Spain in a Nutshell (Ft. Gaudi)

Spain is a beautiful country bound in the past and every moment I try to describe turns me into a storyteller.

After living on a ship for six days for the first time in my life, stepping into another country was one of the most surreal experiences (I was swaying for a few hours). Right from the start of our voyage, we were set back a few hours from our arrival in Spain because of storms consisting of winds at 30 knots and waves 18 feet high – quite the welcoming into sea-life, but made walking onto land all the much more exciting!

[A little side note on the political environment we were entering into in Barcelona: Catalonia is the northeastern region of Spain, a territory with much history and heritage. Currently they are undergoing a movement to separate from Spain for many reasons, primarily linguistic. Stepping into a new country and experiencing these sentiments and passion about one’s country – the protests, the flags, and people just wanting you to understand their hopes and dreams for the future of their home – was incredibly interesting and added an important layer to this experience in Barcelona.]

Immediately following the disembarkation process (which can take a long time), we rushed right over to La Sagrada Familia so we could make our tour time. Sagrada Familia is a cathedral designed by Antoni Gaudi. Construction began in 1882 and continues today with an anticipation completion date in 2026, the centennial of Gaudi’s death. The outside of the cathedral is exponentially more stunning than all of the photos I have seen, but walking into the church was a feeling like no other. Upon entrance, you are welcomed by the bright sun shining through creatively designed stained glass windows and spires as tall as 170 meters. I would begin to describe the amount of symbolism Gaudi designed into this church, but I would be writing a novel. The architectural genius of this man is astounding. If you are ever in Barcelona this is a must see. The “suggested tour time” is 1 hour – we spent almost 3 just standing in awe.

Like the true European backpackers we are, we then made the seemingly short hike to Park Güell. The walk is not too long, but we were carrying hiking backpacks with all our belongings …. in the rain. Those beautiful photos you see overlooking Barcelona from Park Güell come at a cost of a very steep incline for almost a mile leading up to the gates of the park. The park itself was stunning (EVEN MORE GAUDI!) and the view of Barcelona was exquisite, if even in the fog. That night we cured our raging hunger with plenty of tapas (which I now know are not one singular type of food), explored the Barcelona bar scene, and slept soundly in our hostel (a new and interesting experience for me).

The next day we made a morning stop at Casa Batillo (house built by Gaudi for a wealthy Spanish family) to get my daily dose of Gaudi, walked a little bit of Las Ramblas and the Gothic quarter (came across a local book festival – MY DREAM), then conquered the Spanish train terminal to take a train across the country to Valencia. I would not trade that train ride for any experience in the world – with the mountain ranges on my right and coastline on my left, I could not keep my eyes off the window taking in all that the Spanish landscape could give me (MTA should take notes).

Valencia is a city full of so much history and stunning plazas bustling with friendly tourists and locals alike (AND GELATO). The next two days in this city we wandered, stumbling upon the most amazing buildings and people. We found the ring where Valencia, known for bull fighting, holds its shows. Not agreeing with this form of entertainment at all, this was an interesting way to learn about Valencia’s history. Opening my mind and appreciating the ring for it’s beauty in holding so much tradition and history was challenging, but lead to a deeper understanding of the city and its people (and regardless, walking in a completely empty ring is pretty cool).

Overall, Spain is an incredible country that I will most definitely be back to visit. My biggest lesson from Spain was to not try to prevent preconceptions about a country, but acknowledge and understand why we may have these notions about the people and customs. Noting these “single stories” about a place creates room for understanding and acceptance of a culture.

Because of the immense lack of wifi I have on this voyage, these blog posts will be sporadic (as I am posting this from the middle of Ghana!). I will try my best to keep you all updated (maybe even post multiple blogs at once!), but if you want more regular updates on my in-country travel and ship life, email me at kellyann.bonanno.fa17@semesteratsea.org.