Travel post a little late: Barcelona

I arrived in Barcelona early Wednesday (July 20^th), and before you could say “bienvenidos,” I was already whisked off to see much of the city with no time to tidy myself up after a long flight.

Like a smart traveler, I wore jeans on my flight. Unlike a smart traveler, I didn’t think to change into something more comfortable; thus I trekked throughout Barcelona in jeans with my hair and makeup a mess. Luckily, the city isn’t as hot as it usually is during the summer, but I would have much preferred a pair of shorts to jeans. Despite the heat and the blisters on my feet, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the Catalan capital. And I saw QUITE a lot for one day. Since I did not take a bus tour, most of my travels on Wednesday were on foot, so it was much more walking than I anticipated. Needless to say my feet are incredibly sore!

The city was bustling and lively, not only with tourists like me but also with locals. I started off my day at La Rambla and the Christopher Columbus statue, and wandered through tiny alleys and walkways to see quirky little stores. Of course I saw the big landmarks, including the Cathedral of Barcelona, Casa Batlló, La Pedrera, and La Sagrada Familia. But perhaps my favorite part of Barcelona was Parc Güell. Even though the long walk to get there hurt like hell, the view of the city and the Mediterranean was just…simply breathtaking. I had to pinch myself to see if it was actually real (as queso as it sounds) because quite frankly, I still couldn’t believe that I was in Barcelona. I loved sitting on the swerving mosaic bench and looking at the gorgeous view. Since Parc Güell is located up in the hills, the wind was just perfect and cool.

Of course, the food was FANTASTIC. We did stop at La Boquería early in the day, and it was buzzing with foodies and tourists alike. I enjoyed a fresh jugo de fresas y piñas and snacked on some delicious jamón Serrano. The first thing I saw upon entering La Boquería was all the jamón hung up throughout many of the meat shops, and I knew I had to have some. I’ve eaten so much of it in Spain, and I honestly can’t get enough of them. For lunch we enjoyed some tapas, which included more jamón, some salted fish, mussels, cheese, and a Catalan “pizza” of olives, eggplants, and peppers. Tapas in Barcelona cannot go without a classic: a dish of bread slices that are drizzled with olive oil and rubbed with fresh tomatoes. All were so delicious that naturally my aunt had to order us seconds!

Even though Catalan is considered the “main” language in Barcelona and the rest of Catalonia, I took whichever opportunity I could to practice my Spanish-speaking skills. I have been studying Spanish for about six years, so I suppose that I’m somewhat proficient in the language, despite not having anyone at home to practice with. My Spanish may not be perfect, but I thought that perhaps my effort would be enough to endear some Spaniards. In reality, I wasn’t treated as nicely as my French-speaking relatives were, and truth be told, I don’t know why. Is it because I’m a tourist? Not just a tourist, but also a try-hard tourist? I personally don’t think trying to speak the native tongue in a certain language makes me a try-hard, but perhaps that’s just how they see me. Even the man who sold me the Spanish flag that I bought was very rude. I cannot lie; I was a bit hurt at how cold some people in Barcelona were to me. I even got uncomfortable glances from locals on the metro. Maybe I smell bad? I guess I’ll never know.

Though so far I think that Spaniards outside of Barcelona are much nicer to me. On Thursday I spent some time at the marina in Delta de l'Ebre, which is a town about an hour and a half away from Barcelona. People there were much more accepting of me (and my Spanish), which comforted me a bit. The area around Delta de l'Ebre is known for their rice fields (fit for paella!) and it is also home to great wildlife like flamingoes (and mosquitoes…I have the bites to prove it!)

Barcelona was absolutely wonderful, and I hope that I’ll be there again in the future! There is still a lot to see and explore.