Quick update - wix has not allowed me to upload more photos/videos without paying :( This means that I only will have 4 more posts (Istanbul, Portugal, Barcelona, and London) on this blog. This does coincide with the end of Sajal's and my worldwide trip so it's coming along with a natural end anyways. These 4 blogs will also have no pictures, but they will all be up on Facebook and Instagram! So please check there.
Sajal and I lived in Barcelona for the months of November, January, and February. We used Barcelona as our base as we traveled around Europe on the weekends. We picked Barcelona for a couple of reasons: 1. Barcelona is pretty central in Europe and has a ton of flights. We didn't know this but the airport is really efficient and easy as well
2. The weather was pretty great in Barcelona, and never got below high 40s
3. Barcelona is relatively affordable. The apartments and food were never too expensive
4. My cousin Monica lived there! It was great to have someone close by who could help us out. She told me where to go when I hurt my foot and when I got sick
In Barcelona we lived in Gotico; Gotico is the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona. It has a ton of shops, restaurants, churches, and alleyways. It's always very lively on the weekend there're always farmers' markets in the plazas. I loved living there. It truly felt so European. We would take walks every day and try to walk down a different alleyway. Those alleyways can be a crisscross maze, which always confused Sajal.
Speaking of Churches, we lived about 5 minutes from the Cathedral de Barcelona. This is a gorgeous church right in the middle of Gotico. The church is nice, but the whole area in front of it is great. Sometimes there are markets, there's usually people singing live music, and it's just a fun lively space.
At one end of the Gotico is Ramblas. Las Ramblas Street is a big street with a sidewalk in the middle of the two lanes. This center sidewalk is lined with trees. On either side of the road, all you see are stores and restaurants. There are also restaurants and stores on the center sidewalk of Ramblas as well. Ramblas starts near the Placa de Catalunya, a huge park with pigeons and art where people hang around. At the other end of Ramblas is a big Christopher Columbus statue supposedly pointing to America (he's actually pointing to Africa). Ramblas is really fun to walk down and if you're visiting it's a must do.
About a 20-minute walk from Gotico is the Arc de Triomf. This is Barcelona's version of the famous Parisian arc. It's red and orange with interesting designs, and it's not as big as the one in Paris. Nearby the arc is a big park with beautiful fountains, trees, and a greenhouse filled with exotic plants.
We can't talk about Barcelona without talking about Gaudi. Antoni Gaudi was a famous architect who built major famous pieces around Barcelona. Barcelona is the only city I've seen where the art are buildings and I find it truly fascinating making it a unique city. The first one that we'll discuss is the Sagrada Familia. Sagdra Familia is this huge gorgeous church. I've been to many churches in my life, and the Sagrada Familia is the most unique and the most beautiful church I have ever seen. It bursts through the Barcelona skyline, with its tall spires that have colorful orbs on top. I've spent hours just looking at the outside of the Church, which is filled with detailed sculptures, words, and ornate flowers. Inside, you see streams of rainbow colors from the huge gorgeous mosaics. The pillars look like trees and keep your gaze high as well. The inside of the church is an unforgettable sight. We went all the way to the top and got a great view of the church and the city as well. The church has been under construction for 100 years and will take another 20ish years to complete.
The second important Gaudi strucutre is Parc Guell. This is the same park that the Cheetah Girls filmed in Cheetah Girls 2. This is a huge park with Gaudi's work inside. There's this huge cave with the ceilings covered in beautiful colorful tiles. There are a couple of houses that are done in Gaudi's traditional style. At the very top you have the BEST view of Barcelona and it's really beautiful. The park is fun to explore and shows off Gaudi's beautiful work.
The third important Gaudi structure is Casa Batillo. This is a house that Gaudi designed for some clients. The inside of the house is completely water-themed meaning making the color pallet full of greens and blues. The whole idea is to have functionality for the family, while still having this beautiful house. Some of the ideas he had we still don't do today! At the very top of the house is a dragon as well. There are other Gaudi structures around Barcelona but these are the most important, popular, and famous.
The last thing to mention about Barcelona is the beaches and boardwalks. Barcelona is a very typical European city, but then it also has these pristine beaches. The city has a ton of beaches and water areas. You can always see people playing volleyball and having a good time. The boardwalk by Barceloneta Beach is nice to stroll down on a warm day. There's also this pretty bridge and area near the Christopher Columbus statue. We loved being in Barcelona and had a fabulous time there. We also hosted many family and friends that really made Barcelona feel like home. Goodbye Barcelona we will miss you. This is also my last blog on this site and the end of my multi-country & multi-month trip. Thanks everyone for reading!
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