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Published: November 11th 2009
We took one of those Eyewitness Travel top 10 books on our trip to Barcelona. It has inspired me to come up with a list of my own, in answer to this question: Why do I love Barcelona?
#1 It looks like home. Well, in parts, anyway. The marina with the boats tied to the docks, and down by the port where the cruise ships come in, and the cargo ships offload--in all that, I see Long Beach. Walking along the waterfront, with the wooden walkway, towards the aquarium, with the theater and the restaurants, and the palm trees lining the streets, yes, it looks like the LBC. The quality of the light, too, and the dry air are all reminiscent of So Cal. Miles of bikepath open up and the ocean lies before me, sandy beaches and clear blue-green water all around. No, Long Beach doesn't have clear blue-green water, but that leads me to...
#2 It is on the Mediterranean. Anyplace with ocean is ahead in my book, and Barcelona does have lovely beaches. This wasn't always the case, but redevelopment and cleanup along the coast for the 1992 Olympics revitalized beach culture here. It works.
Add this to my ongoing love affair with anything on the Med (which I consider my spiritual homeland, if I believe in such a thing), and I am happy.
#3 Funky neighborhoods. We rented an apartment in a section of town called El Borne, in the Gothic quarter, or old city section. This must be the funkiest, coolest part of what might be the most fabulous city anywhere. Narrow, tall gothic buildings lean toward one another to create a warren of shadowed pedestrian alleys. The upper levels are mostly residential; our apartment was the sixth floor of one of these buildings; our living room opened up to the rooftop, which perched precariously inward. We assumed it was an antiquated drainage system and we laughed everytime we walked in the front door and started sliding downhill. The painting and crumbling plaster, the old, worn floors, the casement windows with views of the Barcelona rooftops were all fetching in that way that old things have. There was no elevator, adding to the charm of the antique, as well as the cardiovascular benefits.
The bottom floors of many buildings around us housed tapas bars, cafes, artisan galleries, gourmet shops and grocery
and sundry stores. I didn't know where to look first. Also in the neighborhood is the lovely Santa Maria del Mar, a simple, Catalonian Gothic church; it is the most popular place for weddings in Barcelona. The Picasso museum, too, was just a couple of blocks from our apartment. This museum traces Picasso's evolution as an artist, displaying works from his teenage years on, describing his education and artistic transformations. It is beautifully housed in a graceful medieval building in the heart of El Borne. And speaking of buildings, Barcelona also has...
#4 Amazing architecture. The word "amazing" has suffered of late from extreme overuse and misuse. Here I reclaim the word, because it actually applies. There are some gravity-defying, gasp-inducing, awe-inspiring, or just out-and-out weird buildings in Barcelona, many of them inspired by the Modernista movement of the 20th century, and many, of course, influenced or created by Antonio Gaudi. His influence on Barcelona continues today, expressed in a willingness to explore and expand the boundaries of what is good and interesting in creating public architecture. I didn't get to see half of it. But we explored Parc Guell, Gaudi's answer to the public park, which is full
of paths contoured by interesting shapes and curves and mosaics, cut into a hillside above the city. We also visited Sagrada Familia, which I had seen in numerous photographs. The photos, though, failed to prepare me for the reality of the soaring spires and fantastic mosaic sculptures which cap this structure. Inside, the spires are supported by a series of interior pillars and buttresses designed to mimic trees. Gaudi was committed to the consideration of natural structures and organisms, and the symbolism is imbedded in every aspect of the church. Situated exactly between the mountains and the ocean (and so, according to Gaudi, in the spiritual center of the city), this church is still under construction, construction which you can watch while you visit. Estimated completion: 2020. Get there if you can.
#5 Spanish. Catalunyan is the first official language here, (Spain has four total) and it is first on all the signs and is taught to all the children in school, along with Spanish. To my untrained ear/eye, it seems like a combination of French, Spanish and Portugese. But everyone speaks Spanish too, and so do I and I was happy to hear it and speak it again.
Barri Gotica
This is a street in the old city, behind the cathedral of Barcelona.I think it may be the most beautiful language on the planet.
#6 Food. We didn't eat out much, but cooked in our little apartment. But there were tapas everywhere, and a giant open market (one of several) with every kind of food you could imagine and the vegetable and fruit and goat cheese were splendid and it was evident that there was a lots more where that came from.
#7 Bikes. Bike culture is big here. There are miles and miles of bike paths in Barcelona and the streets are full of people going about their day andando en bici, supported in part by a metropolitan fleet of bikes for hire, with drop off/pick up racks all over town. We spent a day riding along the beach and all over town and found it easy and safe. Nearby Girona is a training site for many pro cyclists. Don't know why, but that's what the resident experts tell me. Supporting the network of bike paths is excellent public transportation, which might deserve its own entry.
#8 Weather. Useful for #7 and closely related to #1 and #2. It was November and we went to the beach. Lots
Borne atico
Our living room window. of palm trees. Enough said.
#9 Parks. We hung out in several, most notably Parc Guell, and also the lovely Parc Ciutadella just a couple of blocks from our apartment.
#10 Flamenco. Back in the 80's, I became addicted to Spanish music and flamenco through the films of Carlos Saura. Sitting on a bench in Ciutadella Park, I watched four guys--a guitarist, a singer, a drummer and a dancer--do their flamenco thing. The soul, the spirit of it is ancient and timeless all at once. Everywhere I went, someone was strumming on a guitar or singing. I was in ecstasy.
I could just expand number 10 to a passion for artistic expression that seems woven into everyday life. Everywhere, someone was playing music, or making jewelry or cooking food or doing art. In Parc Guell, we heard lovely guitar and harp and drums and even bluegrass. That's right, bluegrass. I loved it all.
Okay, just one more--
#11 The Spaniards. They were nice, friendly, matter-of-fact and, as one of the students here put it, "really chill". There was no fuss, no drama, and an overall gentility. I have imprinted on my brain the face of
Carrer Canvis Nous
Our street in Barcelona the lovely abuela who helped us find our way to Parc Guell, beaming at us the whole time. But maybe I'm just imagining that things were so wonderful, on my short little trip. I don't care. I'm in love.
Look below to see a few more photos--
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Best so far...
This was the best update thus far. Now I understand why so many couples are looking for a place in Barcelona on International Househunters! I wanna go!