Barcelona

I’m writing this as I am on the train to Valencia for the next three days. It’s a three hour trip from Barcelona and for the most part follows the coast south. It has been a beautiful ride and quite comfy as well. Trains seem so much civilized than planes, I don’t know why we do not use them more in the U.S. aside from distance and cost.

Espana won their match against Germany last night in Euro 2008 by a score of 1-0. I watched the game at an Irish bar down the street from the hotel since the sports bar in the neighborhood which is huge was wall to wall people and standing room only by 7pm and the game didn’t start until 8:45. A bunch of Irish lads lightened up the festivities by singing these crazy songs about the German players and soon everyone joined in with them . This was interspersed with the “Viva Espana” and “ole, ole, ole” both sung over and over and louder and louder. The game ended around 10:30 and EVERYONE took to the streets. Within a short period of time there were easily 10-15,000 people in just neighborhood park, it was mayhem. The young, old, drunk, sober and everything in between were easy converts to celebrate Spain’s first win in the Euro Cup in 44 years.

Earlier in the day, I immersed myself in Gaudi – the Spanish architect and artist. The Casa Batllo and Temple Explatoria de la Segrada Familia are both very different but emblematic of Barcelona. The Segrada Familia is inspiring by it’s sheer verticality and in the true manner of medieval cathedrals, it is still unfinished after 100 years. There are different façades surrounding the church and each one has a theme – the Glory façade has fruit on top of the pillars, the Nativity façade has people and animals and you can climb up in its towers. You get the picture, this cathedral is a work of art and architecture and while Gaudi is long dead, a mass has not yet been held in this church and it is anticipated to be completed sometime in the 2020s!

Casa Batllo on the other hand is a whimsical waltz. The outside is sprinkled with mauve, blue, and green tiles with wave shaped windows frames and balconies although I think they look like something out of a sci-fi flick. When Gaudi was commissioned to remodel this house, he based it on an ocean theme and he made two courtyards within the house to let the natural light in. The blue tiles going from top to bottom are light to dark since there is more light coming in at the top. Same principle applied to the windows. They are much larger on the bottom and get smaller as you go up. He felt that everything should not only be aesthetically pleasing, it should be functional and let nature enhance the elements. This house was awe inspiring to me. It was beautiful, crazy and yet, I could easily see a family living in the vast rooms and enjoying all the stained glass, beautiful oak floors and trim and the color and light used throughout. The house provided function yet art and beautiful space.

I've only been here a view hours and already have a better vibe than I did in Barcelona. I’m looking forward to touring the Ciudad de las Artes y last Ciencias. It houses an IMAX theatre, interactive science museum, an aquarium that would fill 15 olympic size pools and the second largest opera house in the world (Sydney is first). I understand from the manager of the place I am staying that it is easily an all day experience.