Playful Rooted

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that Ben and I spent last weekend in Barcelona, and it. was. awesome!

We stayed at a hostel in the Eixample district, which was a great choice. It was quiet and clean, and the staff members were really awesome and helpful. We could also walk to everything from the hostel, so it was perfect. If you’re in Barcelona, I highly recommend the Central Garden! Here’s the view from our window.

One of the first things I noticed is how different Spanish culture is compared to French culture. It’s louder in Spain, and much more casual. Everywhere we went, we were greeted with a breezy “Hola!” People smile a lot more. Girls wear workout clothes! In public! And they wear colors! I love France, but Spain was a nice change of pace.

Spanish mealtimes are also much different. People usually eat a small breakfast (a churro and a cafe), then maybe a mid-morning snack. They have a huge lunch, the main meal of the day, at around 1 or 2, then they take a siesta until about 4. During this time, lots of stores and restaurants are closed. After the siesta, people go back to work (or continue sight-seeing, in our case), and then they have a small dinner at 9 or 10 pm, or perhaps even later. Then, after dinner, they might take a walk around the neighborhood with their family, or they might go out. Lots of bars don’t even open until midnight or 1 am. If you’re a night owl, you’ll certainly fit in in Spain! I don’t know if I would want to follow that schedule all the time, but it was really fun for a weekend.

On Saturday morning, we went to visit La Sagrada Familia. It was just stunning and so different from any church I’ve ever seen. Antoni Gaudí was the main architect, and he started work on the church in 1883. And it’s still not finished! Construction of the church is funded solely by the people, so only a little can be done at a time. Gaudí died in 1926, and the plan is to finish the church by the 100th anniversary of his death, so hopefully by 2026 it will be complete!

Gaudí wanted the church to be lit from the outside as well as from within. These stained glass windows are truly works of art. It’s the brightest and most colorful church I’ve ever seen.

Some of the windows haven’t been finished yet, so they have plain glass panes for now.

There are so many points of interest in the modernist architecture. The columns imitate tree trunks and have knots and branches extending outward.

Everything inside the church is reflective of something in nature. It’s stunning in a completely different way than any other church I’ve seen.

The model-makers’ workshop. They’re working to complete the church keeping as close to Gaudí’s original plans as they can.

After La Sagrada Familia, we walked around the city for a while. We passed another Gaudí creation, Casa Milà. We didn’t go inside, but it was fun to check out the outside.

We strolled down some of the pedestrian avenues and had lunch at a vegan restaurant called Juicy Jones – definitely worth checking out if you’re in the area.

Barcelona is part of Catalunya, a region of Spain that has its own language (Catalan), and its own unique customs. One of the most charming is the Sardana, a dance that the locals do around the town square every week. They hold hands and dance in a circle, and it’s such a sweet thing to witness.

Ben wanted to check out Montjuïc Castle, so we decided to head that direction in the late afternoon. I had no idea what I was in for. These stairs are just the first portion of a very long journey.

We walked and walked (and walked), and finally made it to the top of the hill, snapping a couple pictures along the way.

And we made it! Monjuïc Castle is pretty teeny, but it was fun to look around anyway.

We were lucky to be there at the right time to witness a pretty gorgeous sunset.

The return trip downhill was much easier and went a lot faster. 🙂 The lady at our hostel told us about this show at the Magic Fountain every Saturday night, so we thought we might as well check it out.

Basically, they choreograph a show with the water and lights, and the effect is like fountain fireworks! It was fun to watch, but the most interesting part was that the show was set to Disney music. So we got to hear lots of familiar songs in Spanish. The people sitting next to me were from Italy, so it was fun to hear them singing along in Italian. 🙂

Right across from the Magic Fountain is this shopping center that used to be a bull fighting arena. Given my last experience with an arena, I’d say the shopping center is an improvement! We went inside and got some fresh-squeezed juice and walked around. It was a really fun and unexpected stop.

At around 10 pm (because we’re so Spain), we went to dinner. I had found a vegetarian tapas restaurant called Sesamo that had good reviews, so I thought we should check it out. It would be a shame not to eat tapas in Spain!

I’m so glad we went there because it was delicious. Probably one of the best meals I’ve had in Europe! We ordered the tasting menu, so we each got seven little items plus two glasses of wine and dessert.

To start with, we had pumpkin miso soup and butternut squash soup with macadamia nuts and coconut milk. To die for.

The rest of the meal was just as amazing. We had mushroom croquettes (which I am still drooling over!), gnocchi with an insane beet sauce, and lots more. We also had fantastic service, and I had tons of fun chatting with the Argentinian chef. The next time we’re in Barcelona, we are definitely coming back here!

I loved how dressed up for Christmas the city was. The main streets are all decorated, and even the smaller streets had some holiday flair. (This picture looks a lot more dangerous than it was. The cars had a red light, and I was standing in a crosswalk.)

Happy holidays from me and this tree! 🙂

On Sunday morning, we went on a tour of the Palau de la Musica, a beautiful and modernist concert hall. It was completely gorgeous, and these pictures do not do it an ounce of justice.

The tour of the concert hall was a little lacking, so I probably wouldn’t do that again, but I would definitely go here to see a show. It’s supposedly quite cheap, so that’s an option for next time!

After the Palau de la Musica, we went to see another Gaudí creation – the Casa Batlló. It was amazing!

This is the first thing you see when you walk inside. The edge of the staircase is like a dragon’s spine. It’s so crazy and cool.

Everything in this house is supposed to symbolize the ocean. The shapes, colors, and textures represent the many aspects of the sea.

I loved this mosaic piece out in the courtyard.

On the roof. Gaudí combined all the chimneys so he could do something aesthetically pleasing with them.

Parts of Casa Batlló feel a little like a Dr. Seuss book. 🙂

This is Ben’s “okay, enough pictures” face.

And since we had to get to the train station to come home, he got his wish. 🙂 We had an easy, three hour train ride, and we were back before dinner!

I’m so glad we got the chance to go to Barcelona! I’ve wanted to visit for years, and I loved it just as much as I thought I would. I have some big plans for our return trip, including the Picasso Museum and Park Güell. If you’re at all interested in art, architecture, or amazing food (you are, right?), I highly recommend Barcelona as a vacation destination!

xo!