Emer in Switzerland: Barcelona

Last Friday I boarded a plane to Barcelona, Spain, for my first solo trip…ahh!! I’ll admit it, I was pretty nervous to head out by myself. Not about getting around (I speak Spanish), but more about the boredom of exploring alone if I didn’t meet some people, which wouldn’t have been so fun.

I took a bus from the airport to Passeig de Gracia, one of the main avenues in the city, and headed to my hostel. After getting settled, I walked to the Sagrada Familia Church, which is the architectural wonder of the city. The ground breaking started in 1882, and it won’t be completed until 2026-28, mainly due to the elaborateness of the design, and the reliance on funding provided by private donations. The church was designed by Antoni Gaudi a year after building commenced. He is also responsible for the design of other major landmarks in the area, but I’ll get to that later. I have never seen anything like the building. There are carvings, and Bible scenes everywhere you look. He designed the windows so that the light shone through the stained glass illuminating the hall in red, blue, green, and yellow. 15 meters up, he wanted to have a choir stand so that the acoustics in the building would make it feel as though the music was all around you. Under the main floor is a museum that houses the plaster works of Gaudi and his successors. Most of the carvings or designs had been first created in plaster in his workshop. I saw another one of Gaudi’s works that day, the Batillo House, which he designed for a wealthy silk trader.

Sagrada Familia- Passion Facade

Sagrada Familia Entrance

Sagrada Familia

Sagrada Familia- Nativity Facade

Batillo House

When it started getting dark, I headed back to the hostel, and later ran into some Amercian girls I had talked with outside the hostel. They invited me out with them for the night, and after having a few drinks at the hostel bar, and meeting a new Australian friend, we all went out for tapas! Tapas are a type of Spanish appetizer, made in a little bit bigger than bite sized servings. Groups will usually order many different kinds and share. Certainly gets rid of the 'what to order' dilemma.

The following day we all got up early to grab breakfast and catch a ride on the Hop on Hop off tour. There is a lot to see in Barcelona, but it’s very spread out, so we thought this was the best way to see it all. We got off the bus at Placa d’Espanya, where we saw an eight lane round-a-bout and walked to the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya. The complex was gorgeous, I thought it looked like palace grounds, but I later found out it was originally built for the 1929 World’s Far, and later used for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Behind the building was a garden and where we grabbed the bus to the Olympic Stadium (Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys). Afterwards we passed the FC Barcelona Stadium and the waterfront.

Art Museum

Olympic Complex

The 1992 Stadium

Plaça de Catalunya

Plaça de Catalunya

The Waterfront

The last stop of the day was to Park Guell, which was also designed by Gaudi. The entrance to the park has two gatehouses that were inspired by the story of Hansel and Gretel. As you walk further into the park, there is a giant mosaic lizard, and an area of columns with mosaic medallions on the ceiling. Just to the left of the columns is the Colonnaded Pathway, which has cut outs in the wall where you can stand and pose as a statue. Lame tacky tourist thing? yes. Did I partake? bien sûr.

Park Guell

Park Guell

Park Guell

Colonnaded Pathway

Gatehouses with city behind

New Friends :)

That night, we all headed out on a pub crawl on one of Barcelona’s most famous streets, Las Rambas. Three pubs, and then to a 3 story club. Super fun time!

My last day in Barcelona, I went touring with the Australian friend. We walked down Las Ramblas towards a few landmarks we were interested in. On the street we found many booths selling crafts, souvenirs, and flowers. There were also a few stalls selling animals, ranging from turtles to ducks to hamsters, it was a little bizarre. We had wanted to visit Mercat de la Boqueria off to the side of the street, but unfortunately it was closed. sad face. It is one of the most popular landmarks in Barcelona, the bright stalls of fresh produce drawing them in. The Sant Pau del Camp church was also off the main street. It was a former monastery, and named for its location so far out of the city. I read that it was built around the late 9^th century, the first documentation around 977. It’s a beautiful building still nestled in amongst the grime of the city. Next stop was back to the Sagrada Familia Church for some more pictures, and then to Goudi’s hospital, which was also closed. Sunday isn’t the best day to be a tourist in Europe I’ve come to learn. After grabbing lunch, I took the bus back to the airport and home to Geneva. I really loved Barcelona, the architecture was stunning, and it had a laid back feel to it. I also LOVED actually understanding what people were saying around me. Ahh Spanish, how I miss thee.