Beautiful! Gorgeous! Wish you were here...Barcelona, Spain

 

“There is graffiti everywhere,” is the first thing that I think upon leaving Spain’s Barcelona airport. On building walls, on roadside barricades, on cars, on buses…graffiti is everywhere.  I am determined not to let this first impression color my attitude towards the city too early.  I don’t want to judge this place based on only the area surrounding the airport. However, as the road leads me further into the city, the graffiti remains. And, now after a couple days in Barcelona, I think the graffiti is representative of this place in a very fitting way. It is not ugly, or meant to offend, but rather it is art form…from and for the masses. And, like the city, it is colorful, vibrant and full of energy. Barcelona leaves you with a surprising sense of constant motion mirrored by an opposing leisurely pace and patience.

While the graffiti stands as evidence of the fast pace and passion of the young, there is probably no truer example of a patient and loyal passion than the Sagrada Familia. The Church of the Holly Family is a Catholic church designed by Spain’s revered architect Antoni Gaudi. He had a vision and a passion that led him to design this church and the building of his dream began in 1882. It still is not done. The work has continued through and past his lifetime to the current day. It is expected to be completed in 2026. It is more than a building and, in fact, it is more than art. It is a tangible expression of the passion of the people of Barcelona. And evidence of the patience that sometimes is required for passion and for love.

This is city that values the moment they are in. Whether it is a fine meal, a nice wine, a good conversation, or a beautiful sight…the people here seem to move at a pace that allows them to enjoy. Barcelona is chaotic and quiet. It is youth and old age. It is black and white, and it is every shade of color. Take a moment today to live the Barcelona way…enjoy the moment.

 

 

 Some logistics:

·         A variety of hotels to fit every budget are plentiful in Barcelona. I have been staying at the Melia Barcelona Sarria which is a very nice hotel, focused more towards the business traveler and located centrally to shopping, restaurants, etc.

·         If you don’t speak Spanish, you can still travel to Barcelona. Though I’ve been brushing up on my Spanish from high school, I only know enough to be dangerous. When I realized yesterday that my curling iron wouldn’t work with my travel converters, I decided to find a nearby store to buy a European hair iron. However, when asking the concierge where I might find this, I may have said something like “My hair is like a horse” or “The horse is on my head”. I’m not really certain. However, I then decided that if I couldn’t tell them in Spanish what I was looking for, clearly the best option was to go with pantomime. As I stood in the lobby pretending to curl my hair with my hands, and pretending to plug in an electric cord, I really wished that I had started my language “brushing up” much earlier. That being said, many of the Barcelonians do speak some English.

·         The food has been amazing – seafood, rice, paella and lots of wine and chocolate. Really…no more needs to be said.