Barcelona

The best thing to do when you feel stuck? Buy a plane ticket, don't tell anyone and just fricking go. I had the three most amazing days in Barcelona back in October and I'm so sad it's taken me this long to get around to writing about it. Spain just feels like home to me, whether it's in Madrid or in Barcelona, there's something about Spain that I just feel like my true self comes out. So I decided to go alone. Needless to say, it was the most comforting, invigorating three days I had the entire semester being abroad. I felt like I could breathe calmly and be understood (not just literally but also figuratively).

So let me start by saying, the Gothic Quarter in Barcelona is even more mysterious and allusive in the rain, and for that reason I loved it. There are so many small alleys inside to discover and each one is occupied by so many skilled craftsmen that specialize from hand embroidery to leather goods and they all make them inside the shops and then sell them on the bottom floor. I absolutely love the fact that I could see this all done right in front of me. Inside the Gothic Quarter is also the Picasso Museum and knowing I was going to Barcelona I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to go, especially when the entrance is free on Thursdays.

 One of my absolute parts about Barcelona? La Sagrada Familia. As much as I love fashion, I love art and architecture equally and La Sagrada Familia encompasses all these things that I truly admire when I travel around the world. To say La Sagrada Familia is impressive is an understatement. Every corner, pillar, window or bench is carefully thought out and as intricate as the next piece you see. But be warned, you need to buy your tickets in advanced because they sell out daily.

(if you are traveling alone, don't be afraid to go up to a random person and ask for them to take your photos, it's worth it in the end)

After visiting La Sagrada Familia I bought a ticket for a Hop On Hop Off bus tour. Now let me be clear, while these buses look incredibly touristy, they are a life saver for someone on a tight schedule and traveling alone. I was able to see most of Barcelona with the two routes the bus takes and it stopped at the landmarks I had on my list to see. I took the bus until the Parc Güel stop and then walked up the hill until I reached the park entrance. The great thing about Parc Güel is that if you are on a strict budget, most of the park is actually free to go in and admire. There is one section where the bulk of Gaudi architecture and mosaic work is in, which is the section you have to pay to visit. Like La Sagrada Familia, you need to pre-order your ticket because they are currently doing renovations and have parts closed off so they have to monitor how many people are in the park. 

I apologize in advance for these incredibly dark photos but it was very difficult to balance the lighting inside the stadium and I was more interested in the stadium than in how I looked. I am a huge Barça fan and it had been a long standing dream of mine to go inside Camp Nou where FC Barcelona plays. This was probably the most expensive ticket I purchased that weekend, including the student discount, but for me it was worth it. I got to see all the trophies Barça has won, you were able to see the press room, go around the visiting team locker room, and then go into the actual stadium and on the field where the players sit during the games.

The following day I was able to meet up with my friend Jeanette from back at home who is working on her masters degree in Barcelona. She picked me up and we went for lunch in Barceloneta which is one of the beaches in Barcelona. We had a really great lunch at a restaurant her boyfriend picked out and then they dropped me off at my hostel since there were some demonstrations starting around downtown Barcelona in support of the independence movement and traffic was becoming worse as time went on.

We met up again later that night for dinner and drinks with some of her classmates and then I had to return to the hostel to get my suitcase and go very early to the airport since my flight back to Florence was at 6 am.

I look forward to returning soon to Barcelona, thanks for always holding a special place in my heart.