Barcelona's City Hall is a Sunday treat

The Gothic-style gallery at Barcelona's City Hall is formed by arches supported
with decorated capitals.

During the week, Barcelona's City Hall (Ajuntament de Barcelona) is all business, but on Sundays, visitors are welcome to come inside this splendid building and discover a bit of the city's history. Located in the heart of the Gothic quarter, Casa de la Ciutat was built in the 14th century. Designed to be a casa (or house) where city councillors could meet, debate and made decisions, the building has undergone many changes since medieval times. Thus, City Hall is a working museum, complete with art and architecture that mirrors the changes that Barcelona has undergone through the centuries.

Sculptures of King Jaume I and Councillor Joan Fiveller
flank the entrance to Casa de la Ciutat, Barcelona's City Hall.

Casa de la Ciutat faces the Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya on Plaça Sant Jaume. The armed officer at the front door of the neolassical facade, points us toward the entry around at the corner past the tourism office. 

The Courtyard of Barcelona's City Hall contains sculptures
by various artists with connections to the city.

We pass two large tapestries honoring the city's industries on
the way up the Staircase of Honour at Barcelona's City Hall.

The Saló de Cent in Barcelona's City Hall contains an alabaster altarpiece
with the city's coat of arms guarded by mace-bearers.

We check out the sculptures by various artists located in the courtyard under the building before heading up the Staircase of Honour to the Saló de Cent. This large hall was built between 1369 and 1373 for the Consell de Cent (Council of One Hundred) by master builder Pere Llobet. Over the years, there have been many alterations to the hall, some necessitated by age, others by war. The striking altarpiece and Gothic-style chairs were added in the 20th century.

Seats for Barcelona's City Council are situated in front of
the visitors and press galleries at Casa de la Ciutat.

A semi-circular half dome rises above council chambers
in Barcelona's City Hall.

Next door is the Sala del Plenari Carles Pi i Sunyer (the Plenary Hall). These days, full City council meetings are held here. The presidential table is surrounded by fifty wooden seats. There also are galleries for the public and press. Overhead, is a half dome with a stained-glass skylight. The room's semicircular shape makes it difficult to take pictures that properly show why this is my favorite room in Casa de la Ciutat.

Saló de les Cròniques in Barcelona's City Hall contains murals
depicting Roger de Flor's expedition to the Orient.

What strikes me most about our next stop, Saló de les Cròniques, is the shiny black marble floor and the walls and ceiling decorations, which give the room its name. Events from Roger de Flor's expedition to the Orient in the 14th century are chronicled in these huge murals by painter Josep Maria Sert. Each oil painting was done on cloth that had previously been covered in gold and silver leaf. 

A chapel is located off the Saló de les Cròniques in Barcelona's City Hall.

The sculpture by Josep Viladomat at the top of the Black
Staircase in Barcelona's City Hall is entitled La bana
acollida (The Warm Welcome).

After passing through the Gothic Gallery with its arches, columns and gargoyles, we descend the Black Staircase. No guessing needed here: Its name comes from the color of the marble from which it is made. The large colorful mural on the wall was painted by Miguel Viladrich in 1930 and is a tribute to the people, products and traditions of Catalonia.

The mural along the Black Staircase in Barcelona's City Hall
pays tribute to Catalonia.

Barcelona's City Hall (Ajuntament de Barcelona) is open to the public on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Admission is free. 

A little Lot and a little Corrèze

Ancient pottery is perched on a wall in Cavagnac.

A recent overnight stay on a friend's dairy farm in the Lot department, allows me to literally cross the road and explore some pretty villages in the Corrèze department.

The village of Turenne sits upon the Martel Causse, a limestone foundation.

La Collégiale Notre Dame-Saint Pantaléon in Turenne was built in the 17th century.

Perched on a hilltop and visible for miles around is Turenne, one of several Plus Beaux Villages de France in this area. Turenne (and the other villages I write about in this post) is about 100 km west of Périgueux and 20 km south of Brive-la-Gaillarde. We park at a free lot near the tourism office and opt to walk up the longer, less steep path to the top of the hill. Along the way, we come to the village church, Saint Pantaléon, and step inside to check out its ornate altar.

Saint Pantaléon in Turenne contains this gilded altarpiece.

We approach the Château de Turenne, from which the viscounts of Turenne
ruled from the Middle Ages to the 18th century.

Just a bit out of breath, we reach the château, which is open only on Sunday afternoons during the winter months (but every day from April through October).

We opt to take the steep path down from the château to Turenne's plaza.

We carefully take the steep lane back down to the central plaza, Place de l'Ancienne Halle. There are a few restaurants in Turenne, and several hotels. The charm continues across the street, where there are more amenities.

