Barcelona

My Barcelona trek started with an overnight bus ride.  Unfortunately, there is not a low-cost airline flying from Alicante to Barcelona; thus, my options were the bus or the train.  I’ve had a lot of experience with buses lately and the times just worked a little better so the bus it was.  I was specifically looking forward to this weekend adventure because I was meeting my middle and high-school friend, Donna, who spent this semester studying in France and Switzerland.  Luckily, my bus took me straight into the center of the city very close to the Arc de Triomf where I was able to spot Donna.  It was so good to see her!  We had so much to catch up on after both being abroad for a semester. She was also traveling with a couple of friends she made from her program so we had a good tour group. 

As I only had two days in the city, we started with the important sites right away.  The first was Gaudí’s unfinished legacy, La Sagrada Familia.  It was breathtaking.  We could have spent hours just looking at the outside because of all the small details in the sculptures that adorned the façade of the church.  It was interesting to see a cathedral so modern in style.  My travels throughout Europe have taken me to a few churches, and there has not been one that has been quite as unique as this.  After, we went to the next famous Gaudí attraction Park Güell.  The walk was a little further than expected from the metro stop but well worth it.  What was cool about the park was that everything was art: the benches were mosaic, the stairs decorated with statues, even the paths were thought of.  We had a picnic lunch of some fruit we bought at a small frutería. 

After a long day of walking and touring the lively streets of Barcelona, we decided to take it easy and watch a Flamenco show in a square that was close to Las Ramblas which is the center of action in Barcelona with many stores and restaurants.  The show was excellent with a very moving vocalist that sang with so much emotion in her voice.  We went for paella afterwards: I couldn't let Donna and her friends come to Spain and not get the whole experience, right?

The next morning, we started early (after a little pit stop for churros and chocolate).  We toured the ‘gothic’ area around my hostel.  We next decided to take the metro to the water front where there were vendors right on the marina.  The weather was perfect for outdoor shopping!  Then, we went to the Picasso museum that houses most of his life’s work.  We specifically saved this activity for the afternoon because admission is free after three.  Well, as I have learned in Madrid, free entrance means long lines, but definitely worth it to save the money and still be able to see paintings you’ve seen referenced your entire life. Turns out, there was some really good shopping in that area, too.  Also, it put me over in the area where I needed to be to catch my bus back to Murcia.  It was certainly a whirlwind tour of one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever been to, but long enough to make a lasting impression: I can definitely say it’s one of my favorites. 

Pictures, pictures: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1718157999397.2079194.1401660433