Breaking the Curse: Barcelona. Finally.

Post date: Nov 07, 2016 7:49:40 PM

But one thing that stands out is that it is unlike many cathedrals I have seen before, La Sagrada Familia is driven in design by one man rather than by a series of people, and it conforms to his ideas of divinity rather than following the patterns of most catholic architecture. In that respect it has familiar features and radically different designs.

The stained glass windows are stunning in their deviation from what I expected. The colors are coordinated which casts a glow on the inside of the church, rather than telling a story.

In the afternoon, when I was there, it was truly breathtaking.

Additionally, and unusually (relative to other catholic churches), Gaudi was obsessed with the forms of nature. The doors are covered with the tree of life, celebrating species large and small. Like these guys (I’m still a snail girl at heart).

I couldn’t stop giggling when I saw this turtle was holding up a pillar and therefore a large part of the structure. It’s turtles all the way down (yes, I know, I’m going to hell).

Ian and I then walked around the gothic quarter, which was stunning. I couldn’t stop staring in amazement, from storefronts to apartments to random beautiful statues. Like these shoes, which were awesome. The whole store was just ballet flats of different colors and designs.

Ian walked through the crowds like a boss, demonstrating both how to be an awesome host and serving as kind of a Vanna White of some of the stunning random architecture.

I live in Germany, not really known for the quality of it’s cuisine. So while in Spain I ate a lot. The food is not only delicious (I had a tortilla de patata that I wanted to make love to, it was SO good) but is visually appealing. Like these cronuts, which we didn’t eat (too full) but couldn’t help but photograph because of their artful arrangement.

And of course there were tapas. I’m not about the eating after 10 pm (when most spaniards sit down to dine), but I could get on board with delicious finger food.

Ian and I spent a solid 30 minutes hanging out in front of the Cathedral of Barcelona. There was a pair of gentlemen playing the guitar, it was a balmy 68 F, and the sun was setting as we sat on the steps in front of this glorious building. As you can see by our expressions, it was very pleasant.

On Sunday we got up early and went to find more Gaudi. This time we went to the Park Guile, an entire park designed by Gaudi. It was meant to be a life-style community sort of thing, with 60 houses and built in community gathering spaces (marketplace, gathering points) designed by Gaudi. The park is a success, the housing development was an unequivocal failure (only 3 of the 60 houses were completed). But true to Gaudi style, it was full of things broken apart and then reassembled beautifully, like the arches of the aqueduct below.

It also provides a spectacular view of Barcelona, from it’s position on the hill you can see all the way to the Mediterranean.

Yep that’s a glass of sangria I drank, while looking over the waves of the Mediterranean. It took me a long time and a lot of misses, but I found this perfect moment in Spain. Take that curse!

Finally, my trip was coming to an end, and the hour to head to the airport was drawing near. But Ian revealed that there was one more view I needed to take in, so we climbed up the hill to the top of the Placa d'Espanya. (Full disclosure "climb" isn't the most appropriate word. There were escalators)

And the view was… just beyond description. The sun was setting over the hills, the city was practically breathing with life. I felt like I was on top of Barcelona.

We had some time to kill, so we wandered around and wandered straight into the Olympic stadium from 1992 Olympics. The Barcelona Olympics are the first summer Olympics in my memory, and began a lifelong obsession with following these amazing athletes. Plus the view was spectacular.

I felt like we were on Mount Olympus! (Yes, I know, different country/city/culture, but the idea of the athletic greats walking around on the top of this hill… just go with my romantic description…)

There was a point in my life when I aspired to be one of those athletes, but I fell short. Still, being able to stand there was awesome.

Even the torch, more than 20 years old, is still epic in it's grandeur.

It was awesome to catch up with an old friend, it was amazing to walk around this spectacular city. Overall, one of my favorite trips around Europe.