Thursday, December 8, 2011

I heart BCN! (aka Do I have to leave Barcelona?) – Wednesday, December 7, 2011:

           Before leaving for Spain this past summer, many people told me their opinions of the country. Unfailingly, people raved about Spain in general and the dominant opinion of Spain's biggest cities was that Madrid was industrial and rough, but Barcelona was beautiful and modern. I left Madrid loving it, so I flew into Barcelona with incredibly high expectations. It did not disappoint.

La Rambla de Sant Josep

Food stalls at Mercat de Sant Josep

More Food Stalls
Entrance to Mercat de Sant Josep
One of the many Christmas markets

More Christmas markets along the port

           I was only in Barcelona for four days - which I had been advised was sufficient - but I could have easily spent four more days or four more months. There were many beautiful sites to see, but I was happy simply wandering the streets, sitting in cafes, browsing though shops, enjoying culinary delights. I traveled to Barcelona alone, but once there I found an abundance of friendly people. With my new found appreciation for Frank Gehry's work, I sought out his fish sculpture. As I was admiring it's beauty, a man walked by and said "Do you think Barcelona is beautiful?" Oh, yes!" I replied, smiling. "Good." He smiled back and called "Enjoy!" as he walked away. Several times I was actually mistaken for a local in Barcelona. I chatted with a waitress at a cafe, and she started by asking "Do you live in Barcelona?". Later, a man at a cafe where I bought one coffee gave me a frequent buyers card so that if I bought six more there, I could get one free. I took these encounters both as a compliment to my improving Spanish and also as a signal of the diversity of the city. In Bilbao, I walk down the street and flirty men yell in heavily accented English "Helllll-oooo!" It really gets them no where, because I walk away annoyed, thinking "OK, I know I'm blonde and taller than any of you, but must you point out that I'm not from here?" But in Barcelona, I was just another local with an accent.




Gehry's Fish sculpture in the distance.

Gehry's Fish sculpture up close.

           Other than wandering and enjoying the beautiful neighborhoods of Barcelona, I also spent a lot of time admiring Gaudi's work. Antoni Gaudi was a Catalan architect who lived in the early 1900s. I've actually been a fan of his since I was a sophomore in high school and wrote a paper on his work for Spanish class. Two of the few monuments I remember from my very first trip to Spain over 11 years ago, are Parc Guell and La Sagrada Familia - both the work of Gaudi. Viewing Gaudi's work this time around was just as enjoyable and memorable as the first time. His use of nature for inspiration, colorful tiled mosaics and whimsical interpretations of space are so wondrous that almost 100 years after his death, thousands of tourists still gawk at his work daily. Gaudi was an amazing innovator, and it struck me that he likely laid the foundation for Gehry's work, which I fell in love with only a week earlier. Apparently, I'm more of an architecture fan than I thought.



Gaudi's La Pedreira

Gaudi's Sagrada Familia, Passion Facade

Inside Gaudi's Sagrada Familia, intended to mimic trees and a forest covering.

Nativity Facade, La Sagrada Familia

A House at Parc Guell, designed by Gaudi

The main entrance to Parc Guell
View of Barcelona from Parc Guell

Benches at Parc Guell
Gaudi's famous mosiac dragon at the entrance to Parc Guell

         My time in Barcelona passed quickly; too soon it was time to depart for Sevilla. Barcelona has easily won the title of my favorite European city and I left hoping my life would intersect with it again.