June 8-10: Barcelona, Spain

Finally. I get to 1) visit Carrie and 2) go to Spain. Yes, my first trip to Spain, it's about time!

For those of you who have been, you know that Barcelona is absolutely beautiful. I heard this, of course, before I went, but didn't really understand how it was so beautiful, or what about it was so beautiful. I understand now. Barcelona has the best of both worlds in my opinion: bustling metropolis / city center AND direct easy access to beautiful beaches. The architecture of the city is beautiful in a way that's difficult for me to put my finger on. There is a blend of modern and historic architecture, but not in the stark contrast that you see in Berlin, for example. Somehow, the new and the old coordinate in this lovely warm way that is Barcelona.

I arrived Friday evening and took the Aerobus to its last stop in Plaça Catalunya. Carrie and her colleague, Luis, met me and we went to dinner nearby: tapas of course. I thought I was arriving on the late side to be going to dinner, but apparently 10 PM is perfectly normal to sit down to eat in Barcelona. After a delicious meal (sorry Cafe Iberico, tapas in Spain win) the three of us walked along the huge La Rambla avenue that was thronged with other pedestrians and vendors to a small bar in historic Barcelona for some authentic mohitos and caipirinhias. Along the way, we walked through the Plaça Reial where there was this weird art display of life-size human figures made out of trash. Kind of strange... The old part of Barcelona is this really neat area with little winding streets that are too narrow for cars, lined with shops and restaurants.

Saturday, we slept in late as I learned from experience that the Spanish day is pushed back a couple of hours from what I'm used to. So breakfast at 11 - 12, lunch around 3 PM, then dinner around 10 - 11 PM. Out until 2-3 AM, then sleep until 10 - 11 AM. Shopping was our first activity. I know, not very good of me, but London is too expensive. Carrie introduced me to this AMAZING store called Bershka. It was so cheap! I got several fun things. Thank goodness you can carry on the normal 2 bags when flying TO the UK, just not leaving the UK, so I could bring my shopping bag on board with me.

After a quick lunch, we took the subway to the beach where we discovered a pro beach volleyball tournament. We sat and watched for a while, which made me miss Bryce so much. Catalonia was playing Bulgaria. When the match ended, we walked along the beach a bit and found a table overlooking the ocean to have a late afternoon aperitif. The beach is so nice, and we had perfect sunny, balmy weather to go with it. I only wish I could have stayed several days to enjoy it! As it was, we didn't end up having enough time to lay out in our suits and relax. Guess I'll still be neon white when I come back...

We then quickly took the subway to La Sagrada Familia, the famous church designed by Antoni Gaudí, but still has not been finished, though Gaudi died in 1926 and construction has continued, on and off, since then. The church is designed in many ways like your standard European cathedral, but then deviates from that model. It's not designed on the typical N-S, E-W axis, but rather either side flanking the center is different. Also, the towers don't rise to a straight peak, but rather curve upwards. The friezes carved on the exterior of the church, rich with Christian symbolism, are designed in a neo-modern, geometric way that reminded me of Matisse and Picasso.


I wish I could have made it to the Park Güell where I hear you can find many of his great works and gain a better understanding of his style, just outside Barcelona. But alas, my day-and-a-half trip didn't accommodate such sightseeing. :)

At this point it was time to go back and get ready for dinner and our night out with some of Carrie's friends. We didn't end up sitting down to dinner until 11 PM, and had to take a spot at the bar because the restaurant was so full. We ate tapas again, of course, then took a 'green' taxi (meaning the little green light on the side of the taxi sign on the roof was turned on) up into the mountains to a club called Danzatoria. There were many different levels and a lavish outdoor patio with splendid views of Barcelona down below. We met Carol there, a long-lost colleague of Carrie's who just finished her masters in business in Barcelona along with her girlfriends who came out to the club as well. Around 1:30 AM I was starting to get a bit tired, and claimed I had 'cultural jet lag' since in the UK people go out at 5 PM immediately after work, eat dinner at the pub, then go home at 11 PM. It's all pushed back several hours in Barcelona. We left Danzatoria and climbed further up the mountain to another bar (Carrie, please comment with the name of this place... I can't spell it and can't find it online...) for a more chill late night place. I learned a little Spanish dancing from a local before we started an incredibly painful climb down towards the main road to find a taxi. Carrie and I even traded shoes to try and relieve our unique suffering. But we made it, finally.

The next day there was not much time to do anything other than eat and take the Aerobus back to the airport. It was a great weekend, very relaxing. Carrie was an excellent hostess. :) But I must come back one day, there is so much more to see!