Bar-the-lo-nah!

Janet and I had a weekend off. So, we decided to go on a mission in search of good weather. After surviving the one big snowstorm that we have had in Germany this year we needed some time at the Ocean. We are a coastal people and we really dig places where saltwater meets the sand... or something to that effect.



Plus Janet wanted to hear a language that she was familier with, for once.

So we took a flight out to Barcelona.

When we landed it was pouring rain.
Damn

We decided to rent an apartment instead of stay in a huge hostel dormitory. We got to the agreed meeting place below the flat which sat between two small cafes and promptly waited for 20 minutes staring at everyone who walked past assuming them to be the room renter. Eventually Chris showed up on a Vespa. He was an American who was living in Barcelona and it turned out he was from Olympia, Washington. We began chatting and Janet and I told him what we were doing with our time and he told me some stories about a women's field hockey team he helped coach that was both amateur and semi-pro. I later quizzed him about cool places to go and eat in Barcelona and he happily pulled out an enormous map and began writing all over it for us. Unfortunately, we were unable to follow his advice on where to go to eat, but I will get into that later.

After we said goodbye to Chris and moved into our room we promptly passed out. We woke up a couple hours later and decided to walk 1 block down to Las Ramblas in search of culture and food. Las Ramblas for those who don't know is a long street full of outdoor vendors and lined by shopping on either side. As you head southeast (downhill) you notice the colors and smells cast by the famous flower shops that have been operating for decades and also that there are markets and shops placed in the interstitial spaces all down the road. Janet and stepped into the open air market that boasted fresh fish that could rival Pike's Street Market in Seattle, wonderful fresh produce, and a collection of gummy treats and chocolates that the shop owners practically force down your throat, hoping for you to buy. After an hour of walking around, our appetites got the best of us and we dove in to the first place serving a reasonably priced Paella dish. I went for the seafood Paella and Janet tried a black bean special and we shared a bottle of wine to celebrate the start of our mini-vacation and the crap weather we had flown into.

The next morning, the sun rose overhead and it was simply beautiful outside (18 degrees C ~65F). The sun was shining and Janet and I were excited to go exploring. Janet had been to Barcelona before, her sister actually had studied abroad at the University of Barcelona and she gave us some great pointers for our visit, thanks Michelle! We decided to hit a grocery store near Placa Catalunya and pack a lunch, which comprised a baguette, some turkey, chips, 3 liters of water and a large container of tzatsiki... which in Janet's opinion could be the world's perfect condiment. The weather was so nice that we decided (perhaps with hubris) to walk the entire way. I had purchased a guidebook the previous night which suggested we could start a tour at the University and finish up at Park Guell, which is precisely what we did. The University is tightly packed into a large city block and was a surprisingly narrow facade, covering roughly one city block. We briefly walked inside and toured the campus. As you walk inside you instantly notice the vaulted ceilings and the classrooms that surround a central quad area.

You can actually walk through the quad into the rear part of campus with a beautiful and calming garden that offers a quiet place to eat lunch or grab a coffee and serves as home to I would estimate over 50 cats.


We unsucessfully searched for a bookstore and then continued on our tour down the huge thoroughfair Gran Via de las Cortes Catalanes and passed by the Placa Tetuan and the Placa de Braus Monumental (the only Modernist Bullring in the world), en route to the Sagrada Familia.


From the bullring, we progressed uphill towards the world famous Gaudi-influenced Cathedral, the Sagrada Familia. For those who are not in the know, the Cathedral has a Nativity (eastern pictured here) facade, a Glory (yet to be completed and southernmost) facade, and a Passion (western) facade.
The Romanesque Cathedral has 18 towers dedicated to the 12 Apostles, the 4 Evangelists, the Virgin Mary, and for Jesus. Antonio Gaudi, certainly Spain's most famous Architect was the chief designer for over 40 years. The building has been under construction for nearly a century and they hope to complete construction by the 100 year anniversary of Gaudi's death in 2026. The Cathedral is massive in scope and as Janet and I noticed that each of the walls, pillars, and archways seem to become infinitely more detailed as you approach. My eyes glazed over as I attempted to search for the details describing the Nativity scene and I looked towards the cubist influenced towers that shoot into the sky making this an unmistakable landmark in central Barcelona. After snapping a few photos we walked inside to see the incredible stained glass windows and the nature-inspired columns that support weight as tree limbs hold up a treehouse. We then donated our two euros each to take the elevator to the top (they do not allow you to walk the 170 steps to the towers at this point) so we could take photos of the Glory facade up close and take in the panoramic view of Barcelona.
We would not be able to make it up the hill to Montjuic (I apologize for my lack of accented characters) so this would be our one opportunity to be up high and look out to the coast line. Once we were finished fooling around taking photos during our descent we walked around to the more modern Passion facade and looked into the Gaudi Museum. I propose that the museum is a must see as part of the Sagrada Familia experience. Inside you can look at a scale model of the church and read about how Gaudi drew inspiration for design directly from nature.

