Barcelona Highlights
In going through photos on my computer, I realized I didn't really blog much about my trip to Spain aside from some Christmas Market stories. I plan to write about both Barcelona and Madrid, so this post will focus on Barcelona.
The highlight of my trip to Spain hands down is all of the architecture contributed by Antoni Gaudí, a Catalan who belonged to the Art Nouveau movement and whose many buildings and structures provide a glimpse into one of the most unique and surreal masters of this movement. Throughout the streets of Barcelona there are countless examples of his work, including the Casa Milà and Casa Batlló pictured at left and right (respectively). 
These two buildings are magnificent examples of his talent, as well as a testament to his crazy mind. They are so unlike any building I have ever seen in my life...very cool!
construction since 1882 (it should be done sometime in the next twenty years, so make your travel arrangements accordingly). It is truly a unique structure of which I have never seen an equal. 
The church retains many aspects of Gothic architecture but with a twist that makes you wonder just what kind of sauce this guy put on his paella. The colors he used in the stain glass are bright and vibrant, which is very much at odds with many of the European churches I have seen in the last several months. 
The statues on the outside facades as well are so unique to what you would expect in a church. They are much more modern and powerful in terms of the images they convey. This megalithic church definitely stands out against all of the others...
it should contain a market or performance stage depending on the day. There are also unique walkways and bird nests, a dragon sculpture, and tiled mosaics on the ceilings. It was a great place to just sit and rest my legs from all of the walking and sightseeing.
Speaking of walking, every day I easily walked three to four miles exploring the various parts of the city. 
I managed to trek all the way up to the top of the hill where the 1992 Summer Olympics were held to check out the facilities and Olympic torch. 
From this vantage point I was able to see the entire city laid out before me which was quite the view. I also walked along the boardwalk to the beach which has since eroded due to storms this winter. Barcelona built this beach for the Olympics, but unfortunately it no longer exists (or so I am told). There are many lovely places to eat along the coastline, many with three or four course meals for a decent price (15-25 euros).
My final exciting adventure was the weekly market just off 
La Rambla which I was fortunate enough to experience before getting on a train to Madrid. Each vendor was packed with every food stuff you could possibly imagine...fish, meats, fruits, vegetables, drinks, offal, nuts, candy, breads, the list could go on and on if I was more specific but I wouldn't want to bore you. I bought some fresh fruit and a fruit drink to enjoy as I meandered among the various stalls. My favorites were the fishmongers, where the crabs, lobsters, and other crustaceans were still moving...as well as the piles of fish I have never seen before. 
The air was ripe with the smell of seawater and the smell of fresh fish in this area, while the other parts of the market smelled of dried hams and fresh fruits. If you would like to see all of the pictures, click here to go and see them on Flickr! (I seem to be running out of room to put pictures on this page...)
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