Trip to Barcelona

My venture to Barcelona began on an interesting note: sitting at the tarmac for two hours. But what more could you expect from cheap airfares Ryanair had to offer? My friends and I finally arrived at 23:00 (pretty European I know, teehee), but by the time we got to air BNB, all we could manage was a few tapas and paella. The most pleasing of the tapas was the Spanish take on quiche, because it was a thick egg pie that had a surprisingly crispy and light texture for its mass. After a much needed dinner, we all fell asleep.

So the real journey began the next day, and like the initial stage of my journey, it started with food. At a local café, I indulged myself not only with mini croissants and hot chocolate, but a pain au chocolate filled with cream and topped with chocolate sprinkles. Of course taste bud ecstasy on all sugary levels of elation ensued.

Next we decided to work off the excess food and walked to the park Güell. At the top of the hill, the city’s skyline blended into the Mediterranean. Next we walked around the park seeing palm trees amidst Gaudi’s sculptures and even his house.

Speaking of Gaudi, we of course went to see the Sargada Familia. While I do have some knowledge of modern art, the Sargada blew away all pictures and expectations I had. Its use of stained glass, incorporation of nature, and application of modern architecture truly made for a monument not only to Catholicism but humanity. This work stood as a stark juxtaposition to Irish Churches. I enjoy both, but I find it fascinating to see how different cultures interpret the same faith.

As you can imagine, it was time for a meal after the Sargada, and this time I decided to get my usual favorite meal: smoked Salmon. The fish was served atop a baguette and surrounded by brie on the top and bottom. The Sargada was great, but this was excellent.

Afterwards, my friends and I took a siesta, took a stroll to the pier, and then decided to go for more tapas. Here, my friend Jazzy taught me how to properly eat an artichoke. She was chagrined at the group’s uncouth table manners when it came to this vegetable. Besides this one point of contention, we all had a wonderful meal.

At the end of the night, we took a nice walk on the beach, where I saw the Mediterranean up close for the first time. While I intended to touch the water, I ended up getting my Sperrys soaked by a stray wave :). And so our night ended, and we returned to the Ryanair terminal once again. Yet this time, we got to Dublin in a timely fashion.

I would like to give a special thanks to my friends Jazzy, Tamar, and Kate who invited me on this trip as well as my roommate Jack who I abandoned in Dublin.

The weather may be so glum
Because there’s a place we’re from,
Lands of Epona,
Now Barcelona,
I had tapas and then some.