Jeanne's Next Chapter: Beautiful Barcelona

Everyone I know who has visited Barcelona seems to decide that it is their new favorite city. We were anxious to see what everyone was talking about so when our friend Lauren visited us, we joined her for a long weekend there. We weren't disappointed; it is a vibrant and exciting place that amazed us with its colorful public art, bodacious architecture and welcoming neighborhoods. All of this and easy access to clean, beautiful public beaches along the Mediterranean Sea.

Dave and I flew with Lauren and her sister Erin on EasyJet from Milan direct to Barcelona. Though AirBnB we rented a 2 bedroom apartment for three nights in El Born neighborhood. It was an adventure figuring out how to get into the apartment after first picking up the key in a bar across the street and then entering a rather scary entrance hall and trying to figure out which apartment was ours. We were pleasantly surprised to find a spacious and comfortable space inside that was right in the middle of all the action. The pedestrian street below us was filled with people until 3 AM.

Looking out from our apartment

Street view from our balcony.

To begin to understand the culture of Barcelona, one must understand the culture of Catalonia as it exists within Spain. Catalan is a primary language spoken (along with Spanish) and there is great pride in the Catalonian heritage as evidenced by the many flags we saw displayed. The Summer Olympics of 1992 which were held in Barcelona, not only helped the city modernize and gain international acclaim, it allowed the Catalan culture to become more recognized on an international level.

Tapas - small plates shared at dinner

We explored the city the first day by taking the "hop on-hop off" bus tour. Sitting in the open top of the double decker bus gave us a great view of the neighborhoods as we criss-crossed the city. The next day, we went by foot and by metro back to the places that piqued our interest. The main attraction for most visitors is the late architect Antonio Gaudi's unfinished cathedral, La Sagrada Família. At first glance it looks like a huge sandcastle made of dripping sand. The intricate detail of the facades becomes clear as one approaches the church but it is somewhat disconcerting that it is still very much under construction. The interior is nearly completed and is stunning as the sunlight coming in the stained glass windows absolutely fills the space with vividly colored illumination.

After the cathedral, one can't help but be captivated by Gaudi's spirit of creativity. We visited several of his other creations (Le Pedrera and Casa Batlló) as well as Park Guell which is an entire outdoor space designed by him. Throughout the city, we saw many other unique buildings with bold architecture and interesting details. The colors and whimsical nature in combination with the sunshine of Barcelona make it seem like a very positive and creative environment. The streets and beaches were crowded with tourists who also all seemed to be in love with Barcelona.