Barcelona: Day One

Monday, June 23: It's hard to describe Barcelona with just words. It is one of the great cities, towns, or places one can visit - or live in. It is so vibrant and alive. The only city that comes close to it is Paris, but even then Barcelona is more intimate, more touchable. The architecture doesn't overpower you, but it does embrace you. Almost every building has balconies galore. Driving into the center of the city from the airport, you get a glimpse of the amazing buildings. It appears that someone decided that all buildings would be in a distinct style, but they are different enough and then a Gaudi building pops out and you realize that the city is what it is. 

We are staying at the Hotel Espana (Espanya), a neoclassical building with so much charm and culture, yet the rooms (habitaciones) are very, very modern. It is quite a contrast! The hotel is adjacent to La Rambla, the famous walking street that runs from the Plaza Catalunya south to the beach. Even though the city is overrun by tourists, and the walkers are thick, the architecture, flower vendors, and the trees on the street still give the area an intimate feeling. Every building has balconies that service most of the windows. As we walked down narrow side streets, the area is reminiscent of Les Miserables with high windows, balconies everywhere, and antique street lamps, which actually change as you go from neighborhood to neighborhood.

A couple of blocks away is the Central Market - what a feast. Fresh fish, breads, fruits, and meats. We have been in markets like this is Oaxaca, Mexico, and Paris, but they always smell so gamey. This one was clean and really beautiful in the presentation of the goods. This was not a creation for tourists but really a local market for the people. Luckily, for a couple of days, at least, we were part of the people!

We arrived in Barcelona just in time for The Festival of Sant Joan - that's really Saint John, but Joani thinks it was for her! All night there were fireworks all over town, but mostly on the beach. We had dinner at a great seafood restaurant in Port Olimpico, an area that was built for the 1992 Olympic Games. Baby Squid followed by Seafood Paella and a bottle of Albariño, and we were set. After dinner we saw some fireworks on the beach and by the time we got back to the hotel - for a night cap on the rooftop terrace - we didn't get to sleep until after 1:00am.