Barcelona: When Zachs Unite

My friend Zach (right) and I stand on the roof of Antoni Gaudi's La Pedrera.

This past week, my good friend from home, Zach Romano, found himself sans class for spring break.  Zach, who is studying in Florence, decided to visit me and explore Spain.  After bouncing around Belgium and going to Sensation White, a huge techno/dance music concert where all concertgoers and performers wear white from head to toe, he arrived in Seville on Sunday night.  From Sunday to Wednesday, I spent time with him whenever I didn't have classes, taking him to Alcázar, La Catedral, the Guadalquivir River, the Torre del Oro and all the other beautiful landmarks in my city.  We dined on paella, tapas and some gelato that he admitted rivaled that of Italy.  On Thursday morning, however, we bid goodbye to Seville. While I would only be away a few short days, Zach may not return for years to come, but he had seemingly grown fond of the warm weather and even warmer people Seville has to offer.  Early on Thursday, we boarded a RyanAir low cost flight headed northeast to Barcelona.

DAY ONE

Zach gets settled at Graffiti Hostel.

We settled in at Graffiti Hostel, our nine-euro-a-night headquarters for the weekend, and stopped for lunch before taking the city by its horns.  I had already visited Barcelona once before with my dad and sisters during my senior year of high school, so I had some idea of where to go.  I suggested we see the most memorable monument in Barcelona, Antoni Gaudi's Sagrada Familia.  Gaudi is a folk hero in Barcelona for his unique architectural style and his natural imagery and shapes.  He plays with the viewer by contorting the facades of his works and La Sagrada Familia is truly a masterpiece.  La Sagrada Familia is a towering cathedral with enormous spires erupting out of a square structure.  Along the walls is ornate religious and natural iconography, some aspects realist, but the backside is decorated with cubist sculptures of Jesus and many Christian saints.  The building has been marred by controversy since its inception in 1882 due to its huge costs and its almost whimsical design, which has contributed considerably to the lengthy construction process.  In fact, the building is nowhere near its completion, with some sources estimating that the building may not be finished until 2026, the year that would mark the centennial of Gaudi's demise by tram car--but that's a whole different story. 

La Sagrada Familia towers over the surrounding city.

Inside La Sagrada Familia.

Even now, La Sagrada Familia is a controversial structure.  In my mind, the most fascinating thing about the cathedral, is that it stirs up intense emotions from all parties, albeit on opposite ends of the spectrum.  No one ever feels indifferent to the building, yet it is either praised as an innovative masterpiece or blasphemed as a construction disaster and an eyesore along the low Barcelona skyline.  I believe La Sagrada Familia will live up to its immense expectations, yet I can see how it can certainly be unsettling for Catalunyans to see the building swarmed with cranes and scaffolding and to hear the cacophony of jackhammers and power tools everyday.  Zach and I bought tickets to enter the building (now the construction is fully funded by private donations and ticket sales) and we were mesmerized by the inner workings of the building.  The stained glass glistens overhead, as the building's eccentric character is accentuated with curved archways, spiral staircases and booming columns that appear like giant tree branches supporting the structure.  La Sagrada Familia was just as marvelous as I remembered, yet, during the four-year gap between my visits, I did not really notice too much progress in its construction.  After this delicious serving of Gaudi, Zach and I craved more of the master designer's work. 

The intricate roof and chimneys of La Pedrera.

We headed over to La Pedrera, a large apartment complex built by Gaudi for a rich couple in the early twentieth century.  La Pedrera has a flowing, contoured exterior with many balconies and gaping windows.  Yet, the true appeal of the building is the roof, cluttered with anthropomorphic chimney sculptures that have a striking resemblance to Darth Vader from the "Star Wars" epics.  Zach and I soaked in the view under the warm Catalan sun before descending and walking towards one last Gaudi triumph.  Though we didn't enter Gaudi's next work, we indulged ourselves in the sight of the queer, amusing facade of the Casa Batlló.  The Casa Batlló has distinct balconies which look like large masks to be worn at some Elizabethan masquerade or ball.  Additionally, the facade is plastered with colorful ceramic tiles that give the Casa Batlló true character among the comparatively quotidian buildings that surround it.  Yet, the real draw to the building is its inimitable roof.  The roof has eaves of turquoise green, blue and purple, giving it the likeness of scales perhaps belonging to a mythological serpent.  All of these distinct, flamboyant aspects of the building form an interesting, united amalgam of color that actually suits the structure.

Casa Batlló (center) sits sandwiched by monotony on a busy city street.

A candy stand at the La Rambla marketplace.

