"What's that Baxter? You know I don't speak Spanish!"

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Last week at this time I was blogging about Northern Europe. This week, I get to talk about Southern Europe. After many years of wanting to visit, I finally made it to Barcelona, Spain, to spend a few days relaxing with my Swedish friends before the finals period begins. I had never been to the Mediterranean before so I was really looking forward to it. Needless to say, I wasn't disappointed.

Barcelona is an amazing city situated between the mountains & the sea. It's perfect for people with many different interests - the city center itself has great cultural sites, shopping, & food, whereas the immediate surroundings offer outdoor activities to suit many different tastes. Culturally, Barcelona is really fascinating. It is the capital of Catalonia - an autonomous region of Spain. That being said, the main language spoken is Catalon - not Spanish. Unfortunately, my very limited knowledge of Spanish didn't come in handy (for instance, it's not really helpful to know things like "what's the weather today?" or "may I use the restroom?" outside the elementary school level. I will say, however, that it was entertaining to see what random Spanish words would pop into my head, such as "abuela" & "frijoles." I'm sure my friends that were Spanish majors would be very upset with me, haha). One thing I will say that struck me as interesting was the fact that English wasn't as common there as it is in other parts of Europe - even when we asked for directions from a teenager who should be studying English at school, it was very broken. Compared to the extensive amount that English is spoken in other parts of Europe that I encountered, I was a little taken aback. Regardless, the semi-language barrier didn't change the fact that the people are very kind, generous, & willing to try to help with a smile on their faces. That's always refreshing.

Barcelona is notorious (perhaps "infamous" is a better term) for its pick-pocketing problem. The entire time, I was super conscientious (& even a little OCD about compulsively checking to make sure my wallet was still in my purse). However, despite our best efforts - we still fell victim to a pick-pocketing attack. Sofia's wallet was taken out of her purse at a night club without her even knowing it. The person only took her wallet - leaving her cellphone & camera - but luckily Sofia was able to cancel her credit card in time & only 30 euros were stolen. Despite the fact that not a lot was taken, it still put us all on edge to be extra careful for the rest of our trip so we, too, wouldn't become a statistic. Pick-pockets are pretty common in the very touristy areas - so anyone visiting the major sites needs to be on guard. It's mildly exhausting to be continuously on edge, but if it saves the hassle of dealing with canceling credit cards or passport issues, then it's worth it to be a little paranoid. The city has a lot to offer, so the pick-pocketing problem should not be a factor to turn a person off of the city.

The work of Antoni Gaudi is a cultural staple of Barcelona. Gaudi is well-known for his architectural works which embody the Modernisme movement, which took place at the end of the 19th century. Modernisme is a variant of art nouveau, & everything about it is fantastic. From the color to the curvature to the sheer creativity, it's a definite must-see for anyone who is traveling to Barcelona. It's one of the many things that makes the city so unique. The first place we visited was Casa Batllo - a house that was commissioned by Josep Batllo i Casanovas & finished in 1906. The house is unlike anything I have ever seen. It has no straight lines - everything is curved from the walls to the ceilings to the windows to the doors. It symbolizes the liquidity of water, & the colors of the stained glass windows resemble life in the sea (i.e. variances of blues, greens, purples). Gaudi also maximized the use of natural sunlight so the house is very open & beautiful. The elevator shaft is unlike anything I have ever seen, with the ceramic tiles on the walls going from a light blue to a deep blue as you work your way up. The glass also makes it look like you're underwater. It's a great optical illusion. The next stop on our Gaudi tour was the Sagrada Familia church. Construction originally began in 1883, but the church remains unfinished to this very day. The church is really unconventional - it combines some Gothic aspects of architecture with the typical Gaudi style. It's also interesting that so many other artists & architects have worked on the building so each area has its own "style". Perhaps one of the most controversial pieces is the sculpture of Jesus on the Cross on the Passion Facade. Jesus is depicted in the nude, which is essentially unheard of. (I mean, think about it - every crucifixion painting/statue/model always has Jesus in a loin cloth). Continuing on, we visited the Parc Guell on a hill that overlooks the city. The park was commissioned in 1910 by Eusebio Guell as a private housing estate; however, only 2 houses were ever built & the rest remains a fantastic public area with serpentine paths, fantastic views, mosaic statues, & oodles of creativity. There really aren't any words to describe how breathtaking the park is - even pictures don't do it justice. It's one of those things that you just have to see to believe.