With a nice assortment of restaurants and accommodations,
Turenne welcomes visitors.

The upper part of the village of Cavagnac contains this pretty stone church.

After arriving at our destination, our kind hosts insist on taking on us on a little tour of the neighborhood. Our first stop is the tiny village of Cavagnac. We park at the church on the hill, poke around, and enjoy the views. I ask about the huge mansion behind an iron gate and am told that it's owned by a senior editor at Le Figaro Magazine.

This mansion in Cavagnac is rumored to belong to a journalist from Paris.

The wintry gray day does nothing to diminish the charm of Cavagnac and its
neighboring villages.

Collonges-la-Rouge is known for its distinctive red stone mansions. 

The most famous villages in this area is Collonges-la-Rouge, which I wrote about in May 2017. Tourists come here to admire the distinctive red stone buildings. On this chilly winter day there is a smattering of tourists, but in the high season, the narrow streets are packed.

La Siréne, or 'The Mermaid's House,' in Collonges-la-Rouge was built in the 16th century. 

The town's namesake red color comes from the iron oxide contained in the local sandstone. Collonges-la-Rouge was home to Charles Ceyrac, founder of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, so it is not surprising that this village was the first to earn this distinction. Another famous resident, the late actor Maurice Biraud, is honored in the summers with weekly open-air theatrical performances.

A stop at Château de la Rue offers us sweeping views across the northern edge
of the Massif Central region. 

Before heading back to the farm where the four-legged residents will soon be needing attention, we stop at a crossroad to admire the views from Château de la Rue, another private residence.

Christmas lights frame the barn door of this dairy in the Lot department.

After the kind of sleep one can only get in the countryside, we return home, laden with fresh milk, eggs, walnuts and sweet memories.

Pilgrims on their way to Rocamadour may be offered a
refreshment at this farmhouse on the northern edge of the
Lot department. 

Explore the footsteps of pioneers

The Pioneer Memorial at Donner Memorial State Park in
Truckee, Calif., honors the Donner Party and other
pioneers who crossed the Sierra Nevada to California.

In the winter of 1846-1847, a group of pioneer families bound for California were stranded in the Sierra Nevada — the mountain range between Nevada and California. The Donner Party, or the Donner-Reed Party, are infamously (and unfairly) known for cannibalism. While it is true that some of the 87 people who were trapped in the snowy mountains resorted to eating the dead in order to not starve, the true story of these pioneers is more nuanced. A thorough and entertaining account of the Donner Party was written by Frank Mullen, a former colleague of mine. His book, "Donner Party Chronicles" is a day-by-day account of the tragic journey of these emigrants to the West.

The Visitor Center at Donner Memorial State Park houses a museum
dedicated to emigrants, Native Americans and others who lived in or
passed through this part of the Sierra. 

Although I lived in Reno, Nev., for a dozen years before moving to France, it was only on my recent visit there this past fall that I finally visited Donner Memorial State Park. I've passed the exit off I-80 countless times, and never bothered to stop. On this day, we decide to make it our destination.

An exhibit at the Donner Visitor Center/Museum includes
items brought West by pioneers.

The dreams and fate of the Donner Party are explained via exhibits and a
film at Donner Memorial State Park. 

The exhibitions at the Visitor Center/Museum honor the people who lived in this part of the Sierra including Native Americans, the Chinese builders of the transcontinental railroad, as well as the Donner Party and other pioneers. A film provides a solid overview of the Donner Party story, and there is, of course, a nice gift shop.

Less than a half-mile long, a walk along the Donner Camp Trail
allows us to stretch our legs.

After about an hour exploring the museum, we are ready for some sunshine and we take a leisurely walk along the short Donner Camp Trail, a pretty path that starts and ends at the Pioneer Monument. Unveiled in 1918, the statue was a gift of the Native Sons of the Golden West and honors "the strength and grit of early settlers," according to its plaque.

The autumn weather is glorious on the day of our visit, and my camera gets a workout.

Donner Camp Trail, Donner Memorial State Park, Truckee, Calif.

Donner Camp Trail, Donner Memorial State Park, Truckee, Calif.

Donner Camp Trail, Donner Memorial State Park, Truckee, Calif.

Donner Camp Trail, Donner Memorial State Park, Truckee, Calif.

Our visit focuses on the Visitor Center/Museum, but Donner Memorial State Park is a vast recreational area that offers camping, water sports, fishing, and hiking in the summer, and cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the winter. The Visitor Center is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the park is open sunrise to sunset, every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day. The modest fee to park gives us parking privileges at other California State Parks today, and in order to get our money's worth, we stop at Kings Beach on the north shore of Lake Tahoe on the way back to Reno.

Kings Beach, on the northern shore of Lake Tahoe, is located
16 miles from Donner Memorial State Park.