Barca
Friday, May 23, 2014
9:24 AM
Barcelona was my favorite destination two years ago in comparison
to all cities I traveled to. The culture, people, food, history, and
attractions were all killer. When Claire and I chose our cities, I knew this
had to be a must-see for us again. Crazy enough, we happened to be crossing
paths with my sister who was in Barcelona with my aunt and uncle for her senior
trip. Claire and I somehow managed to navigate Barcelona's public transit which
was far more complex than any other city on 3 hours of sleep. Getting off
the final metro stop and going up the stairs we instantly saw Krissy, John, and
Erin Kate enjoying some coffee waiting for us. They took us in graciously to a
cheery apartment in a neighborhood close to the beach. Compared to most of our accommodations thus far, it was a knock-out. I loved it! We got a quick lunch
then made our way to the beach to soak in some Mediterranean Sun. It wasn't hot
in the city, but on the beach it surprisingly got warmer and was perfect for
laying out and taking a snooze in the sun which is exactly what we needed and
were looking forward to in Barcelona.
When I woke up from a deep slumber I was
so pleased to see sun still shining, the sea sparkling, and my skin a tint
other than ghastly pale. I also started noticing the people offering us
everything we could possibly need. People were incessantly coming up to us
asking if we wanted beer, water, a massage, a sarong, and my favorite- mojitos
(the guy carried around the rum under his arm with a janky cooler of the ingredients at his side) We respectfully declined at all costs. Eventually it
started to get breezy so we headed to a place Krissy and John had already
claimed as their "Mojito" place. It was to die for- the mojitos were
the most refreshing thing to drink along the coast. Life was pretty darn
perfect.
We washed up for dinner and Erin chose a little sandwich place
featuring food from all over the world. I stuck with Spanish food and got a
sandwich with their special ham, buffalo mozzarella, and honey. I'd like to say
I remember how savory it was, but I was so hungry I practically inhaled it.
Claire and I were still out of it from our long day, so we headed back and
crashed pretty early.
The next morning I woke up to Erin complaining to how it was
pouring outside. However, her and my aunt and uncle still took off early for
their tour of the music hall of Barcelona. Claire and I slept in a little
longer until we got up, ate, and went shopping. The weather cleared off so we
ended up getting more enjoyable weather. We regrouped pretty early evening as
we went to see the Orchestra of Barcelona play in the famous music hall various
soundtracks like Harry Potter, Star Wars, and jaws. It was stunning- the music
was phenomenal and the design of the music hall left nothing to be desired. The
show went by too quickly, but we left swiftly at the end to catch reservations
at a restaurant that Krissy and John were recommended to try. I was super
excited because the restaurant was well-known for their paella which is Spain's
most famous rice dish. It was not a let down. I went back for seconds and did
not regret a single bite. Knowing we should be full, we chose to ignore it and
got gelato after shamelessly anyways. After this, Claire, Erin, and I went out
for some sangria before calling it a night. IT was such a relaxing day. 
I couldn't put my book down that night so waking up the next day
proved difficult. However, I dragged myself up to go to Park Guell so that we
could see the famous Gaudi architecture. It was just as incredible as the first
time. The immense detail, design, and sheer brilliance of the park left me
constantly amazed. How did this one man design half of the city? And not just
any design- something far above his time. We took our time exploring the little
caves, the look-out of the city, and the houses. The weather was starting to
shape up so Claire, Erin and I went to the beach for one last lazy day in the
sun. IT was a little cooler, but that didn't deter us from getting color. As it
was our last day in Barca, we had to stop one last time at the mojito place.
Once again, it was not a let down. The owners seemed to love our party, and we
equally enjoyed the atmosphere. Krissy, John, and I enjoyed reminiscing about my
own trip to Asia four years prior. It was thought-provoking to realize how
quickly that time had past. After this, we shopped for a while more until we
finally all regathered for a late supper. Unable to resist, I got seafood
paella again and was not let down in the slightest. I was feeling especially adventurous and tried some of Krissy and John's fried sardines- it wasn't bad surprisingly. By the end of dinner it was nearing midnight, and I hadn't even
begun packing for the long haul home- imagine that. It didn't take long, but
waking up today was an immense struggle. I'm sure it was a mix of not sleeping
much in the last two weeks with travelling every three days, and not really
wanting to leave this fairy tale of a trip- but today was quite rough.
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