B-A-R-C-E-L-O-N-A

When you hear  the word "Barcelona" what comes to mind?

Beaches? Catalan? All night parties? Crazy architecture? Futból?

To be frank, I didn't know all that much about the city (and I still don't). Despite all my years of Spanish class with cultural lessons thrown in, didn't pick up much on Barcelona. I'd heard of Catalan. And I knew that there was something about Catalonia wanting to be its own country, but I didn't know how big a deal it was. I had also heard of the Sagrada Familia and Gaudí, but really didn't know anything about Modernism. Oh, and I'd heard that the Ramblas are the place where you're most likely to get robbed in Europe.

Basically, I arrived in Barcelona, knowing next to nothing about the city. So naturally I had a lot to learn in the next few days.

One Barcelona is beautiful. That's what everyone told me before I left: "Barcelona es una cuidad muy preciosa" "Barcelona? Es una cuidad bonita, y muy abierta.""Vas a ver la Sagrada Familia? Es impresionante"and the like.

I agree. I mean, it's just a little pretty. Just a little.

I took in a lot of architectural marvels there. Most of them by Gaudí. Various houses he created, and park Guell. Which is really interesting. I feel like I could spend a lot of time there...but maybe eventually go crazy by the end. While I like to think that I can appreciate Modernism in architecture, and parts of it are without a doubt beautiful, sometimes my brain just refuses to accept what my eyes are seeing. 

I had the chance to watch the Sardana dance. Every Sunday a bunch of people appear out of nowhere, an orchestra sets up and begins to play. They dance the Sardana, the traditional dance of Catalonia. Yeah, there's a bit of a political statement behind it. But to me it seems like a moment of coming together. The music, the dance--their not getting paid. But they're kicking up their heels, joining something bigger than the individuals, and loving every minute.

And finally, I got some time to sit surrounded by water, do a little writing, and remember where I am. 

While it's a good thing that I feel at home here, it sometimes that let's me forget that I'm not back home in Minnesota. These little trips, too, help me to remember I'm in someplace wonderful, and that I need to remember to look around me every once and a while. 

So Barcelona is beautiful. I really enjoyed my time there, and, yes, I'm looking forward to finding myself there again.