air. It was used as a cafe-restaurant during the Universal
Exhibition.
To the south is L'Hivernacle, an elaborate greenhouse. Next come the former Museu de
Geologia and L'Umbracle, a palm house. On Passeig de Picasso itself is Antoni Tàpies' typ-
ically impenetrable Homenatge a Picasso ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ) . Water runs down the
panes of a glass box full of bits of old furniture and steel girders.
Northwest of the park, Passeig de Lluís Companys is capped by the Modernista Arc de
Triomf ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Passeig de Lluís Companys; Arc de Triomf) , designed by Josep
Vilaseca as the principal exhibition entrance, with unusual, Islamic-style brickwork. Josep
Llimona did the main reliefs. Just what the triumph was eludes us, especially since the ex-
hibition itself was a commercial failure. It is perhaps best thought of as a bricks-and-mortar
embodiment of the city's general fin-de-siècle feel-good factor.

ZOO

ZOO DE BARCELONA
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 902 457545; www.zoobarcelona.cat ; Parc de la Ciutadella; adult/child

€19.90/€11.95; 10am-5.30pm Nov-Mar, 10am-7pm Apr, May, Sep, Oct, 10am-8pm Jun-Aug; ;

Barceloneta)
The zoo is a great day out for kids, with 7500 critters that range from geckos to gorillas,
lions and elephants - there are more than 400 species, plus picnic areas dotted all around
and a wonderful adventure playground. There are pony rides, a petting zoo and a mini-train