barcelona

Thursday morning I left my friend Magda's house to fly to Barcelona where this awaited me: 

{Barceloneta Beach}

{my dear friend Claire!} 

I couch surfed where I found the equivalent of my front porch haven and spent dinners on the porch eating homemade spanish tortillas with Claras (beer mixed with Fanta)

I saw some incredible art & architecture

{Picasso's Margot}

{D'arc de Triomf}

{Park Guell}

Indulged in fun drinks & food

{Absinthe at the Bar Marsala}

{Tapas & Toothpick Restaurants} 

{Boy Scout shot at Chupitos. My favorite because you got to eat the toasted marshmellow after} 

And wandered shops till my feet were going to fall off. 

{rack of scarves at an adorable boutique in El Born}

I tried everything I could in Barcelona. My favorites were tapas, tanning topless, crema catalana, dancing in a gay rights parade, and the spanish tortilla. 

Oh, and in Barcelona wine is often cheaper than water. My kind of place. 

What I loved about Barcelona was the city's relaxed passion. Slightly paradoxical I know, but their way of life has been seemingly untouched. They have such a relaxed way of living, but do so passionately. 

Whilst we were watching the game at a neighborhood bar, I was watching an old man as he came in, grabbed a newspaper, filled up his personal mug with Clara and talked to the bartender when it occurred to me that if I removed the big screen television and the overly paid athletes, I could have easily walked in on the same scene 50 years ago. Here the old european way is still definitive of their culture. In fact it wasn't until two years ago that they took away Barcelona being a nudist friendly city (not only beach, but you could legally walk down Las Ramblas in your birthday suit if you fancied). 

Dinner is late at night to be enjoyed when the day finally cools off and you can enjoy friends & wine, and even when it rained on Sunday the outside cafes would be packed with people enjoying cafe con leche or wine and tapas. The city jostled with people not driven by success per se, but with a leisurely enjoyment and contentment in their surroundings. From the hustle of la Boqueria to the stillness of seeing the city from El Tibidabo, Barcelona was filled with a remarkable timeless energy. Whether it be watching a dance group perform in front of an old cathedral, or see a modern bride getting married in la Iglasia de Santa Maria del Mar, this city has perfected the mix of old and new culture. 

{meat stand at la Boqueria, dancers in the old town square, wedding at la Iglesia de Santa Maria del Mar and the view of Jesus looking over barcelona at El Tibidabo}

Christian, my couch host for the weekend, woke up at 4 am to find me on the terrace taking in the last bit of Barcelona before my taxi came. Looking over Barcelona you could still hear people celebrating the past nights win and he said, "Everyday I fall in love with my city."

After this weekend, I did too.