We booked a week in Barcelona hoping to get some work done and maybe get a little rest. Our first two days we just stayed in our neighborhood working and eating and eating and some occasional snacking. The city isn’t the cleanest but it’s not bad. It’s bigger and less touristy than the last half dozen cities we’ve visited offering a view into people’s real lives. We were loving it. And did I mention the food….oh man. I finally had a burger made with real beef but topped with spicy cheese and seasonings to die for. Tapas, chorizos, paella and Sangria. I’ve gained over 5lbs….. giving them bulls a fair shot next week.
Finally on day 3 we got down to exploring. First we went to Guell Park. In the late 1880s a rich entrepreneur commissioned a famous architect to build a community of uniquely designed homes on top of the cities highest point. After the project got scrapped the government stepped in taking advantage of the greenest area and best views in Barcelona and turned it into a park. Now it’s a UNESCO world heritage site. After 3 hours there we found our way to the Sagrada Familia, the countries most famous Basilica. Construction began in the 1800’s and its still not complete. Only 8 of the 18 towers are finished. It’s being funded by donations and noone knows if or when it will ever get completed. The inside is worth a visit but the outside is show stopper. Each side depicts a different part of Jesus’s life in 3 different architectural styles. The gothic side depicting his suffering was breathtaking. If you’ve been following my writing you know I’m hard to impress with churches by now but damn, this thing is in a class of its own. The government really needs to get behind this national treasure. Next we went to the gothic quarter and found the cities second biggest church and the famous Bishops bridge. I love gothic architecture. Next stop was a large food market where we sample Spanish hams. Not quite an Asian market but still fun. Then we capped of the day with a stroll down La Ramba, the 1.2km tree lined pedestrian street that divides the gothic quarter from the Raval neighborhood. Lots of cafes, street performers and souvenir shops. We only got through about half of what we wanted to see and can’t wait to explore the beaches later this week. Barcelona is our kind of city.
