Huge arc in front of the promenade we happened to find while wandering in Barcelona.
- Never ending construction on Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia – it started over a century ago and is still not finished.
- Main entrance to Park Guell, another one of Gaudi’s designs.
- Gaudi’s mosaic designs are all over the Park, this one forms a serpentine shape around benches of the main entrance.
- The cross marks the highest point in Park Guell, where you can see the entire panoramic view of Barcelona.
Yes, Barthelona, as Catalan speakers prounounce it. So weird! It took me awhile to realize what people were even saying. I had to squeeze in a weekend trip to Barcelona before the weather got chilly – last chance to enjoy the beaches and sun. The water in Barcelona was crystal clear and perfect, and we spent most of our second day tanning and swimming. Nearly half of the women on the beach were topless, not exactly what I was expecting but we embraced it anyway and enjoyed grabbing the occasional drink from the servers that walk around all day. The night before, we went to a club called Opium, right on the water near where we were that day. Apparently it was the closing party for that club for the season (which we didn’t know before) and almost left after seeing a massive line that probably would have taken 2 hours. Luckily we found a way in and avoided the ridiculous cover, and it was definitely worth it. The music and crowd was fun, but it was strange being surrounded by people speaking English everywhere, I don’t think I met a single Spanish person during the entire trip. Even that night, when we went to a “local” restaurant and bars nearby, the food seemed inauthentic, and the bar turned out to be full of American students studying abroad. I actually ran into two people I knew from home – small world! But it made me appreciate Milan even more – I’d much rather be living in a city where I am more able to experience the culture and language, rather than being secluded among American music, people, food, etc.