Barcelona Part 1: Reunited and It Feels So Good!

In 2009 I moved to Barcelona to study Communication and Spanish Literature for a year. The unique city stole my heart, and it was the most exciting year of my life. Barcelona is a true feast for the senses, and I feel so fortunate that I was able to call it my home.

{Jumping for joy in Barcelona in 2009!}

A few weeks ago, Erin, E and I went to Barcelona with a few fun events planned. (More on those fun events to come in another post!) We had 3 days to explore my favorite city, and we certainly saw a lot! It was an incredible experience to go back to Barcelona, and I fell in love with it all over again. Here are some photos from the first half of our trip.

When we arrived on Thursday evening, we headed to Montjüic for a lovely view of the city from atop Castle Montjüic built in the 17th Century.

{It was such a wonderful feeling to see this view again, 3 years later.}

{Since it was late in the evening, we nearly had the castle to ourselves!}

The next day we woke up (somewhat) early and walked over to Barcelona’s most well-known site, La Sagrada Familia. This impressive and extremely unique church was designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí. Construction of the church (recently proclaimed a basicilia by Pope Benedict XVI) commenced in 1882. The estimated year of completion is around 2030. Needless to say, La Sagrada Familia is massive and the design is extremely intricate. When I visited it in June 2010, the interior was just a big construction site. Seeing all of the changes this time around was quite impressive.

{The Nativity Façade to the East, constructed between 1894-1930. It always reminded me of a dripping sand castle.}

{The Passion Façade facing the West.}

{A closer look at some of the rigid, dramatic sculptures of the Passion Façade. These were started in 1987, and have a very different look compared to the ornate design of the Nativity Façade on the East side.}

{Looking straight up at the incredible ceiling inside.}

{Gaudi’s design is meant to mimic nature, with tree-like columns with branches.}

{The crucifix suspended over the altar was like nothing I’ve ever seen before!}

{The stained-glass windows showered the interior in luscious, colorful light.}

After marveling at La Sagrada Familia, we headed up to another famous destination designed by Gaudí–Parc Güell. The dreamy and fantasy-like style of Gaudí’s work, as well as his talent for mosaics, is apparent in this unique park.

{The entrance of Parc Güell–it’s officially tourist season!}

{The famous mosaic benches line the main plaza.}

{More mosaics! A close-up on the benches, and a pretty planter.}

{This iconic lizard is featured in many souvenirs!}

After Parc Güell, we headed back towards the center of the city to wander down Las Ramblas, the main pedestrian walkway, and enjoyed the sights, smells, and tastes of La Boquería market.

{La Boquería, Barcelona’s most famous outdoor market!}

{A true feast for the senses!}

{Enjoying the fresh fruit juice in 2009 and 2013!}

{Yum! Fresh coconut!}

Needless to say, I was very very happy to be back in Barcelona. I wasn’t sure if it was going to work out for me to visit it this year, and I am so glad it did! The rest of my trip was just as fun and exciting as the start, as you’ll all soon see!

BONUS: FUN FACT!

Did you know that Barcelona is in the region of Catalunya, and they have two official languages–Catalan and Spanish? Contrary to most assumptions, Catalan is not a dialect of Spanish, it is a completely different language. Here is a great example of the differences:

English: I want to eat eight apples.

Spanish: Quiero comer ocho manzanas.

Catalan: Vull menjar vuit pomes.

Whaaat?! At least that was my reaction when I went to Barcelona to learn Spanish, and instead found out the Catalan is the language that is used in all of the schools, restaurants, and metro stations. But, I did learn some, and although it was difficult, it was pretty exhausting cool to be exposed to two languages that year instead of just one!