Barcelona: Two Days of Beauty, Architecture, and Adventure

Copy of Copy of Untitled Design by emma ugarelli

I arrived in Barcelona from Madrid around noon. After checking into my hotel, I was happy to find that it was clean, modern, and well located. It also had something I had learned to appreciate during this trip: an elevator.
Before leaving the hotel, I left my backpack behind and took only what I considered essential. As I had done throughout my trip, I carried my Surface, my light laptop, with me, along with a small separate bag containing my passport, cards, and other important things. My phone also had a little strap attached to it, something that proved extremely useful during my travels. I could keep it around my wrist or attached to me instead of constantly worrying about dropping or losing it.
I had been told that I should be careful about walking alone at night in Barcelona, so I decided to explore during the day and return to my hotel before it became late.
I began walking through some of the oldest and most interesting parts of the city. I went toward Port Vell, Plaça del Palau, Ciutat Vella, La Ribera, Plaça Nova, the Quadrat d'Or, and La Rambla. From there, I continued through the Gothic Quarter, walking along its main streets and admiring the historic buildings and narrow streets.
Barcelona felt very different from the other European cities I had visited. There was something particularly lively about the combination of history, architecture, art, shops, restaurants, and people filling the streets.
After walking for hours, I stopped at a restaurant near the Gothic Quarter and had a typical Basque dish. It was a nice way to end my first exploration of Barcelona. After seeing the Cathedral and wandering through the Gothic Quarter and along La Rambla, I returned to my hotel.
The next morning, I had breakfast at the hotel and went out again.
My first destination was the area around Plaça de Gaudí and the Sagrada Família.
The Sagrada FamíliaThe Sagrada Família was spectacular.
I knew before visiting that it was one of Barcelona's most famous landmarks, but seeing it in person was something completely different. What impressed me most was learning more about its history as an ongoing project inspired by Antoni Gaudí, continuing and changing over generations.
The basilica is majestic, both inside and outside. What fascinated me was that so many elements have a purpose. The architecture, shapes, materials, colours, symbols, and especially the use of light all work together to tell a story.
For me, the Sagrada Família was much more than a religious building. Of course, its religious meaning is fundamental, but its architecture and aesthetic qualities make it extraordinary even for someone simply interested in art, design, creativity, and human imagination.
After the Sagrada Família, I went to Barceloneta Beach and enjoyed a stroll along the waterfront.
By around two in the afternoon, I continued toward Park Güell. On the way, I stopped at Can Baró to take a picture of the city. The view was beautiful, and it gave me another opportunity to appreciate how Barcelona stretches between the hills and the Mediterranean.
Park Güell and a Long WalkPark Güell was amazing. I walked and walked, exploring as much as I could and stopping frequently to admire the architecture and the views.
By then, however, my feet were beginning to complain. My new sneakers, which I had hoped would make all the walking easier, were still hurting my feet. But I was on a mission, and I didn't want to stop.
From Park Güell, I continued toward Montjuïc.
This turned out to be one of the more adventurous parts of my Barcelona experience.
At some point on Montjuïc Hill, I realized that I was lost. I was very high up, my feet hurt, and there was almost nobody around whom I could ask for directions. To make matters worse, the taxis I tried to find simply would not stop.
So I decided that the only thing I could do was walk downhill.
Looking back, I think getting lost was actually a blessing.
Because I had to walk down instead of taking a taxi, I saw places I might otherwise have missed. I passed the Olympic Stadium, the Mirador del Palau Nacional, the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, and the Magic Fountain.
I stopped whenever I could to rest my feet and then continued.
Eventually, after a very long but productive walk downhill, I finally found a taxi that would take me back to my hotel.
My feet were tired, but I was happy.
Barcelona's Street ArtOne small detail about Barcelona also caught my attention. Something I don't commonly see in Vancouver is the way some stores seem to use art on their doors and storefronts almost as a form of promotion. The graffiti and painted designs made many of the entrances look colourful and artistic. Instead of simply being advertisements, they became part of the visual character of the city.
Barcelona in Two DaysBarcelona was amazing.
In only two days, I felt that I had grasped a great deal of its beauty—not because I had seen everything, but because I had walked so much of it. I walked through its historic neighbourhoods, along the beach, through Gaudí's extraordinary creations, up and down its hills, and even got lost along the way.
Sometimes, getting lost is part of discovering a place.
And Barcelona gave me plenty to discover.