I fell off track a bit with recapping my Europe trip, but I'm getting back into it, so stay tuned for posts covering my adventures in Spain, Italy, and Greece!
To catch up with earlier travel posts, start at
the beginning or at the
previous TRAVELISCIOUS post . You can always click the TRAVEL label on the right to view them all.
After
La Boqueria, we took a bus to Parc Guell, one of
Antonio Gaudi's masterpieces.
I hadn't really planned to go visit the park but my new friends said it was worth seeing, and so did my old friend from high school who lived in the area.
It was a bit of a trek, probably a 45 min bus ride from the city center, but I loved looking out the windows at the streets of Barcelona.
I was about to fall asleep standing when suddenly a woman screamed. The bus had stopped and just as the doors opened, a man grabbed her bag and bolted!
Within two minutes the Barcelona police were on the scene. It was as if they were waiting on the next corner...hmmm, they're either super fast or super shady.
Some of them got on the bus to check for an accomplice, but no dice.
First and only crime witnessed on the trip...thankfully!
Petty theft is huge in Europe, especially in the big cities. After that I actually contemplated wearing that horrendous body wallet you strap on underneath your clothes.
Never happened though.
Not long after that sobering experience, we arrived at Parc Guell (pronounced "gway"). It's an amazing outdoor garden overlooking the entire city of Barcelona.
Gaudi created the park with the vision of combining the natural landscape with his incredibly imaginative architecture.
I honestly wasn't interested at all in Gaudi before Barcelona, but his art is impossible to avoid when you're there.
My impression was that it would be over-the-top, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Alice In Wonderland-ish... fun, but not my taste really.
But I have to say, I was amazed by everything I saw. No one would question Gaudi's originality. It was the kind of place you'd think a kid dreamt up.
It wasn't just the structures, but the incredible detailing. Every inch both inside and out was taken into consideration.
amazing mosaic tile ceilings!
As distinctive as they are, the structures somehow blend in with the natural backdrop.
my new travel friend from Cali, Karina
I loved the way he used his art to celebrate nature and create an outdoor space for people to enjoy. If you ever make your way to Barcelona, it's the perfect place for a picnic.
Even though the weather was overcast, the colors were absolutely amazing!
Even after the park, I was obsessed with noticing the colors around the city. Love how art can have that effect.
This was the start of my obsession with doors and windows on this trip. I loved all the different styles and colors. Stay tuned for more in future posts.
This pic makes me laugh. Such a dork, but I gotta love it.
One of my new friends made me take a picture of him jumping up in the air with the city in the background, and then somehow convinced me to do the same. It took several attempts to get it right, but the small crowd watching was definitely entertained, and it's a classic shot I'll always look back and smile at.
