Back from Barcelona

This has been a busy week but I finally have some time to reflect on last weekend's trip to Barcelona! Because my program is split up into two parts, the class and the internship phases, we are in finals right now! This week has been full of writing papers and presentations and getting ready for next week's tests.  But everything is caught up, right in time for a fun weekend!

Last weekend in Barcelona was the best trip I have taken so far! Even though I was only there for a very short time, I was able to see the main sights of the city, and relax on the beach all in the same day! The weather was gorgeous- 63 degrees and not a cloud in the sky! Soaking up some sun for a weekend was refreshing after being in cloudy London.


The city was bright and full of color, amazing architecture and fantastic food! We spent all Saturday walking around, starting at the Sagrada Familia.  The cathedral was beautiful, inside and out.  Every inch is covered with detail and sculpture.  There was a small exhibit inside that explained how Gaudi drew inspiration from nature, taking natural geometric shapes and transforming them into architecture.  The columns used inside the cathedral look like giant tree trunks, making the observer feel like they are standing in a forest, under a canopy of leaves.  Though the building is made out of stone it feels organic, connected with the earth despite all of its grandeur.  It is a shame that the cathedral was never finished and still under construction, but it is easy to imagine how fantastic it will be when it is finally done!


After the Sagrada Familia we walked up to Parc Guell, which was probably my favorite part of the trip.  It is at the top of a large hill, so from it you can see all of Barcelona.  Gaudi designed it, and there are mosaic covered buildings, fountains, benches and pavilions all over the place! I would have loved to have had all day to explore every last corner of it, but we had to cram a lot in so just stayed briefly.  We did go into the house Gaudi lived in for 10 years which is in the park.  It was interesting because, as Emily pointed out, for all the eccentric designs and architecture he created, his house was fairly simple! There was some interesting furniture, but it was not as ornate as I would have expected.  

After the Parc Guell we went to the Casa Batllo, a house Gaudi designed for a family.  The outside, including the roof is completely covered with mosaics.  Gaudi designed the house to look like an underwater living organism, and so the mosaics are all in cool colors, and look almost like shimmering algae.  The inside has no straight lines, with curving wood staircases and incredible decorations.  It is really hard to describe this house, since there was so much to see and each room was so different and beautiful.  My favorite part was the "courtyard" or the staircase that went up through the middle of the house to the roof.  The walls are covered with blue tiles that got darker and darker as the stair case ascended. The stairs were also surrounded by wibbly clear glass panels that, with the combination of the blue tiles in the background, made you feel like you were submerged in water. It was beautiful!


We then made our way down Las Ramblas, the main street in Barcelona, stopping to get some wonderful paella.  The street was a lot of fun, filled with fountains, street performers and vendors and trees.  We stopped at La Boqueria, a famous market along Las Ramblas, which was filled with every food imaginable.  It was so colorful! There were also adorable chocolates (the hedgehogs were my favorite) that we had to buy!


Las Ramblas led us right to the harbor, where we sat among the boats and ate our snacks.  It was a beautiful day and so wonderful to sit in the sun! For the rest of the day we wandered over the the Cathedrals and then down to the beach.  


Once the sun set we headed back to the hostel for a free dinner hosted by the owner.  It was definitely one of the highlights for me.  We had heaping portions of chicken and pasta and mingled with other travellers from all over the world.  I love that about hostels- you never know who you are going to meet and are bound to have some really interesting conversations! I also realized what I love so much about people who travel- they talk in terms of "when" you visit, not "if" you visit.  They assume that because you are travelling now, you will have the ability to travel again, which is a really hopeful and optimistic way to think about it.  


Sunday we went to the Picasso Museum (for free! because we just happened to be there on the first Sunday of the month. Go us!) which was great! I was really impressed and wished I could have spent more time.  It was mostly his early work, ending with a few great Cubist pieces.  I think it is really important for people to see Picasso's early work, since he was a child prodigy and produced amazing works from a really early age.  Seeing what he produced when he was younger, what talent he had, really helps Cubism to make more sense.  It is easier to see what incredible genius it took to create a movement like Cubism when you understand where Picasso came from. It was a great way to end a great weekend in Barcelona!


My week in London was also good, despite the paper writing! I am excited about what I have learned these past few weeks and am even more exicted for the internship phase! Zach is flying into London tomorrow and we will be heading to Ireland after finals on Tuesday!