Taking the train 30 minutes south of Barcelona, you come to a nice seaside town called Sitges. While it has a reputation of being a "gay beach", nothing detracts from the beauty of it. The water is clear blue, the buildings are amazing, & the little alleyways that lead down to la playa are fantastic. Sitting atop a bluff is the Sant Bartomeu i Santa Tecla church which is just awesome. Compared to the hustle & bustle of Barcelona's city center, it was nice to escape it for the afternoon to soak up some sun, swim in the Mediterranean, & enjoy some fresh seafood. I would recommend the city for anyone who is interested in a nice shoreside town that is low-key, but the trains run until pretty late so it's always possible to hop on one & go into the city for the day or night.

I think the hardest part about Spanish culture was the timing differences. For instance, the Spanish take their afternoon siestas, eat dinner around 10 pm, & parties don't get under way until after 1 am. It's just astounding how much different it was from our usual routine (you know, breakfast at 9 am, lunch at noon, & dinner at 5 pm). It was particularly hard for me to get "in the mood" to go out because of my grandma tendencies. I mean, I was roaring & ready to go around 9 pm; unfortunately, nothing is open then, & I just couldn't hold out until midnight to finally head out. I guess that means I just can't hang with Spanish culture...

This trip marked my first experience with staying in a hostel. I was very apprehensive about it, but I figured that since it's so European to stay cheaply in a hostel, I needed to chalk this one up to life experience. Needless to say, I came, I saw, I'll never do it again. Give me a hotel room with a private bath & room service any day. 😊 I couldn't quite grasp being comfortable with sharing a room with girls that I didn't know. I mean, there were 4 of us, but the room housed 8, so at any given time there was at least one stranger sleeping in the bed next to me. That's just creepy. I've seen enough scary movies to know what that person could be capable of (ah hem, that's me being a typical paranoid American that's untrusting of people I don't know haha). I hated the fact that there were only 3 toilets & 3 showers to serve upwards of 25 people at a time... plus the fact that none of us in the room were on the same sleeping schedules so there was constantly noise or a light on. Yuck. Never again. haha. I am proud that I was able to stick it out though. After I saw the accommodations, I immediately sent a text to my dad asking permission to jump ship & rent a room at the hotel down the road. Despite the disgustingness of sharing with strangers, I managed to spend 4 nights there so I can say I toughed it out for the duration of our trip. I consider that an accomplishment...

A friend of a friend (complicated, I know) lives in Barcelona, & he was generous enough to take us out for dinner & drove us around the city a bit. He took us to a beautiful spot that overlooks the entire city & shore. (Totally a make-out spot - it was obvious that that notion is cross-cultural, hahaha). Regardless, it made for a nice cap to our time in Barcelona to watch a beautiful sunset over a beautiful city.

For more photos of the trip, check out my Facebook album at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2024755&id=68800099&l=3e39a8d01d

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Photos

Casa Batllo
One of the houses in Barcelona created by Antoni Gaudi reflecting the Modernisme movement (finished in 1906)

Casa Batllo
Nothing in the house is in a straight line - not even the windows. This window in the main drawing room overlooks the busy Passeig de Gracia.

Sagrada Familia
This unconventional church has been under construction since the late 19th century.

Parc Guell
The purpose of this park was originally to be a private housing estate for Barcelona's wealthy citizens. Only 2 houses were built, however, & today it is a beautiful (& green) public area overlooking Barcelona's city center.

Sitges
This quaint seaside town is only a short train ride from the city center of Barcelona & offers a fantastic escape from busy city life.

Sitges
The Sant Bartomeu i Santa Tecla church overlooks the town of Sitges & stands as a beacon of beauty overlooking the sea.

Sitges
Sunny weather + clear blue waters is a recipe for relaxation.

Scenic overlook
Rebecka & Carolina overlooking Barcelona at sunset.