Spring Break part 2: Barcelona

Basilica of the Sagrada Familia

Barcelona was the perfect compliment to Rome: it is modern and alive with energy.  To anyone who has ever thought of visiting, I would say, G-O-!  The tapas, late nights, long meals, and overall energy exuded by the people made you want to live life to the fullest.  It is so much more laid back than Paris (with more affordable shopping) and so much more alive than Rome.  Living in France, we've become accustomed to not being able to get anything done around lunchtime when everything shuts down, but Barcelona took it to a new level for us.  There were places that shut down from 1pm to 5pm, and that seemed to be the norm!  The lifestyle really encouraged us to have long, leisurely days.



We stayed in a hostel in the Gothic Quarter, which was interesting.  Tom had never had the "europe-hostel-experience" and I thought this would be a good time for his education, plus an opportunity for us to stick within the graduate student budget.  We had a set of bunk beds in a co-ed dorm room, very typical and no-frills.  He did a fabulous job of embracing it fully.  The community aspect was great- meeting odd new characters and having a kitchen to cook some meals- but I think maybe I have more of an appreciation for privacy than when we traveled around Europe in college.  :)

Looking towards the alter.

Along with the energy of the city, my most lasting impression from Barcelona is the Sagrada Familia.  I cannot even begin to explain what a glorious place this is!  It made my heart want to sing never ending praises to God, our Father, Creator and Savior!  It is a truly magnificent work of art and worship.  And it is so clearly different from any other Catholic cathedral I've been in, for two reasons: Christ is the absolute center of every aspect- instead of the saints, icons, Mary and other Catholic relics- which made it so much easier to understand and relate to as a Protestant.  Also, there are plain glass windows as well as stained glass, so the sanctuary was bathed in natural light.  The sheer size of it is overwhelming and glorious, too.  The choir lofts alone have seating for a thousand singers...can you imagine?!  Gaudí meant for it to reflect nature: with the pillars and ceiling feeling like a forest of trees, and thousands of different animals included in his Nativity and Crucifixion Facades.  It is also very much a living work of art, as construction has been going on for 100 years and is not projected to finish until somewhere between 2020 and 2040.

Inside, the tree-like pillars and ceiling

The Crucifix above the alter

The Nativity Facade

Focus of the Nativity

Shepherds coming to worship the Christ child (there's a doggie, too!)

The Crucifixion Facade

There are 310 combinations of numbers and they all add up to 33, the age at which Christ was crucified

One of the days we rented bicycles and rode around for the entire day!  Barcelona is a great city to bike; there are plenty of bicycle lanes and it's too big to get everywhere on foot.  It was fun to just happen upon a strange Gaudí building (they're everywhere!) and to bike up to Park Guell (also designed by Gaudí) and look out over the city.  

Tom, cruising on his city bike

House by Gaudí

Palau de la Musica Catalana

Loving the bikes!

Looking out over the city from Park Guell (on the left, Sagrada Familia towers over everything)

We visited the Picasso Museum, mainly because the one in Paris is closed for renovations and it was a delightful surprise. Pablo Picasso was quite prolific and pioneered so many different styles; the museum did a great job taking us through each one.  There was an entire room devoted to his studies and variations on Diego Velázquez's "Las Meninas" painting, which were fascinating to compare.  We also spent an afternoon at the beach and ate paella seasoned with squid ink!  

Tom enjoying the beach

Like I mentioned before, the food experiences were marvelous.  We had tapas one afternoon at a bar counter in "La Boqueria", which is a huge permanent marketplace off La Rambla, while people bought fish, meats and fruits all around us.  Our favorite night was spent at a neighborhood restaurant across from our hostel, where a leg of ham was displayed (and sliced to order) on the bar, front and center, and the tapas just kept coming!  Spanish ham is best we've ever tasted, and I am currently trying to figure out how to import it so we can have our own ham leg sitting on the counter in Denver. :)  

Leg of ham in its place of honor

All in all, Barcelona was a place we'd like to return. Thanks to all of you who insisted that we visit! What fun to experience such different places, and still be happy to return to our land of Parisian pastries and baguettes.