The stay in Spain has continued to be awesome, barring three days of recovery from food poisoning. (Note:always make sure that at least one person knows the address where you are staying. You never know if a medical emergency will hit.)
Some of the discomfort I experienced because of the cultural shift from northern Europe to southern has alleviated. Not knowing much Spanish has stopped being as intimidating. It’s amazing how much you can understand solely through gesture and expression. Several times I’ve asked for directions from friendly locals, and we somehow find a way to understand each other and answer questions in our respective languages.
Culturally, there is an underlying feeling of separateness here from the rest of Europe, noticeable in the subtle ways that many Spaniards and Catalonians refer to other parts of the Union. When I asked, someone explained that it’s only been several decades since Spain opened up following Franco’s rule and, as a result, it’s still integrating with the other countries.
My friend Alex, restaurant critic extraordinaire, has been showing me around the city and taking me with him when he goes to review a restaurant. It’s been a lovely culinary tour of sorts! If you speak Spanish, check out his blog, Yummy Barcelona. You’ll get the scoop on good places to eat and drink. Some of my favorites have been Bacoa, Chocolate Box, Caj Chai, La Fianna, and Mian.
Barcelona is an extremely walkable city, and when you’re tired, it’s easy to take the metro back home. If you want to go farther, the train system is equally convenient. The adventure of choice this weekend was a visit to Sitges, a charming, small town thirty minutes by train to the south of Barcelona. I was struck by how similar the landscape is in many ways to Southern California, complete with Burger King signs.
The central part of Sitges is quite old, and slightly reminiscent of Barcelona in some areas. The most visually compelling part was the church, which was built on top of another temple which was built on top of another, etc. The Mediterranean sea crashes dramatically along the stairs leading up to the doors. I visited friends of a friend, who showed me around, but I would love to return and explore the area with my camera. Maybe later this week.
Rather than blast myself with museums, which to be honest is getting repetitive, I chose to visit one of the two Alex recommended, MNAC. It features old and modern art of Catalonian origin. The religious art and murals were plentiful and repetitive, though many used a technique with raised paint that was an interesting in comparison to liturgical works in the Met and Rijksmuseum.
The modern section held more compelling art in the form of some of Gaudí’s workshop experiments.
Basically, MNAC is worth a peek if you want to visit a descent sized museum with a good collection.
Now. Prepare yourself for an epic Geek Out. Casa Battló. Gaudí. Just go!! No really, don’t argue, just go. The architect modeled this home with the idea of dragons and aquatic life, sound and shape, texture and color. Walking through the halls was a full sensory experience. It felt more like a landscape than a static structure, yet could be a comfortable, livable home. I love when fantasy and practicality meld in art, and Casa Battló is a prime example of this. I am infatuated with this man. (Of course, any romantic pursuit is prevented by the fact that he’s also dead—silly details! 😉 )
Given my strong feelings for Casa Battló, I fully expected to pass out from bliss when visiting La Sagrada Família. Nope. The church is truly a work of art and unique. Gaudí crafted the main space to mimic a grove of trees. Throngs of people visit La Sagrada daily, so it took longer to absorb impressions of the building itself. For me, Gaudí attempted to capture faith—something intangible—with light and sound, equally intangible building materials. La Sagrada is about the feeling and beauty of devotion. The plethora of people snapping pictures and talking really detracted from the experience. And yes, it’s a completely hypocritical thing to say…but even so. Perhaps attending a mass, when tourist crowds are not allowed in, would have been better? In any case, La Sagrada Família is absolutely a place to put on your itinerary the next time you’re visiting Barcelona. And the towers offer a fun spiral staircase experience, so consider paying a bit more to see them.
Parc Guell didn’t do much for me, sadly. It’s small, filled with people…more of a picnic experience on the Fourth of July. The park itself is beautiful, but was not so compelling. It’s lost its charm to the swarms of tourists and commercial gain.
Until next time,
Immanuela