I absolutely fell in love with Barcelona. While I unfortunately missed the beachy and warm Barcelona for clouds and rain, the city did not fail to capture me.
My first day in Barcelona, I decided to visit the biggest tourist attraction, La Sagrada Familia. La Sagrada Famila is an investment, costing about fourteen euro to go inside (and thankfully twelve euro if you’re a student), and also costing about two hours of your day to wait in line to go inside. Despite this, I was determined to go in, having heard from someone that it was completely worth it. And it was.
The outside is like nothing you’ve ever seen, with eight spires – which will become eighteen spires at its completion – that you can easily spot from far away. The spires are actually how my roommate and I found La Sagrada Familia, not having a map. Three different facades decorate the outside of La Sagrada Familia. The basilica seems to have a mix of different styles, some of it looking cave-like on the outside, followed by the strange-looking, hole-y spires, and then parts of the outside is smooth and geometrical. And on top of that, there are all these cranes and crazy construction going on since the basilica still isn’t finished, having been worked on since 1882. Supposedly Antoni Gaudí’s pridefully complex and largest basilica of the world is to be completed by 2026 (the 100-year anniversary of his death), but who knows.
While in line, my roommate and I were able to point out different details on the outside of the church, such as a random lizard hanging on the edge of a column and other little animals. We thought that the outside of La Sagrada Familia was already bizarre compared to any other basilica or cathedral we’d seen, but the inside was something I had not expected at all. The entire interior was white, but the multi-colored stained windows caused rainbow colors to light up the walls. The ceiling was extravagant with pillars that joined into gold-and-white-colored flowery designs. I instantly developed a love and appreciation for Gaudí’s work.
The rest of the day was spent exploring La Rambla, a long street lined by kiosks and filled with people. My roommate and I were instantly drawn to the Boqueria market which had all kinds of inviting foods. Nearby the Boqueria was a pastry shop called Escriba Pasteleria, which has been open since 1820. My roommate Emily and I decided to have a yummy pastry that tasted like creme brulee for an afternoon snack.
The next day was a continuation of exploring Gaudí’s eccentric artwork in Barcelona. Apparently Gaudí has marked his territory all over the city. First we visited Casa Battló, which is a house Gaudí designed. The exterior is a mixture of white and colored tiles, along with strange looking balconies that look almost like skeleton faces, but are really meant to demonstrate carnival masks. Unfortunately I didn’t get to go inside (once again it costs about fourteen euro), but according to pictures the interior is even more colorful and extraordinary. The rooftop of the house is meant to demonstrate the spine of a dragon and is decorated with colorful tiles. Who knew that Gaudí could go from designing a church to such a peculiar looking house?
The next Gaudí spot was Casa Milá, which is a huge six-story apartment building that takes up an entire corner of a street. Unfortunately the exterior was under construction, but since Casa Milá is known as Gaudí’s most famous apartment building, I decided to pay to see what was in store for me inside and on the roof.
The interior was unusual, featuring two courtyards surrounded by strangely smooth walls and a view of the skyline between windows and windows of apartment complexes. My two roommates and I decided to take the stairs to the top rather than taking the elevator, and like kids we rang the doorbell on each floor. Every doorbell was different and sounded like some kind of play doorbell, rather than an old doorbell from past residences. The walls in the stairwells were curved, smooth, and colorful, making it seem like we were in a Mickey Mouse house from Fun Town in Disneyland. At each floor we also noticed that the door handles for each apartment were weirdly shaped. Later on, we learned in the museum part of the apartment tour that Gaudí designed several different door handles for practical use, each one having a specific way that a person would hold it, molded to fit a person’s hand depending on how it was opened.
At the rooftop we were greeted with several “warrior” statues that function as chimneys, and other strange architectural designs and mosaics. The most interesting thing about this specific Gaudí work is that the building is completely supported by arches and pillars. Looking at a miniature model of Casa Milá in the apartment’s museum, I realized that Gaudí was a genius. The apartment’s design was so strange but its structure was practical and at the same time artistic.
Our last Gaudí stop was Park Güell, which is a large park that overlooks the city of Barcelona. The park is dotted with more of Gaudí’s designs but in an outside setting. At the entrance of the park you are greeted by a colorful, tiled lizard with buildings on either side that both look like the candy house from the story of Hansel and Gretal (I’m not kidding). Above this are columns holding up a veranda where serpentine benches of colorful mosaics provide a scenic spot to sit and enjoy the view. Apparently these benches are molded a certain way for comfortable seating. I’ve learned that Gaudí really thought out everything he designed. Further up the park there are several stone arches and walkways that are lined with stone structures of “bird nests.” This park was perhaps one of the most amazing and unusual parks I have ever visited. The entire time I felt like I was in a fantasy world. That’s when I decided that Gaudí is my favorite artist of all time.
My last day in Barcelona was spent in the rain, discovering the city’s last charms. It was a perfect museum day so Emily and I went to visit the Picasso Museum. The Picasso Museum is amazingly free entrance for students. Upon hearing this Emily and I looked at each other and jumped up and down singing, “It’s free! It’s free!” After spending all our money on entrance fees throughout Barcelona, we were ecstatic to enjoy something without emptying our wallets. The Picasso Museum was enjoyable for a rainy day and demonstrated the versatility of Picasso’s art as he progressed as an artist.
The Picasso Museum was located in the Gothic Quarters of Barcelona. I loved these particular streets of the Gothic Quarter because they were much more quiet than other parts of the city. As I wandered through the labyrinth of its streets, I kept stumbling upon these quaint little boutiques, bakeries, and restaurants.
My last day in Barcelona ended drinking a Barcelona specialty, Cava (which is Spanish champagne), with my three roommates. Barcelona is one of those cities that is unlike any other city you’ll visit, and it completely entranced me. I decided that I am going to come back someday. I promise.
