Barcelona

1) Bunkers del Carmel

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Last but certainly not least, the Bunkers del Carmel was my favorite to hike up to with friends to enjoy the sunset. Perched up on a hill, the ruins left from the Spanish Civil War offer breathtaking panoramic views of the entire city of Barcelona. The 360-degree undisturbed views allow for people to see the sun as it dips below the mountains, as well as the aesthetic streaks of color that are a byproduct of the sun. Despite the exhausting hike to reach the top, the Bunkers offer both residents and tourists a place to sit, relax, bring snacks and watch the sun go down.

2) Montjuic

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Surrounding the Castle of Montjuic offers a beautiful view of the sun setting into the ocean. The cliff elevated directly over the water allows spectators to see the sky transforming into a burst of colors, preparing for the night sky. The most magnificent view of the sunset in Montjuic can be seen from the high line cars that go from the mountain and take you up to the Castle. From these cars, you are able to see the sun turn the city of Barcelona golden, right as it begins setting into the night. You also have access to an aerial view of the entire city including the Bunkers del Carmel, Mount Tibidabo and the beaches of Barcelona all from the cars depending on which direction you are looking in. Once you reach the Castle on the top of Montjuic, along the long dirt paths that stretch along the length and width of the castle once used to imprison, torture, and execute Franco's forces opponents during the Spanish Civil War, residents can enjoy a peaceful walk during or after the sunsets.

3) Mood Rooftop Bar

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This upscale bar gives its customers a delightful view of the sunset no matter which direction the sun is setting in. The bar is located on the roof of Hotel The One, a 5-star hotel in barrio Eixample. From the rooftop bar, the outstanding views showing the amazing beauty of Barcelona's mind-blowing architecture keep both locals and tourists coming back to Mood. My favorite part of the bar was the elevated pool with chairs outlining it, providing an undisturbed view of the sunset as it dips the beautiful surrounding architecture. Once sunset concludes, customers can stay to enjoy another drink while being warmed by their complimentary blankets.

4) Park Guell

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Park Guell, located next to the Bunkers del Carmel offers a similar, but unique view of the sunset in Barcelona. Park Guell's greenery and palm trees make the park a much different view than the Bunkers. The vibrant patterns lying in the tiles of the curving walls, the historic fountains, and the mosaic-covered creatures all come together as people can watch the sun adjust the lighting on the different aspects of the famous park. Although it may not provide the same 360-degree that the Bunkers del Carmel do, its elevated nature allows you to see the majority of the city transform with the onsite of the night sky.

I come from a pretty flat state, so mountains are new to me. And my inclination whenever I encounter a new thing is to seek to understand what I’m looking at and how I feel, but mountains make that impossible. 

A couple of weeks ago we saw the highest mountain in the Andes (Aconcagua) from the tallest building in Latin America (the Torre Costanera). When we got to the top, I remembered all the times in kindergarten when I thought I could touch the clouds if I stretched high enough. In the echoey, otherworldly Sky Costanera room, glass with no roof, it felt like we had mastered the clouds and were now trying for outer space. 

This feeling was heightened by the fact that the Torre Costanera isn’t nestled among other skyscrapers-- none of the surrounding buildings come close to its height. From a vantage point so much higher than everything else, you can’t help but realize that you, the viewer, are not nearly as important as what you’re looking at. I think that was the point when I started to feel actual love for the city. 

It would take a whole day just to look sufficiently at the buildings from Sky Costanera, but the Andes claim most of your attention. The Andes rim the city, giving walls to Santiago’s bowl shape. At street level, there is no place you could walk in the city where you couldn’t see the mountains, and because of the smog they appear soft and faded, almost like they don’t exist in three dimensions but are instead a poorly-rendered fish tank backdrop. But from Sky Costanera (a distance that might as well be outer space), the mountains have mostly escaped the fog, and are clear--with crevices, layers, mottled and smooth sides--and they sit in shockingly three-dimensional glory. Plainly visible are big fat mountains accompanied by babies of all sizes, clustered together like they’ve gathered in a crowded elevator. 

When I saw them, I couldn’t come up with a single thing to think or say, and I didn’t even know what I felt. All I knew was that my immediate past and immediate future--how I had gotten to that building and was eventually going to leave it--had vanished and all that was left was just that singular moment. It was amazing how quickly and efficiently awe drenched me and washed out everything else. I tried to imagine the tectonic plates that smashed together in the world’s slowest collision and forced the ground up past everything, past even the clouds I used to think I could touch. But I couldn’t visualize it very well. 

Normally it’s frustrating or alarming to realize you don’t have a single adequate word to describe how you feel about something, but when it comes to those mountains (and more and more things here every day), I like not having the words to describe. It makes me feel stupid, but in a good way. Mountains are just gigantic, and that’s all that can be said about them.