My initial thought upon arrival into Barcelona was, perhaps it’s better to travel without any expectations at all. I expected to fall in love immediately with Barcelona, but that enamored rush of awe and contentment never seemed to wash over me. I guess I expected the city to have a similar vibe to Valencia- coastal, chic, and friendly, but I found Barcelona’s vibe to be congested, touristy, and commercial. I dare not use the word “disappointed,” but it certainly was not what I had expected, and therefore, it was my own doing and I don’t fault Barcelona herself of course.
Mom and I stayed in the old town, called the Barri Gotic, in a Rick Steves recommended budget friendly hotel called Hotel El Jardi. Ideally located, the hotel provided good service and an institutional meets hospital-esque room. It wasn’t a problem for mom and me because even if we were slightly unimpressed with Las Ramblas, the famous people watching pedestrian-only boulevard that runs through the entire city, we knew we had plenty to see and experience in this city.
I loved learning Spanish in high school, so much so that I minored in Spanish in college. I remember first learning about Gaudi and viewing photos of Sagrada Familia in one of my college Spanish courses and promising myself that I would one day see it in person. As a fanatic of all things whimsical and fanciful, Antoni Gaudi’s wavy, nature-inspired Modernist architecture won my heart the second I caught a glimpse of his work in my textbook. I was “rowdy for Gaudi” as I self-proclaimed, and mom and I got a thorough, two day dose of the imaginative modernist legend’s work. All in all, Barcelona was not my favorite destination; however, one of my most memorable experiences of my journey was made in Barcelona when mom and I first set foot inside the Sagrada Familia. The feeling was overwhelming and almost emotional. In my eyes, no other cathedral could ever match the grandeur and unique beauty of this basilica. So though the streets may have been tourist clad and slightly tacky, I happily took refuge in Gaudi’s timeless legacy that he has strewn across the city of Barcelona.
The Columbus monument near the harbor front
Highlights and moments:
-Enjoying a jazz concert on the rooftop terrace of Gaudi’s La Pedrera at sunset. La Pedrera was an apartment building designed by Gaudi and constructed in the early 1900’s for wealthier families. Its real name is Casa Mila, but it is referred to as La Pedrera because that means “rock quarry” in Spanish, and the façade of the building resembles just that. I was not disappointed by this work of architecture, and in my eyes, a work of art. Mom and I meant to go for a late afternoon visit, but when we heard the people in front of us ask about an evening concert, we thought that sounded even better. The evening concert ticket included a tour through the museum portion of the building, a cocktail, and then a jazz concert on the rooftop terrace that overlooks the whole city, all for around $28! I’ll never forget sitting on the stairs with mom, sipping champagne, listening to incredibly talented musicians jam in the pit-like center of La Pedrera’s wavy, nautilus fashioned rooftop, gazing through curvy archways covered in mosaic tiles out onto the Barcelona cityscape glowing in the melting rainbow light.
-Taking a hop-on-hop-off tour bus through the city to see all of the Modernisma jewels. It was mom’s excellent idea to do one of these buses. I was reluctant at first because, well, have you seen one of those things?! However, I swallowed my pride and reminded myself that I was a tourist and I needed to simply embrace it with a capital “T”. Barcelona is a huge city, and after mom and I had tuckered ourselves out rambling down Las Ramblas and then unsuccessfully attempting to utilize the metro system the day before, we concluded that having a chauffeur would be extremely beneficial…even if that chauffeur was a double decker, open-aired turquoise bus jam-packed with tourists smothered in sunscreen, brandishing their selfie-sticks like weapons. We reached the bus easily by getting to Barcelona’s main square, Placa de Catalunya. Notice the name, as it’s important to note that Barcelona is a region of Catalunya, and the people of Barcelona wear this distinction with pride and lisps abound! The hop-on-hop-off bus provided headphones so you could listen to commentary about each site we passed along the way. Mom and I got off to of course see Sagrada Familia from the outside. We purchased tickets to go inside for around 5:30 that evening. Regardless of the ever-present scaffolding encasing most of Sagrada Familia, the church’s exterior still astounded me. After 43 years of slaving away, Gaudi never finished his masterpiece. And guess what…it’s still not finished! It’s actually pretty neat to realize that architects today are still working to achieve Gaudi’s magnanimous vision. Part of me really wants to see the building finished, and then another part of me doesn’t, simply because it represents the unending toil of devotion to art and faith…which clearly is a timeless toil. The exterior of Sagrada Familia, which means Holy Family by the way, looks like a drip sand castle from afar.
Our next stop on the bus was Park Guell, pronounced “Gway” in the Catalan tongue. Along the way we passed the other modernist buildings such as The Block of Discord, a rainbow row of Modernist facades built by famous architects at the end of the 19th century. Park Guell is located on the outskirts of the city, but it is truly worth a visit. Mom and I are nature enthusiasts, so I was eager to see Gaudi’s work in a natural context as opposed to the urban context we had just viewed. Park Guell was actually originally constructed as a gated community for the wealthy during the early 20th century, however this was a failed project and it simply became a lovely green space to serve as an escape from the city. Gaudi actually lived inside the park in a little pink house for 20 years, though he didn’t design this house. The house is now a museum that mom and I decided not to go into, simply because we were more in the mood for a leisurely stroll through some much needed greenery. The park is stunning, with world-class views, interesting tiles smattering wavy benches and gingerbread house looking structures. A grand staircase with a dragon statue marks the main entrance. We strolled the majority of the park for nearly two hours, taking in the panoramas and the fresh air.
After Park Guell we decided to take a trolley, which then took us to a funicular, which got us to the top of Tibidabo, a mountain overlooking the city known for its ancient, yet still fully functional amusement park. My brother had really enjoyed this amusement park atop the mountain when he visited Barcelona after college, so I wanted to see for myself. The views from atop this mountain are stunning. I’ve also never seen such a clean, adorable, and almost mystical amusement park. It wasn’t tacky at all, it was truly beautiful. Mom and I climbed the stairs of the Sagrat Cor Church to gain the best possible views of the skyline. We certainly were rewarded.
We were well past our Sagrada Familia entrance ticket time, but we headed back in its direction on the hop-on-hop-off bus to try our luck at still getting inside. Fortunately for us, they allowed us in at 7 p.m., after warning us that they closed at 8 and we’d only have an hour. One hour was better than nothing at all for us, and boy am I glad we chose to go inside. We got the audio tour, which was slightly confusing to figure out at first, but once we got it working and were standing at the correct numbers, it was definitely worthwhile. We learned about all the different carvings in the various facades of the exterior and each one has such deep symbolism and significance to the story of Christ. Upon entering Sagrada Familia, mom and I both experienced near catharsis. The basilica is unlike anything I have seen before, or will probably ever see. The stained glass cannot be described in words and cannot be captured in a photograph. I really like how the audio guide also made a point of encouraging its listeners to take a moment for personal reflection, regardless of denomination, regardless of religious opinions, to simply reflect, be grateful, and to essentially try to have a spiritual moment. I personally believe that whether you deem yourself spiritual or not, it’s hard not to have some kind of emotional stirring or spiritual connection of sorts when you enter this architectural wonder.
Madness & Magic 
