Hola todos!
We just got back from a wonderful weekend in Barcelona!
Here's a recap of the trip:
FRIDAY 18.2.2011
6:50am Leave Alicante.
This means I was up at 5:15 to shower and eat breakfast. But luckily the air was warm and humid when I left so the walk to Plaza Luceros got me moving and excited to be headed to my favorite city in the world.
1:30pm Tour of the Bodega Codorníu in Sant Sardurní d'Anoia.
Bodega means winery in Spanish, and Codorníu is the oldest winery in Spain, not to mention the most famous. The Codorníu family has been making wine at that bodega for 20 generations making it the oldest family business in Spain, maybe even in Europe. They have been making wine in that spot for even longer, since the Romans occupied Catalunya. The wine that they make here is called Cava, it's essentially Champagne, but only the region of Champagne is allowed to call it that. It is called Cava because after they bottle it, the wine is kept in a series of caves (cavas) underneath the property. The caves are a total of 30 kilometers long and hold up to 100 million bottles of Cava at a time. Whoa. We went on a tour of a few of the caves in a little train, because they are too long to walk through. After our tour we got to tast two different types of Cava. We we served a Pinot Noir, a blush Cava which tastes like roses, and a Brut Natural, which was much drier and sharper. They were both delicious and I'm starting to understand why so many people enjoy working in the wine industry; it's fascinating! So the next time want to buy a nice champagne look for Cordorníu Cava from Catalunya!
I had forgotten how magnificent that city is! We drove into town and stopped at a light just in front of Casa Batlló, one of Gaudí's masterpieces, and my jaw dropped; he's a genius and he never fails to amaze me. Our hotel was a few blocks away from there, perfectly situated between Casa Batlló and the Plaza de Catalunya. So my first order of business was to walk down to the Ramblas and find the hotel we stayed in last time. It was strange to be walking the streets without my family...
We meet some Whitman friends who are studying in Barcelona, and they took us out for a traditional Catalán dinner: Calçots. Calçots are a type of onion that they let sprout twice, grill, and then serve with a tomato based sauce. To eat a calçot you have to peel off the outer skin and then you eat up to the bottom of the stalk. They have the texture of cooked asparagus but a very distinct, and delicious, flavor. We went to bed full and exhausted.
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| Charlotte, Grace and Gabby in front of Casa Batlló. |
SATURDAY 19.2.2011
8:30-10:00am Breakfast
I cannot explain how wonderful it was to have bacon and scrambled eggs!!!!
10:30am Group tour of Barrio Gótico.
We were given a tour of the gothic barrio of Barcelona, the oldest part of the city and what used to be the old Jewish quarter, before the Jews were expelled from Spain. We saw the Cathedral, the church of the Virgin of the Sea, the ancient Synagogue, and the old Roman columns. I love this part of town because the streets are narrow and damp and the sun filters down through the spaces between the buildings and makes these incredible shadows. It's a wonderful place to get lost and wander.
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| For you Ruthie! This is our Bonboneria!!! |
Our lunch was our own responsibility so I took a few friends the the main market on the Ramblas; La Bocateria. We bought fresh bread, cheese, jamon, nuts, fruit, fruit juice, and veggies. Then we settled down in the Plaza de Catalunya for a picnic. Perfect.
3:30pm Parque Güell
We loaded the buses again and headed out for Parque Güell, one of Gaudí's other masterpieces. It was originally created to be a private community of residences with shared gardens and private market place. But the project was never completed and only 4 houses were built on the property. Now it's a public park and the house Gaudí built for himself is a museum. We toured the museum and then had the rest of the time to wander through the park, admiring the view, taking photos of the iconic salamander, enjoying the music of street players, and admiring/buying jewelry and scarves from street vendors. The park is always full of people from all over the world and it adds a vibrancy to the place. It also had a beautiful view of the Sagrada familia and the Mediterranean.
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| Gaudí |
6:00pm Return to hotel -- free time/dinner
We got back to the hotel exhausted from a long day of walking. We took power naps and then headed back out into the busy streets to find some food and admire the city lights. We headed to the Plaza San Jaume to find a tapas restaurant. None of us could decided on one when I remembered that there was a stir fry place not to far from there. Everyone agreed that stir fry sounded heavenly, a recognizable comfort food. We ate at a place called Wok to Walk and had a wonderful conversation with the workers. They were enjoying making American jokes and telling us how Barcelona is the best city in the world. After a wonderfully filling dinner we headed back to the Ramblas to find gelato and watch a break dance team. Unlike many of our fellow students I headed for bed pretty early because late nights and early mornings don't works so well for me.
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| STIR FRY!!! |
SUNDAY 20.2.2011
9-10:00am Breakfast
Bacon and scrambled eggs will never get old! Mary (my roommate and close friend from Whitman) and I checked out of our room early and went for a walk. We stumbled upon a Starbucks and decided to see if it was "legit." It was like walking into the US. The only difference is that the signs are in Spanish/Catalán! Other than that everything is exactly the same; the smells, the sounds, the uniforms, the merchandise. And they had CHAI! Spain is completely lacking on my choice of hot beverage, so I splurged and got a Starbuck's Chai Tea Latte. Tasted like home.
11:00am Sagrada Familia
We loaded the buses and drove to the Sagrada Familia for a guided tour. The Sagrada Familia is the last and, in my opinion, most magnificent of Gaudí's works. He began work on the church in 1882, but left it only partly done when he died in 1926. Since then architects have been collaborating using Gaudí's original plans to finish the church as he had imagined it. In November of 2010 the Pope came to the church to consecrate it; it had not been consecrated earlier because the Vatican was unhappy that, if built according to Gaudí's plans, it would be taller than St. Peter's Basilica. I visited the church in 2009 and inside it was full of scaffolding and partly open to the air. In the last two years the inside has been completed and it looks entirely different. The projected finish date is 10-15 years from now. Words cannot describe how magnificent this church is. No matter how many times I go back I know I will be moved in the same way every time.
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| Gaudí's desk. This is were the Sagrada Familia was born! |
12:30pm Free time -- lunch
I lingered in the church longer than most because I wanted to take more pictures and bask in the magnificence. Grace (another friend from Whitman) and I bought posters of the sketches of the Passion Façade and then left in search of food. We decided on a little cafe and order Pasta Carbonera which was delicious! We grabbed some gelato before boarding the bus to head back to Alicante.
9:30pm Arrive in Alicante
A few games of cribbage, some gummy worms, and a viewing of Gladiator in Spanish later we arrived in Alicante. Everyone rushed home to dinner and warm beds.
I am glad that a bunch more people have been instilled with the need to return to Barcelona over and over again. I'm hoping to make plans to go back in April for a weekend to spend some time on the beach and enjoy more of the architecture and history.
And then before I know it my mom, sister, and brother will be here to enjoy Barcelona with me!
Hasta Pronto,
MB
