Barcelona!

Well hello there! I know it’s been over a week since my last post, so I thought I’d catch you up on what I’ve been doing so far!!

Friday June 10

I woke up bright and early and made it to the bus station for a trip to Barcelona with Emily, Ashley, and 5 other girls from Michigan State.  It was a beautiful day in Valencia, so it came as a slight let-down when the legendarily sunny Barcelona greeted us with overcast skies and threats of rain.  We navigated our way to through the metro, and as we left the doors, a flood of water came rushing down the stairs and into the station.  The Michigan girls with the map led us through the pouring rain down several wrong turns, and about 30 minutes later we arrived at our hostel!  I met a UVA 2009 alum who had been touring Spain with his sister…he recommended that we visit the water show at the Museu Nacional d'Art de Cataluny that night, so we shortly set off to the center of the Barcelona city.

I originally mistook the museum for a palace when we first arrived, and we unfortunately were too late to be able to tour it.  We had a nice (though chilly!) walk around its grounds and exterior before we eventually sought out dinner.  We ended up eating at a Tapas restaurant, where I tried calamari and another squid dish for the first time! The calamari was okay, but I didn’t care for the squid….too slimy.

 The water show was spectacular.  Spotlights lit up the Museum from behind, and the giant fountain released geysers illuminated by beautiful colors and designs.  It was like a less deafening version of fireworks, and a great first night!

Saturday June 11

Saturday unfortunately got off to a slow start thanks to some of the lazier Michigan kids.  Emily and I began to drag the others through the streets in our attempt to see as much of Barcelona as possible.  We started out at Gaudi’s famed site of creativity, Parc Guell.  The focal point of the park is the main terrace, shaped like a sea serpent.  We also had time to dart around and see many of the mosaic creations, like the mythical “dragon” that guards the entrance.

We scooted out of the park and just made it in time to the free walking tour provided by our hostel.  Our guide, Mattias, was a native of Switzerland, grew up in Germany, and recently moved to Spain.  He was an outstanding guide, taking us through much of the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona.  We started out near Las Ramblas, where he proceeded to explain that much of what we saw was actually brand new, built by the Catalunyans prior to the 1992 summer Olympics held in Barcelona.  Such was the case for the “Face of Barcelona,” a tacky but fun sculpture where we started it all.

Several of our stops along the way included the Santa Maria del Pi, a beautiful though lesser-known church in the Gothic Quarter.  It’s most remarkable feature is its large, sweeping arches (larger even than in the Barcelona Cathedral).  Even more impressive, it was built in the 14^th century and completed in just 50 years!  We also went by the Catedral de Barcelona, which was simply beautiful.  It is dedicated to Eulalia, the patron saint of Barcelona.  Fun fact: a secluded cloister of the cathedral contains 13 white geese, as Eulalia was 13 when she was martyred. Another stop included the Placa del Rey, where Columbus was received by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella after his trip to Americas.  Mattias spent a lot time delving into the trials we’ve learned Columbus caused in his trips here, and while I lamented the path of destruction he left in his wake, it was still amazing to visit that courtyard and think how different things could have been if not for him.

Later in the afternoon I was ecstatic that we were able to visit La Sagrada Familia.  The church has been under construction for the last 125 years; it was originally designed by Gaudí, and his designs have been carried forth even after his death.  The pope recently consecrated it as a minor basilica in November.  The outside was purely magnicficent, with different facades depicting the stages in Christ’s life (most prominently the Nativity façade the Passion façade). I simply couldn’t believe my eyes, however, when I finally stepped inside.  It was the most beautiful church I’ve ever seen in my life.  Sweeping arches made of stone smooth as silk rose up into a lofty ceiling.  Gaudi took much of his inspiration from nature, and the church is meant to feel like a canopy, with branching leaves at the top.  The dome of light at the apse of the church was magnificent, with a triangle and circle illuminated to represent the eternal glory of God.  It was overwhelming to face such a beautiful work, and I truly felt the power of God – in the work to inspire Guadi, who in turn has no doubt inspired millions of people.  The visit was by far my favorite thing we did in Barcelona.

Emily, Ashley, and I continued to explore in the evening, and we saw the exterior of Gaudi’s Casa Batlló, a bizarre piece of architecture resembling more skull-and-crossbones style than anything.  We unfortunately were too late to enter and see its more attractive features.  We found a small Spanish restaurant off the beaten path and had a wonderful dinner with croquetas, fried flounder, and shrimp paella.  I was starving at that point, so dinner was extraordinarily delicious, and we had the chance to converse with a few Barcelona natives at the table next to us!

In retrospect, the trip taught me a very important lesson about Karma.  Several of the Michigan State girls, one in particular, seemed to have a difficult time enjoying any of the sites.  Rather than visit Parc Guell they wanted to shop the store fronts and sit in cafes all day.  They moped about walking to the park, about having to walk on the "walking" tour....it was quite annoying.  Emily and Ashley luckily shared my desire to see as much of Barcelona as possible in our short stay, but the others...not so much.  I was aghast when they sat down and moped after 15 minutes of being in La Sagrada Familia - one of THE most beautiful places in the world - but I thankfully didn't let them spoil my fun.  The next day as we were taking the metro to the bus station, the one girl said, "At least we made it out of Barcelona without getting pickpocketed!"  If that's not a jinx, I don't know what is.  She later searched her baggy purse at the station and couldn't find her wallet.  Even worse, she had locked her luggage, and the key was in her wallet.  I felt sorry for her, I truly did, but the moral of the story is to be aware of your situation and your surroundings at all times, even if that means making the most of a stroll through a mosaic park or an unfinished basilica.


This week in Spain I’ve been trying to catch up on my homework.  I have a 10 page paper due on Monday, so I’ve been researching/writing/spending free time on the beach.  I’ve visited several museums this week, including L’Almoina.  This museum features an underground look at the excavation site underground of the more ancient cities of Valencia.  Valencia had been built and rebuilt two times previously, once in the 130 B.C. times, and once again by the Romans several centuries later.  It was amazing to see the two tiers of stone that had been used by the different civilizations, and it was even more amazing that some human remains had still been preserved! (Photos unfortunately were not permitted).  I also had the opportunity the other day to visit the Torres de Serranos with my roommate Emily.  The towers are one of 12 gates that guarded the ancient walls of the city of Valencia.  It also came with a beautiful view of the city!