Barcelona: a tale of markets and architecture

Two full days in Barcelona is not nearly enough to experience the city and the culture, but I assure you we made do.

After a somewhat traumatic experience with jet lag, we rested up and were finally ready to do what we came to do. We decided to explore on our own the gothic quarter and las ramblas the first day, and then spend the second day with Antoni Gaudí.

El próximo día

The Gothic Quarter is considered the old part of Barcelona, meaning where the city grew from. There were old churches and buildings but overall it was filled with tourists and attractions. Neither of us stopped and gandered for too long as we had been told many times about the prevalence of pickpocketing. (My brother, a few coworkers, our flight attendant, the taxi driver and multiple online sources)

However, we stopped to see the Cathedral of Barcelona. Even though there’s an old church with history on every corner of Europe, I still like to stop and take it in.

We finally made it to las ramblas, which is a huge shopping area and tourist attraction. Mom and I visited the classic Spanish stores like Zara and Mango and some other ones along the way. We made it to the Plaça de Catalunya and then promptly into a restaurant for some nourishment.

I ordered some classic tapas for us, patatas bravas (a lightly fried potato with garlic aioli) and pan con tomate (bread with olive oil and tomatoes). Naturally we drank some beer and enjoyed the sights and the food. I had patatas braves in Valencia and it is one of the foods I miss the most, besides doner-kebabs and bocadillos.

Our last stop on las ramblas was the mercat boquearía. An indoor market filled with fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, sweets and more. I do wish we had these in the US. The closest thing we have are farmers markets and those really compare.

After buying some fresh fruit, some sweets, fresh bread, cheese and jamón serrano, we finally made our way back to the apartment. We decided to have our own tapas and wine and then venture later for ice cream and a nice walk.

The city at dusk is gorgeous, and busy. We walked into a different church where the choir was performing, which was beautiful. However, I’m still not sure if they were speaking Catalan or Latin. I do know it wasn’t Spanish thought. That was probably the most difficult thing about Spain. Everyone speaks Spanish and Catalan. Often at museums or stores or even on appliances the instructions are in Catalan. I can make out a few words when reading but overall I’m of little use.

El último día

Our time in Spain was already coming to an end. For the final day we ventured north of our Airbnb to marvel at the architectural masterpieces of Antoni Gaudi. I’ve never studied architecture, but even I know when to appreciate something that marvelous.

We first went to the Casa Batlló, a house designed by Antoni Gaudi with inspiration from the sea. It was for a wealthy family, because apparently some people have that kind of money.

This house was almost like a fantasy world to be in, I completely see the influence of the ocean. Not only were his designs extraordinary, but they were very functional. Some of the way beams were placed or the design of windows and doors were for better ventilation or for better lighting. Overall a very cool house, and a great taste of Gaudi before the Sagrada Família.

The Sagrada Família… it’s no wonder people come from all over to see it. Mom and I have both been to some outstanding churches before, but this one takes the cake. It’s not breathtaking in how old it is, but more in how grand and artistic is. This type of architecture is unreal in general, let alone at this scale. But I’ll stop explaining and let you see yourself.

The nativity facade, the only side completed during Gaudi’s lifetime.

The current plan for the church is to be completed by 2026, one hundred years after Gaudi’s death. Several architects have worked on the Sagrada but all off of Gaudi’s original designs from just before 1900.

Unfortunately these pictures don’t do it justice. Everything he did had a purpose. He created columns that dispersed like trees to show God’s presence in nature. As well as warmer tones of stain glass on the passion facade and cooler tones on the nativity facade.

I’m sad to say goodbye to Barcelona as it was such a short time. However, I am looking forward to discovering the French culture, cuisine, history and language.