barcelona


pura vida.

one of the first trips of many during this upcoming summer of travel. i can't say that i was ever particularly interested in visiting spain. there was nothing that enticed me. in only ended up purchasing a flight to barcelona to tag along with liam and yelena, who had planned a trip there and to scotland. initially, my first instinct was to meet them in scotland since it's a stone's throw away from dublin, but then i realized that this would be a great opportunity to visit spain, the one country that i missed out on during my trip around europe back in 2002.

i couldn't have been happier in barcelona. it was heartwarming to see my friends, but i was even more overwhelmed by barcelona itself. the life-force of the city is undeniable... it pulsates with a warm, vibrant red. the sun and clouds were bright and it was beautiful and hot every single day i was there. people hang their wash from the windows liberally, speckling the city with colorful shades of cloth (which is funny, because i was just reprimanded by my neighbors for hanging my clothes to dry out the window right before i left dublin...silly.) there are television, cable, electric antennas crowding every rooftop.

the work of architectural genius of antoni gaudi is almost indescribable, a spanish architect from catalonia. he is one of barcelona's most valued masterminds, other than picasso and joan miro, and his work can be found in every corner of the city. being in barcelona with an architect was a lucky coincidence, since we spent a good portion of our time wandering from one architectural wonder to another. we rented bikes and pedaled to and from each gaudi marvel, including la sagrada familia, la pedrera (my favorite!), casa vicens, par gell.. stunning. the rooftop of la pedrera had a powerful, almost spellbinding effect on me.

i read that gaud found inspiration in gothic art, oriental structures and in the organic shapes of nature, which is more than evident. whenever you look at a particular part of a gaudi structure almost immediately, a flowering bud will come to mind, an outstretched branch of a tree, or the pattern of scales along a lizard's back.. the shapes seem so familiar yet so strange at the same time.

needless to say, i can go on and on about gaudi. the rest of the trip was beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, including cocktails on the coast of the mediterranean sea, spanish tapas and beer, vegan paella, hanging out with street urchins outside the contemporary art museum late night, drinking estrellas, rooftop breakfast, biking for hours and hours until we were sore, laughing, laughing, laughing, two nights in a row at can-can, a dingy, smoky hole in the wall bar. drinking absinthe with tourists.

indulging my curious heart. 