Awesome.



After we finished we continued shlepping uphill towards the Hospital Saint Pau (after a Gelatto break, of course) and then on to the Park Guell.

It was a race against nightfall as we worked our way towards the Gaudi-designed public park. I apologize for the photo-quality, but you can get a taste of what it is like walking around in there. Apparently, the park closes to the public at 6 and a man with a cane barks at you to get the heck out of there if you are trying to get in the entrance. He was hovering by the gate, but when he got distracted, Janet and I ran uphill and managed to walk around for about an hour or so. There were still locals jogging and walking with their dogs, so we didn't feel too badly about it, but when we randomly saw the guard later that night as we walked Passieg de Gracia, I'll admit it, I was a bit nervous... he was waving a cane around... and he was barking Catalan at me...

But, once we were in the park it became clear that Dr. Seuss and Gaudi were in on some sort of a deal. I fully expected the Lorax to come out and speak to me about the advantages of butter-side down toast. The entire park is tiered, which gives it incredible depth and at the entrance you see the first of many lizards, which have come to symbolize both the park and it seems Barcelona in general. Here Janet and some random dude pose for a picture. The park was built as a public work and the benches in the photo were ergonomically designed for people to sit in. Pretty cool! And a lot more accomomdating than most park and bus benches that I have sat in, to be perfectly honest. We took in the views until the sun finally set and at that point we opted out of taking public transportation (because we are a little insane) and walked through Gracia on the way towards some more Gaudi-designed buildings. Gracia is a wonderful little pocket of Barcelona that boasts wonderful shopping (we stopped in a lot of shoe-shops, not gonna lie) and cafes for grabbing a coffee and some good conversation.

Later on Passeig Gracia we stopped by and snapped nighttime photos of the Casa Batllo (I still can't pronounce it) and the apartment complex Casa Mila which both provide wonderful examples of Gauidi's work. By the end of a trip to Barcelona trip, you cannot help but acknowledge what a profound ability architects have to literally give shape to a city. You can clearly spot when buildings have been designed with Gaudi in mind, but for whatever reason, you can also identify when something is uniquely Gaudi... it really was a pleasure to witness work by a savant whose genius is as unique today as it was when he was alive.

It had been an incredible day and Janet and I decided to dine on Passeig Gracia at a seafood restaurant that looked appealing. Unfortunately, this decision limited the rest of our trip because I think that I got a little food poisoning from my Dorada and potatoes dinner. The food tasted great on the way in... I will leave it there.

The next day, I wasn't in the best of spirits but the weather was amazing and Janet and I were determined to see the beach. For the whole day my diet consisted of Sprite. I am sure my Mom can attest to just how impressive that is.

In my state we were able to stop by La Catedral and then made a beeline for Port Olympica, which was built up for the 1992 Olympics. We made it to the water and were hanging out and I walked back to a hostel for my umpteenth bathroom break and Sprite. I walked back to the coast and there was Janet chatting with two Microsoft software engineers who were sipping on 1 euro boxed Sangria, on break from a nerd conference being held nearby. I swear to God, we met Michael Bolton and Samir Nagaheenanajar from Office Space... classic.

I went down to the water and it felt amazing to be at the ocean again... I did get a little soaked though when I went in to grab a plastic bag that someone had let fly in to the water... no good deed goes unpunished.

Our last night in Barcelona was pretty uneventful. Janet ate, I got through a few bites of a sandwich, and we went to sleep, still tired from the first day when we walked easily 12 kilometers through hills for 10 hours.

All in all it was a wonderful trip and I thank you again for tuning in. Next time, I will be talking about Fastnacht... The German Festival that precedes Lent, which celebrates Schnapps, costumes, and littering!