Barcelona

Posted by Andy Steves in General on May 7, 2012.

Dorotia here after a fabulously sunny weekend with WSA in Barcelona, so here are some of the reasons why Barcelona is one of the most charming cities that I've been to:

I almost went there. I always knew I would live in Spain, but couldn’t decide where, yet there was always some unnamed force pulling me to Barcelona. I wanted to get the most Spanish experience possible, and after hearing so many stories about people studying aboard in Barcelona and not becoming fluent my decision about Granada became solidified. Ironically the first city I was instinctively drawn to, was the last city in Spain for me to visit. My inkling about Barcelona seemed to be predestined, for me to love it whether or not the city met my expectations– which, I am happy to say, it did. Barça is a city filled with a distinct style in how its constructed-- how it shapes its own ambience with architectural wonders that line the buzzing streets as a soft, golden haze from the Mediterranean sun coats each building, giving the hard concrete edges a new softness.  The Sagrada Familia dominates the crowded skyline, giving it a definite spot on the map in a passive, yet forceful manner, pulling the world’s attention towards it, much like the city of Barcelona itself, as the coolest kid at school who doesn’t try at all; the careless and casual trend setter. After my first afternoon I understood why Barcelona is known for Gaudí– not just because of his revolutionary architecture, but because Barcelona is a Gaudí creation in and of itself. It’s a mosaic of a thousand different colors; separate yet unified. It's a sprawling and buzzing coastal city for the senses, with ubiquitous sounds, smells, and sights to keep ones head spinning in every direction while trying to take it all in. It’s this hustle and bustle, this unique atmosphere of Barcelona that sets the foundation for the appreciation for art here, making art a priority, a necessity, with huge displays of public art, mountainous and colorful, skillfully placed around every corner. Barcelona is a single color, yet of a thousand different shades. It’s still a large European city, which once you’ve seen enough of them, they begin to melt into one another, but Barcelona has a different spark in the air, giving every visitor an appreciation for the self-generated style that instantly sets this city apart from the rest of the homogenous spots on the map. A city of design, a new type of arte noveau, a simple reduction of inspirations pieced together tile fragment by tile fragment and then carefully placed together as if an effortless part of a colorful Park Güell bench.

Safe Travels!

Dorotia

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