Amazing Architecture

Hello everyone, 

The last couple days have been a whirlwind of exploring Barcelona! 

I'll begin with the other day when Bryndan and I were able to hit a few of the tourist spots including the Museu Picasso and the beautiful Santa Maria del Mar cathedral. Despite knowing I would be in for a treat as far as architecture goes in Europe, I am continually surprised every day by the mammoth objects standing before me and their most incredible beauty. 

 Continuing on with the theme of architecture, we headed to the Hospital de la Santa Creu Sant Pau which, considering my knowledge of what hospitals look like, wasn't anything like I expected it would be (compare the pictures below to say....the Rockyview. Mucho different) Unfortunately, most of the hospital is under construction so we couldn't get too close to it but it was incredible nonetheless. The building is primarily made of stone but what makes it so wonderful (similar to many other Barcelona landmarks) is the use of mosaic tile which adds a lively splash of color to these centuries old buildings. 

Perhaps the most famous Barcelona landmark is Gaudi's Sagrada Familia cathedral. We have a spectacular view of it from the house but it really is something else upon closer inspection. Today we trekked down towards the ocean front to find this work of art. It was well worth the cold and windy walk to see the masterpiece. To be honest, from far away it kind of looks like a messy cathedral - almost as if something threw concrete onto the framework and just let it drip dry. If you look closely, the building really tells a story. I probably could have taken hundreds of pictures, but I think I'll wait for a warmer day to do this. Here is a taste of the outside of the famous Sagrada Familia. 

Other Realizations: 

1- Yes, transit may be efficient but IT IS NOT EASY. The metro/FGC/fifteen other kinds of train system is still baffling to us. Today's adventures really required the use of quick problem solving skills. On route to our destination, Bryndan and I took our usual L7 El Putxet train to exit our area of residence. This was normal, except that upon going into the station we noticed that the ticket validation machine (for lack of a better explanation) wasn't functioning - so you just walk in. Ok, not a problem. Mais no! Upon getting to Provenca, we figured out that we could not exit the station because the machines knew our tickets hadn't been validated to get on the train in the first place. We were told by a machine that it would be a 50 Euro charge to let us out of the train station. Having come to the conclusion that a life lived in the Barcelona transit station wasn't really in the cards for us we hopped back on the train to Placa Catalunya because I remembered that we didn't need our tickets validated there to exit the station. Having accomplished this, we went back towards our destination. Huge waste of time? Yes. But also worth NOT paying 50 Euros and/or a life spent in the train system. Word of advice? The people in charge of transit here really don't want you to mess around with the system. So don't try it. And if it looks like you're getting a free transit ride due to machine malfunction, DON'T BE EXCITED ABOUT IT! Because clearly, it isn't going to end well. 

2- Guidebooks are useful. Yes, you shouldn't carry them around with you and whip them out on the street to look something up but they really do have good advice. Example - when going to the Sagrada Familia either go early in the morning to avoid lines or buy your tickets online so again, you don't have to stand in line with 100 other people. See, this is the type of knowledge a savvy traveler should know. To be honest, Bryndan and I have fun pointing out the obvious tourists. We are trying to fit in as much as possible but our blonde hair pretty well gives it away. We were walking down....some street...the other night and a few guys behind us were talking about us (in Spanish, assuming we didn't know what was being said...wrong!) and guessing that we were American. Wrong again, but I suppose despite what we wear we may just always be pegged as the tourist. By then again, they're right -aren't they?

3- Being a tourist/visitor is exhausting. By the time you get up and ready, figure out how to order a coffee and croissant at a nearby cafe for breakfast, see a couple major sites, get lost and then find your way again, you are just EXHAUSTED! Oh and by the way, that's exactly what happened today. We conquered, and then really just lost. I don't know where we ended up en route to a shopping center (which really disappointed us upon arrival) but it was clearly a sketchy part of town. I'm shocked we weren't robbed walking through it. I must admit that our little humble abode in the fenced in Putxet area is really a comfort when you see places that aren't so safe. Being from somewhat smalltown Okotoks doesn't really give you an idea of what it's like to go through really sketchy areas in other countries. It's all part of the experience but I'm definitely glad I'm not getting completely lost, during siesta, by myself. On another note (with regards to being tired), I ended up buying hair mousse instead of hair spray today before we left the mall. Apparently I was completely dysfunctional. Sigh. 

Tomorrow is Sunday, which means there is next to nothing open. I do believe it will be a homework/school prep/tea drinking/ Paris planning type of day. Sounds good to me. It's still freezing outside anyways! 

That's all for now! 

B