Barcelona, I love you.

I fell in love again this weekend, with Barcelona. Since moving to Europe my top two must see cites have been Barcelona and Berlin. Still haven't been to Berlin, but trust that Rosa will take me in due time. And as I mentioned previously, I was lucky enough to visit Barcelona this past weekend; as expected, I didn't want to leave. I have been to a few European cities and generally, they all have the same architectural and cultural feeling throughout. I knew Barcelona would be different from any place I had visited, which was the root of my excitement. I was right.

We landed late Thursday night after a budget Thanksgiving dinner in Schipol Airport, immediately checked into our hotel and hopped in a cab to visit Colin's friend from New York, Webster. We have a few friends from Barcelona so were lucky enough to have an itinerary filled with the local bars, restaurants, and must see places in hand. Like I said, we landed late but still were in the mood for some local cocktails while we caught up with Webster and his brother. The locals told us to head to El Born, and area just outside the Barri Gotic neighborhood of the city. We bounced from place to place for awhile but ended up El Crepe de Born where we sipped Mojito's and Estrella's until about 3:30am. I had a very strict itinerary set for our weekend so 3:30 meant bedtime.

Day one, Friday, was set aside for the main tourist activities. We started the morning off slowly...I blame the sugary mojito's but got our butts out of bed and headed towards the world famous Sagrada Familia. A little history for those like myself who don't know much about the project; via Wikipedia; The Sagrada Familia was designed by Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926), who worked on the project from 1883 and devoted the last 15 years of his life entirely to the endeavor. In 1882, prior to Gaudí's involvement, Francesc del Villar was commissioned to design a church on the site. He resigned a year later and Gaudí was appointed the project architect, redesigning the project entirely. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2026. On the subject of the extremely long construction period, Gaudí is said to have remarked, "My client is not in a hurry." After Gaudí's death in 1926, work continued under the direction of Domènech Sugranyes until interrupted by the Spanish Civil War in 1936. Parts of the unfinished church and Gaudí's models and workshop were destroyed during the war by Catalan anarchists. The present design is based on reconstructed versions of the lost plans as well as on modern adaptations.

I knew the church would be massive but had no clue just how massive. When the church was originally being constructed, the ground it sat on was a vast open space, allowing people to step back and enjoy the massive structure. Since modern times, the city has been built up around it, making it difficult to view the structure in its entirety. While you walk through construction is going on in front of you, you hear saws and jack hammers while you walk through the scaffolding filled temple; it makes you feel like you're a part of the history so despite the annoyance, you know its happening for a reason. For those visiting blindly, it is important to also walk through the galleries downstairs. There you will find Gaudi's original blue prints, mock-up structures and you also read up on the history behind the making of the Church. After we walked through we stepped across the street to get a better view, which is when you begin to notice the little details that make it so different from any church ever built. The tiny mosaics throughout, the nativity facade traveling throughout the Eastern side, and his inspirations taken from nature make for a beautiful piece of Barcelona's history.

 

Our day of Gaudi continued with a walk to Parc Guell, in the Northern part of the city. It was a little bit of a hike but the weather was on our side so it was a nice chance to get a better feel for the city. We arrived and once again, Gaudi left me breathless. You enter the park, for free, and are immediately thrown into his world of oddly shaped, slanted and mosaic-ed roof tops and stairwells. The main attraction of the park is the entrance terrace where you will find performers and lots of street sellers, offering scarves, jewelry and artwork. Park Güell is skillfully designed to bring the peace and calm that one would expect; as you walk through you can easily get lost within the foliage, beautiful flowers and architecture. Currently it is Barcelona's winter (60-65, I'll take it) but I imagine it is bustling with people on hot summer days and nights, laying in the grass, taking in the views and enjoying a bottle of Rioja.

 

Besides the Spanish ham and yummy Tapas, Barcelona is known for its delicious seafood dishes straight from the Port de Barcelona. One problem, I don't like fish, never have. I know, I know it seems like a sin to be in a place where fresh fish is readily available at your finger tips but I just don't like it. That said, Colin kindly made us reservations at one of the best seafood restaurants in town, Botafumerio. You walk into a tank filled foyer which houses all of the evenings meals. I was assured I could get steak, but really, who wants to be the ass ordering steak in a world-class seafood restaurant? On Friday night, I was that person. Despite the embarrassment, the meal was amazing. We were joined by five other people and there was not a disappointed person at the table. After dinner we headed to El Born again where were did some more bar hopping and tasting of the local beverages until the early hours of the morning then headed home because I had another busy day planned for Colin and myself. I should note that a miracle also happened on Friday night. After the night out, while in the cab back to the hotel Colin realized he didn't have his wallet. I, immediately though, 'Jesus, the damn pick-pocket-ers, its gone and now Colin is going to freak the hell out and be miserable the entire trip." He kept his cool and kindly asked the cab driver to take us back to the bar. The bar was closed but we crawled through the gated door to find that, TADA!! Miracles do happen, some very very very kind man found Colin's wallet on the floor and turned it in, with everything in tact and in place. There are good people in this world and if you are one of them, good things will come to you. Karma man, karma.

We woke up Saturday, hungover, with the sun shinning brightly into our hotel room; bear in mind we hadn't seen the sun for a good two weeks so despite feeling like, "two pennies and a ball of lint," we got up and started our day; Colin started his with his first of many Iberian ham sandwiches, Tibidabo is a mountain overlooking Barcelona and Catalonia. At 512 meters it is the tallest in the Serra de Collserola; offering spectacular views of the entire city and coast line. We started on the metro, to another metro, to a street car tram, and finally to the funicular railway which took up alllll the way up the mountain; the views alone were worth the hike up. You get off the railway and welcomed to what feels like heaven by the Cathlic Church, Temple de Sagrat Cor and the Tibidabo theme park; both of which are visible from most of the city but to stand atop in person is breathtaking. The amusement park is the oldest in Barcelona and retains most of the original rides, some of which date back to the 20th century. I used to LOVE theme parks when I was younger, always the first in line and the one with my hands in the air. I don't know if it's the old ripe age of 24 but holy cow, I had butterflies in my stomach just looking at the rides; no way partake in any 90 year roller coaster rides.....scardy cats. The views offered for some amazing picture taking and a relaxing in the sun with my man. For dinner we had planned to go to Cal Pep but were severely disappointed to find it was closed, on a Saturday? Hungry for some Tapas we found a nice place in Barri Gotic where were sat outside and made friends with out Australian neighbors who are traveling Europe.

 

Sunday was sadly our last day which was reserved for walking Las Ramblas, Barri Gotic and the beach. The weather didn't hold up for us so the beach was out by mid-afternoon but sometimes just cruising is much better than having an actual plan; and so, that's what we did until our flights that evening. I took loads of photos with my 35mm but unlike modern times, I have to actually wait for it to be developed...patience! Despite not being with family on this Thanksgiving, I am unbelievably happy I had a chance to see the city and take in the sites with Colin. Hoping to go back this summer to really get a feel of those hot summer nights in Spain. Hopefully more pictures coming soon- enjoy!