After having our Gaudi fill for the day, Zach and I still had time to promenade down La Rambla, the most famous street in Barcelona (and maybe all of Spain).  La Rambla is one long pedestrian walkway flanked by little restaurants, plazas and marketplaces.  As you walk along, you see dozens of street performers: a Charlie Chaplin impersonator, a soccer juggler, a human statue.  The true colors of Barcelona come out on La Rambla and you can buy everything from a postcard to a pet ferret to a tasty gelato.  Our day ended with a stop at the Picasso Museum, which has a slightly small collection of the artist's work.  Obviously, the pieces that are on display are amazing to view, and the museum does a nice job taking attendees through the metamorphosis of Picasso's work through the different stages in his life.  My particular favorite pieces were the "Las Meninas" collection of Picasso; the artist took the famous, aforementioned work of Diego Velázquez and put his personal, cubist touch on it through the creation of many pieces with differing perspectives.  The day ended with a dinner at Caramba, a traditional tapas joint, with our friend from home, Audrey, and some of her friends.

A peek at some Picasso works.

DAY TWO

The quaint houses at Park Güell.

Once we woke up the next morning and saw the sunny, brisk weather, Zach and I agreed to go to the Park Güell.  The Park Güell is another trademark of--you guessed it!--Gaudi.  The park is situated on top of a large hill overlooking the city.  Covered in cacti, palm trees and other exotic fauna, Park Güell is a delightful break from the hustle and bustle of the city streets below.  Gaudi was originally contracted to build a housing development on the site, but it was commercially unsuccessful.  Instead, he designed a large open terrace area with an enclosing, wavy bench with colorful mosaic tiles.  He also included a long staircase below the terrace with a mosaic dragon guarding the fountain.  The two houses that stand in the Park Güell were actually not built by Gaudi, but starkly resemble his technique and style.  Each house looks like an oversized gingerbread house with a sloping, white roof and colorful chimneys.  Zach and I scanned Barcelona from high on our perch and walked around enjoying the sounds of some enthusiastic street performers.

Zach and I lay out on the beach,

We followed our trip to Park Güell with a trip to the harbor.  The site of the pristine water and the hundreds of docked sailboats and yachts was very relaxing and we took some time to unwind after a day and a half of nonstop action.  Eventually, we ambled over to the beach for more of the same, planning out our next move whilst being serenaded by the lapping waves.  After a lap around the beach, we decided to go somewhere to nosh.  The Chocolate Museum seemed the perfect place: the ticket was an actual bar of dark chocolate!  Inside, the museum was pretty underwhelming, showcasing chocolate models of famous Barcelona landmarks and retelling the history of how cacao bean came to Spain.  At the end of the day, Zach and I met up with some more friends for spicy Thai food and sweet sangria.

DAY THREE

Castle of Montjüic

Our last day in Barcelona held the promise of one final quest.  After a seaside lunch with our friends studying in Barcelona, Audrey, Sara and Sarah, we took a tram from the beach neighborhood of Barceloneta up to the high mountain, Montjüic.  From there, we had to transfer to another tram in order to ascend to the Castle of Montjüic, a 17th century fortification that lies on the hill's peak.  The Castle switched hands many times during the Spanish Civil War from 1936 to 1939, being used as a vital base and lookout point.  Furthermore, the Castle was the site of many executions, even centuries before the Spanish Civil War broke out.  At the top of the Castle, we got a serene view of the horizon, with nothing but the blue of the ocean hazing our view.  Once we felt that we had taken enough pictures and climbed enough towers for the day, we descended back towards the base of Montjüic to check out the Olympic Stadium.  Though we were unable to go inside, we could see the torch that remained lit during the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona and we got a decent view of the track and field arena.

I sit next to a tower on top of the Castle of Montjüic.

The Magic Fountain show plays behind me.

Towards dusk, we found ourselves at the mouth of the National Art Museum of Catalonia.  The museum is housed in the Palau Nacional, a gorgeous building originally built in the 1920s as the site for an art exposition in Barcelona.  While we did not get to the museum inside to view the art collection, thousands of people gather by the museum steps each night to view the famous water and light show at the Magic Fountain.  The Palau Nacional rests on top of Montjüic, but has a series of long, wide staircases leading back down to the city.  Each staircase opens up to a separate plaza with a cascading waterfall or a gushing fountain.  The focal point is the Magic Fountain, a circular collection of geysers that spew in a synchronized fashion with lights and music.  We were lucky enough to get there right as it got dark and the vibrant lights of the entire scene were dazzling.  A loud speaker system blasted a playlist of Disney songs (in Spanish, of course) as we watched the fountains on each different level of the hill dance along.  The Magic Fountain show was the cherry on top of our trip.  Barcelona has such a distinct flavor than that of Andalusia, yet it is a great city to visit.