My plane ticket with the low-cost airline Ryanair took me to the Girona airport on Thursday morning. From Girona, I caught a bus to Barcelona, and an hour later, I hopped on the metro to Barceloneta. I waited for only a few minutes outside the metro stop, soaking up the warm Mediterranean sunshine, before I spotted KK Hagler walking towards me. KK is from Dothan, and she and her boyfriend, Doug, moved to Barcelona a few months ago. They graciously offered me a bed in their apartment for the weekend, and they were wonderful hosts. I hadn’t seen KK in something like four or five years, so we spent the first couple of hours giving each other the brief run-down of our lives post-Houston Academy. We dropped off my pack in their small but posh Barceloneta apartment and walked two blocks down the street to her favorite beachside café. I contentedly sipped my café con leche while sitting outside on the boardwalk patio and enjoying the view: the Mediterranean Sea … a cool green color with flecks of sparkling gold light… with the waves quietly lapping along the shore… sand the color of brown sugar. Not too long after we sat down, I got a phone call from Edward and we made plans to meet.
Only 15 minutes late, KK and I met Edward at the wooden submarine outside the maritime museum, and soon afterwards, Doug joined us. KK and Doug gave us a nice walking tour of a little part of Barcelona. Since I was officially on vacation and staying with people who were acquainted with the city, I did not look at a map or try to plan a thing the entire weekend, which is normally not the case when I travel. I like to have a good mental map of where I’m going and I like to make plans… but this time, I opted to be led around like a happy puppy. Of course, Edward and I snooped around not one but two different markets. The second time around we bought previsions to make dinner, including the sought-after colçots (a type of onion special to the region). We whipped up our own Spanish-American meal: colçots with salsa romesco, hamburgers with mushrooms on freshly-baked rolls, and sweet potatoes that we baked in the non-existent oven.
I had two full days in Barcelona. I saw the massive, singular, funky, under-construction masterpiece of Antoni Gaudí: La Sagrada Familia. The construction of this church began in 1882, and when it’s completed, it will be one of the world’s greatest examples of art and architectural collaboration. No one photo can capture the magnitude, the diversity, and the intricacy of this building, and words fall noticeably short in aptly describing the sight. You’ll just have to see it for yourself to understand. If you’re feeling the economic pinch and can’t exactly travel to Barce any time soon, don’t worry. You’ve got plenty of time to save up for the trip, because construction is not expected to be completed until 2020.
It's that big.
In comparision with La Sagrada Familia, all other worries seem so small and insignificant.
Gaudí is famous for his funky, fluid, nature-inspired modern architectural style. His works are spread out all over Barcelona, and Edward and I checked out a few of them. We visited the Casa Milà, an apartment building designed by Gaudí that has the coolest rooftop I’ve ever seen. Also, in Park Güelle, mosaic-covered benches and statues splash up the scene with vibrant colors and attest to Gaudí’s unique sense of style. Park Güelle is situated on a tall hilltop that overlooks the city from the north, but it is not as high as Montejuic, the rival mountain next to the water that played host to the 1992 Olympics. Of course, Edward and I conquered that summit, too, and caught the Olympic stadium in sunset-glory.
The rooftop of Casa Milà
Scenic overlook of Barcelona from Gaudi's benches in Park Guelle
The signature image of the Barcelona Olympic site at sunset (actually, i think it's just a telephone tower...)
While in Barcelona, we ate some good meals. Our crew of four had lunch one day at a hip, trendy, retro restaurant called Flash Flash, which specializes in tortilla. For our last meal in Barcelona, we ate at probably the nicest restaurant I’ve eaten at while being in Spain. We ordered a bottle of regionally-specific cava (sparkling white wine, similar to champagne) to celebrate the Christmas holidays, and we shared delicious appetizers, entrees, and dessert. And of course, what trip to Barcelona would be complete without proper appreciation of the beach? Edward and I actually took a quick dip in the crystal clear and quite frigid waters on Saturday morning. As we scurried back to the apartment in our wet clothes and bathing suits, the people in the streets just laughed at us. Crazy Americans.
Speaking of America, I’m back! In a terrible, nightmarish fashion that involved cold hours outside a bus station and in an airport, I made it back to Madrid early Sunday morning. Edward had taken an overnight bus, and we had arranged how we would meet up again in Madrid. Our final reunion couldn’t have been more perfect. We met each other in front of my apartment door just before 9 a.m., reaching it at the exact same moment as we came from opposite directions. On our last day in Madrid, we went to church, went for a run/walk through Retiro, ate lunch at one of my favorite dives called Maoz, ate dinner at the restaurant Edward first went to in Madrid (as a tribute to Dr. Friis), and we looked at Christmas lights around town. Some 16 hours after I left the Madrid airport, I was back again, but this time with a friend. Ed and I passed out cold on the airport floor for a few hours until it was time for me to check in and go to my terminal. With one last awkward backpack hug and some words of encouragement and well-wishes, Edward Crouse and I parted ways. I don’t know when I’ll see him again, but I do know that I’ve got a new arsenal of adventures to add to our long list that we began back at Furman four years ago.
I flew to Frankfurt first, and then from Frankfurt to Atlanta. The severe lack of sleep from the past two nights helped me get some shut-eye during my travels. However, there was no shot of me sleeping through my 10 hour flight back to the states. But I won’t complain. I made it back just fine. My Aunt Cary and cousin Elizabeth picked me up, and I’ve been staying with them for the past two nights. On Christmas Eve, my grandparents and I are driving down to their farm in Newnan, Georgia, and my parents and bro are driving up from Dothan. That’s our family tradition. I’m super excited about spending time with my immediate and extended family. I’ll spend next week in Dothan, and I expect to have some good friends attached to my hip for the entire duration. It’s good to be home.
Whether you’re at home with your family or off in some foreign land, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas. We have so many reasons to rejoice, and during this time of year, we are able to celebrate the best gift anyone has ever received—the birth of our Lord and Savior. ¡Feliz Navidad!
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