Taking a trip to Barcelona!

Barcelona City Streets

Breathtaking Fountain de Montjuic

Plush surroundings

La Sagrada Familia

On top of the Castell de Montjuic

So last weekend I took a weekend trip to Barcelona, Spain and ABSOLUTELY loved it! Spain is indeed a beautiful country and the city of Barcelona is fantastic. Picture this: Nice weather (For late fall about 60's isn't too bad!), beautiful buildings and great shopping! Barcelona has a very artsy vibe as it is where several artists such as Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró and Antoni Gaudi really flourished with their work.

Once I arrived in Spain I checked into a hostal with my friends from Wesleyan and the immediately woke up and started my day! I visited the Gaudi houses and saw amazing architecture. Gaudi created his innovative designs through inspiration from nature! (You can see one of his designs above!) One of his most famous works, also one of the most famous landmarks in Barcelona, is the Sagrada Familia which is a Roman Catholic Church. The Sagrada Familia is STILL being built and is not expected to be completed until 2026 which is WILD, yet beautiful!

Later I visited the museum of one of my favorite artists of all time: Joan Miró! He is noted for his modern designs and creative incorporations of interesting colors. It felt almost surreal to be less than an inch from some of the most famous pieces in the world! Visiting the Miró museum also got me inspired to create a few pieces of artwork myself :-) I actually first came across Miró in 6th grade Spanish class when I needed to do a presentation...I've loved his work ever since!

In the middle of the day I headed to the Montijuic castle which overlooks Barcelona (as it is on a hill) and is surrounded by the sea. It was BEAUTFUL! The views were amazing, I felt like I was on the edge of the world! After seeing the water, I was inspired to visit the Beach where I had dinner with friends and enjoyed some Spanish cuisine as the sun set :-)

After walking around the city (and taking the incredibly clean metro!) I headed to "El Barrio" or the old area of Barcelona. I've come to the conclusion that European cities are breathtaking! In the middle of the old town is Catedral de Barcelona surrounded by countless alleyways and winding streets with cute shops and cafes. By the end of the night I headed to the Magic Fountain of Montjuic. I have NEVER seen a fountain so awesome! The fountain itself was huge; complete with flashing lights, intricate combinations of water shows and music. I honestly felt as if I was watching the opening for the Olympics!

In between all of this sightseeing I visited various cafes and restaurants where I had traditional "Spanish" food. Personally, I wouldn't say the main courses are my favorite...but the "tapas" or small Spanish snacks were excellent! It was kind of funny because I feel as if my Mom is ahead of her time, making tapas whenever she can! Also, churros con chocolate, or sweet sugar bread dipped in chocolate are SO delicious! Overall, I would say that Spanish snacks and deserts are great!

While visiting Barcelona I also got to practice my Spanish properly (which I haven't done in SO long!) and I actually surprised myself! From walking around and speaking with locals, I've found that I not only still understand Spanish but can speak enough with others to get by. That was quite a positive element to my trip knowing that once you learn a language it tends to stay ingrained in your system!

IT was GREAT to visit Barcelona! I think Europeans don't know how good they have it; they could travel to another country close by by plane within' two hours. Some parts of the states takes 5 hours to get to! From this experience, I have seen that I need to take advantage of the proximity of other countries. This weekend I am heading off to PARIS! I am so excited, yet still in shock that I just casually visited another country last weekend...this experience is AMAZING!

Until next time,
Ari <3