I must be Barcelonean

I am not sure what the proper word to describe someone from Barcelona is…but whatever it is…that’s me.  I loved, loved, loved this city.  Maybe it was just the fact that I was seeing green leaves after some many months in the sandy landscape of the Middle East or maybe it was the fact that I was travelling with one of my all-time favourite people, Carrie, or maybe it was simply the fact that there was pork available in every window (did I mention the Middle East).  Whatever it was…I loved this city. 


I trepidatiously followed Carrie’s recommendation to skip a hotel and stay at an Air Bnb…and as much as it pains me to admit this…she was 100% right.  It was amazing.  We had a great little apartment in a convenient neighbourhood…I could pop down in the AM to a local bakery and pick up coffees and fresh juice.  We could walk a few blocks and be standing in front of one of Gaudi’s masterpieces.  Or we could stop by any of the many delicious restaurants that dotted the surrounding streets.  

Our days were spent wandering the streets…drinking wine…shopping in quaint boutiques…visiting the highlights that this amazing city has to offer.  Most of what this city seems to have for the drifting tourist is in the form of astounding architecture.   I was initially impressed with the gothic churches and their functional drain spout gargoyles.  That is until I Gaudi. 


Gaudi.  Wow.  I stared at Casa Batlló and imagined how amazing it would be to live in this creative abode.  I strolled through Park Güell and wished I was there as a child where it would be permissible, almost expected, to play in this creative masterpiece.  And there is Basílica de la Sagrada Família.  There truly is no other place I have ever seen or could even imagine like the Sagrada Família.  I was in awe of the intricate and dramatic facades adorning the building.  I stared in wonder at the colours streaming through the stained glass and illuminating the inside.  The breathtaking view from the spires covered all of Barcelona.  I heard a quote I didn’t quite understand before I visited the church, “I thought I had seen enough churches…and then I saw the Sagrada Família”.  I get it now.

Maybe it was the combination; the architecture, the food, the greenery, the company…I loved it all.  More than that…I could see myself living there.  I could get a small flat…a scooter…eat tapas every day and drink wine at lunch.  We leave tonight for Madrid, and while I look forward to the next adventure, it’s a little like leaving home.  I must be Barcelonean.