Bonita Barcelona

Last trip in Spain to Barcelona, and one of my favorite cities thus far.

On the bench in Park Guell with friends Allye and Jordan

     Barcelona, also known as Barca (Bar-kah) among my friends, was my last traveling experience in Spain, and it was probably my favorite city I visited. Although Barcelona is a big tourist city, it had a much different feel than Madrid or other cities around Europe. The attitude in Barcelona was very laid back; it was a mix between bohemian and beach-bum. While many cities boast about their ancient cathedrals and buildings, Barcelona’s pride is based in it modernism architecture and the re-vamp it’s made in the last few centuries.

_{Enjoying a drink on the beach in beautiful Barcelona.}

While there, we visited all the insane Gaudi buildings, including Casa Batllo, Casa Mila, Park Guell, and the Sagrada Familia. It was definitely different than anything I had seen thus far in Spain. The buildings looked like something out of a dream: covered in colorful tiles, balconies that looked like masks, and a big, drippy sand-castle like church.

    _{Looking up at Gaudi's Casa Batllo.}

_{The "Passion" door at the Sagrada Familia}

We also spent a majority of our time wandering down Las Ramblas, on our way to the beach. This is the main tourism stretch, filled with crazy vendors selling things from flowers, to art, to hamsters. The street performers provided all kinds of entertainment as well.            

^{Brazilian street performers on Las Ramblas}

Most of the rest of our free time, we spent relaxing on the beach. This is definitely one of the most alluring places in Barcelona, and a nice place to relax after doing the tourist sites. But beware, because swimsuits are optional.

_{Friends Allye and Jordan standing on the beach}         

 One of the most interesting tourism spots we visited, was the Dali Theatre-Museum, which in is Figueres, about an hour and a half outside of Barcelona. It was a little out of the way, but definitely worth the trip, especially for an art-lover like myself. This museum was designed by Dali himself, and not only holds his paintings, but the building is the largest piece of surreal art in the world. And surreal it was. The entire time we were touring the museum, all we could say was “This guy was sooooooo weird”.

_{Dali Theatre-Museum in Figueres, Spain}        

This trip was definitely a little bittersweet, knowing it was my last trip while in Spain. But after getting a little glimpse of Spain and the rest of Europe, I have strong convictions I will return to Europe again soon. I also hope to return to Oviedo in my next trip through Europe with my family, so I can show them where I had the opportunity to spend some of the best months in my life thus far. I will definitely be leaving a little piece of my heart in Spain; but I’ll be back for it!

_{Giving a big hug to a column in Park Guell. I love Europe!}