Barcelona

Barcelona's the place that everyone assumes you'll see when you go to Spain. But, sadly, Salamanca (my host city) is on the complete other side of the country. An 11 hour bus ride. It didn't seem worth it to spend half of my free weekend in transit.

A friend of mine, Shannon, had been dying to go to Barcelona all semester so we finally sat down and planned a last minute three day weekend trip.

It was incredible.

By far, the best time I've had in Spain. We stayed in a really fun hostel. Everyone was really friendly, met lots of people (TONS of Canadians, a Chilean, an Argentinean, Brazilians...), and the hostel took us out every night. I was amazed at how friendly a group of strangers could be. It was as if we were all old friends catching up.

And of course, Barcelona is a lively city full of art. It is unbelievably beautiful.

1) First stop on our trip was Sagrada Familia. An enormous Catholic church designed by Gaudí. Construction began in the late 1800's and it's anticipated completion date is 2026. Yes...it is that incredible.

The doors are written with  a chapter from the Bible.

CEILING

The pillars are supposed to resemble trees in a forest

2) Stop two was Parc Güell. Sadly, I was a little disappointed by this one. If you google the name, tons of mosaics come up with the infamous mosaic lizard. Which, of course, were there, but are only a section of the park. The rest is just a pretty park. But it definitely was one pretty park.

3) Gaudí buildings.

4) Beach! Sadly, it was a cloudy, lame, day. Not really any great pics. But look at all the kites!

5) Las Ramblas is a famous shopping street in Barcelona. There were tons of people and I even picked myself up some souvenirs!

Our second night, we went out with a group from the hostel to find a castle and the magic fountains.. It took us forever to find the castle. We practically hiked up a mountain over a couple hours to get to it. I did not come prepared. My black little jelly flats ended up ruining my feet for the next couple weeks. But it was worth it, I suppose. :)

View from the top of the mountain

6) Castle. FINALLY.

7) MAGIC FOUNTAINS. My favorite part. It's a 30 minute fountain show set to music. By the time it started, this crowd had doubled or tripled. And as we were all waiting anxiously for it to start, everyone on these steps started clapping and cheering. There had been a proposal on the other side. How cute :) 

These pics don't do this experience justice at all. But enjoy.

There you have it. Barcelona was a big ball of art and fun. I had a blast. Can't wait to return one day.