I tried hard with the alliteration for this title, if you can’t tell, but it really sums up the highlights of the past weekend I spent in the famous Spanish city, Barcelona! Another important “g” is the name of the friend I went with: Gabi. So thankful for my travel buddy!
Antoni Gaudí was born in Catalonia, the eastern coastal region of Spain, and is famous for his unique architecture. Inspired by nature, Catholicism, and patriotism, his work is like none other. The most famous example is the giant basilica Sagrada Familia, which is still being constructed according to his designs and is due to be completed in 2026. I was completely awed when we first glimpsed the building from the street, due to its sheer size and intricacy.
The inside was breathtaking as well, featuring a vast chamber, sunlight streaming through stained glass windows, and curved pillars soaring towards the vaulted ceilings. We slowly walked through, listening to the audio guide and taking everything in. It was truly the highlight of the weekend!
Gabi and I spent Saturday exploring the Gothic Quarter (the old city) with a wonderful walking tour, stopping in La Boqueria (a very crowded and claustrophobic market, not our favorite), walking through a beautiful nature path and the old Olympic grounds (from 1992), and finding yummy coffee shops and restaurants to eat.
We ended the day on Saturday with a free lights & water show at the Fuente Mágica de Montjuic. It was beautiful and a nice rest after two longs days of walking!
Sunday was our last day. We spent it visiting the Picasso Museum (fascinating to see the variety of work that he created, including ceramic pottery, crayon sketches, and nature paintings – not just triangle-faced people like I formerly thought!) and the Chocolate Museum (I appreciated the bar of chocolate negro they gave as the entrance ticket).
Overall, I loved Barcelona but would not want to live there. For one thing, the city is huge; we had to use subways/buses/taxis to get to each new location. I prefer Granada, where I can walk everywhere easily. Another difference is the language; Barcelona residents speak Catalan, a mix of Spanish and French, so it was more difficult to converse with them. Barcelona has also been more politically unstable in recent years, with the issue of Catalonian independence. Finally, due to so much tourism there are crowds everywhere and prevalent pickpocketing (thankfully we made it though with all of our belongings intact). So, although the city has more grass and amazing architecture, I am grateful for my “home” in Granada.
Cora the Explorer 