B is for BARCELONA

Feb 25-28

Barcelona was the first leg of my spring break travels this year. I had never been to Spain before and, despite a journey that became long and arduous, it was well worth the effort. Arriving in the city we settled at the hostel, heard our stomaches growling, and headed out for our first night. We walked up Las Ramblas, the huge pedestrian boulevard that divides the city, running inland from the towering tribute to Colombus at the harbor. The other expats I was traveling with, Arthur, Marcus, and Stephanie, had never been there either and we were quickly absorbed into the chaos and fun the city had to offer. Over the course of the next three days we did it all...or damn near. We ate amazing tapas, drank more than our fill of sangria, and stayed out most of the night. We got lost in the Gothic District, had drinks at a hill-top restaurant perched above the harbor with a 270 view of the city and ocean, and wandered into outdoor markets the likes of which i'd never seen. We bought beer from shady dudes on the beach and waded in the Mediterranean.

And then there was the Gaudi work. The Sagrada Familia, Gaudi's masterpiece cathedral, is without a doubt one of the most stunning, striking, mind-boggling structures ever created. I wandered its concrete forest floors, hiked its dizzying spires, and studied the baffling interplay of complexity and simplicity present in every detail.

When it was time to depart for the next leg of the journey it was hard to go. Barcelona really wasn't what i expected...it was better.