Barcelona Recap

A late summary of my trip to Barcelona. First of all, Paris was grey and drizzly when we left, and Barcelona was warm and sunny. The general personality and appearance of the Spaniards versus the French reflects this weather. I don’t want to paint a bad picture of the French or reinforce stereotypes, but the French are cold and skinny, while Spaniards are very warm and women have curves that they show off. Keep in mind that I live in Paris, and Parisians are different than the French in the provinces. I am (thankfully) very different from a New Yorker. I’m going to Marseille tomorrow, so it should be interesting to see what vibe the Mediterranean French give off.



The first morning in Barcelona we went on a free* walking tour that was all about the architect Antoni Gaudi. I didn’t know much about him prior to visiting, but I quickly became a big fan, then purchased a nice book about him. We saw three houses that he designed then went to his famous church, Sagrada Familia. Because the church is so big and crazy, it is still far from finished, it is estimated that it will be finished in 40-50 more years, even if construction started in 1882. Presently, 8 towers of 18 have been built, and the 8 that are finished are the shortest towers. If they can successfully finish it without it collapsing under its own enormity then it will be a magnificent sight to behold. It’s crazy to me that such an intense church project is being undertaken today, since grand churches aren’t built anymore, at least not in an old looking style. Although I don’t think Gaudi’s style can be compared to anything. I know in the Middle Ages it took hundreds of years to finish Gothic cathedrals, but that was the Middle Ages! Hand carved sculptures should be carved faster nowadays, right?! Would it honor Gaudi more to leave it as he left it, nowhere near complete, or try to finish it according the few plans of his that remain, even if the end result isn’t what he intended. It is certainly a thought provoking structure. I’m bummed I didn’t have time to see in the side, but maybe I can go back when I’m 80 years old and the whole thing is finished. (My pictures don't do it justice).

After the tour, we went to Parc Guell, an estate designed by Gaudi that is now a park. It was a very pretty place with a nice overlook of the city. I also managed to buy two pairs of Gaudi-esque earrings for 5 euros altogether from a lady peddling her goods. That night we ate paella, which was delicious. I had seafood paella, and I think it contained shrimp, squid, octopus, mussels, and crawfish. I ate way too much.



The second morning we went on another free* walking tour, but this one was a tour of the Old City, or Gothic quarter. We saw some Roman ruins hidden in modern buildings and learned some Barcelona history. We saw the palace where King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella lived, so also where Columbus went to have a chat with them. Speaking of which, there is a large monument with Columbus on a tower pointing to the New World/India/whatever the hell is that way.




After that tour, some of us went back to Casa Mila, a Gaudi house, and explored the inside. The best part of it is the roof, on which the chimneys look like soldiers. But more importantly, they inspired George Lucas’ look for Darth Vader and the storm troopers. They are also present on the passion façade of the Sagrada Familia, I assume they’re supposed to represent Roman soldiers? I don’t know for certain, but I think Gaudi wanted to imply that Darth Vader and the Empire killed Jesus. Just guessing.



That night Hannah’s Barcelonan friend and all her friends took us to one of the locals’ favorite restaurants. There were fifteen of us, half American, half Spanish, and the food was incredible. They ordered appetizers for us, and I had delicious cured ham, then this dish which is French fries with a spicy sauce and a little scrambled egg mixed in. It sounds strange but it was tasty. And of course we had pitchers of sangria to go around. Mmmm, that stuff is deliciously dangerous. Next we went to a Carnival themed bar to experience what Spanish shots are like. I only had one, and it consisted of a partially carved out orange with some kind of liquor in it, sitting on top of a shot. You drink the top off with a straw, then squeeze the orange into the rest of the shot, then drink that. Obviously, it was very different from a shot in America, and much tastier. But I was exhausted and stressed about the upcoming week, so luckily I took a taxi home at 2, everyone else stayed out until 5:30. Yikes.

The last day we ate on the beach and enjoyed the weather and some topless women. I ate nachos and a quesadilla, which were much appreciated. Spain seems to have a better understanding of Mexican food than France does. Then I walked, rode the metro, rode a big train, walked some more, flew in a plane, rode a bus for two hours, rode the metro and finally found myself home in the 11th arrondissement of Paris.