So we planned a trip for a long weekend to Barcelona!! I’m going to split it up into two entries because I have a lot of pictures and different places to write about. We left Rome on a Thursday night and flew to Barcelona in less than 2 hours. That’s the craziest part of Europe, a different country here is like another state at home.
Our hostel was in a really great location and easily accessible by train from the airport. Luckily 2 of my friends spoke a decent amount of Spanish and could talk to the lady at the desk of our hostel.
The first night we decided to go to a restaurant that served tapas. That means that they have about 40 different appetizer sized dishes each for about 3-8 euro that you can order and pick from! It’s pretty great because it gives you the chance to try a bunch of different things!
Above you can see some kind of chicken kabob, croquettes (top right) which are basically like mozzarella sticks but with some kind of bread crumbs mixed in with the mozzarella, and tripe at the bottom. Yes, that is sheep’s stomach. Apparently Spain is famous for serving all of these weird types and combinations of food. And yes, I did try it and I probably never will again. The taste was fine but the texture was far from my favorite.
One dish that you will find all over in Barcelona is paella (pronounced pie-ay-a). Its basically like Italian risotto but baked and usually has seafood in it.
On our way home we got to see our first Gaudi building (see picture below)!! The whole facade looks like it is made of different bones but also has a beautiful mosaic covering the front. Antoni Gaudi is famous for his architecture in Barcelona because of his innovative and unique style. His buildings are some of the most beautiful and well-designed I have ever seen (more on that later).
The next day we went to Sagrada Famiglia, Gaudi’s cathedral, and just about the most amazing building I have ever seen. The picture below shows a detail of the side of the facade describing the nativity. The other side shows the passion in a complete different type of language. It is apparent in Gaudi’s architecture that he took precedent from a variety of forms in nature. This includes all kinds of animals as well as natural phenomenon like the structure of a honeycomb.
The interior of the cathedral is even more intricate and amazing than the exterior. Gaudi is famous for using geometric forms like the parabolic arch and conical sections to generate the form of his buildings. The ceiling is a repeating pattern constructed using a design process that studied the functionality of mathematics.
His architecture is the main reason that I wanted to visit Barcelona, but the town itself is so full of life and seems to be much more excited than Rome. When you are in Rome you can tell that it is ancient and things move slowly because of that. Barcelona has evolved over time and keeps up with current design trends, making it more lively and exciting in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong, Rome is my first love but Barcelona is a close second.
Location: Barcelona, Spain
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