Three days in Barcelona were not enough.
Landing in Barcelona from Naples and arriving at our hotel by taxi, the difference in architecture and atmosphere was striking. The cobblestones of Italy, England and France gave way to wide open boulevards and bright, modern buildings. To my eyes, the buildings had a distinctly Spanish flair; balconies with wrought iron railings, graceful train stations and accessible public buildings were the norm. Famous architect Antoni Gaudi lived and worked here and crazy interesting buildings jump out at you reflecting the boundary breaking work of many in the 20th century. Shops have big bright displays and lots of wide open spaces which contrasted particularly to the Roman and Napoli smaller, more crowded shops.
We were fortunate to be able to meet our dear friend Deb in Barcelona. She brought a new perspective to the art of exploration. Eating, drinking, gossiping and catching up on the cats were intertwined with walking, walking, walking. Deb also introduced us to a co-worker of hers who led us down some old-town lanes where we had visited the Picasso museum to a tapas place, then on to the beach where we touched the Western shore of the Mediterranean. (More walking!)
The food in general was very good and we were so happy to get some Spanish spices in our meals. Tapas, sangria, steak ~ all with a very Barcelona flair.
Gaudi, born in 1852 designed and built an amazing array of things in the Barcelona area. He designed everything from a housing development/park to a hospital with a few houses and a basilica thrown in for good measure. Easily his most famous work is the Sagrada Familia Basilica, which is still under construction. We toured the place inside and out, and I can honestly say I’ve never seen anything like it. Full of color and light, the theme of joyful gratitude is evident everywhere you look. The path inside Park Guell was a beautiful walk up and down the hills leading to striking views of the city and the Mediterranean Sea. Sometimes I felt like he wanted the exteriors to look like melted stone…..but the more logical explanation is that the round/curvy element was his desire to reflect nature.
I think I’m a Spaniard at heart…..because I’m loving the schedule. An afternoon siesta and late night dining ~ sign me up!
Would we live in Barcelona? Probably not ~ even though we loved the energy it didn’t feel like a 100% fit. Would we visit? Yes ~ more than once.
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