The Many Faces of Barcelona

After 2 months of sailing around the Mediterranean, first in Turkey, then in Ibiza, it was finally time to come ashore. Our next stop was Mainland Spain, to the Catalonian capital of Barcelona.

I had been there a few times many years ago, but always on business and had never seen it as a tourist. Ann had never been at all. So we both had some vague ideas about what makes the city unique, but neither of us really knew what to expect.

Barcelona is the political and cultural capital of Catalonia, an autonomous region in Spain with its own language, people and customs. The city center is a beautiful urban area, with wide, tree-lined boulevards and shops and restaurants everywhere. Though it sits on the Mediterranean coast, it doesn’t feel like a beach town, until you’re actually at one of the many beaches within the city.

The city is also renowned for its art, cuisine and night life. Basically, there is entertainment everywhere you look.

Music And Fun Is Everywhere 

The timing of our visit to Barcelona couldn’t have been better. On our first night, we discovered that the neighborhood adjacent to our hotel was having its annual Festa, basically a giant block party. There was live music on virtually every street in the neighborhood, ranging from traditional to rock, hip hop and EDM. Every street was packed with people enjoying the free concerts, and there were food and drink stalls everywhere as well.

On our second night, Spain was playing in the European Football Cup final against England. Hundreds of thousands of people filled every bar and restaurant to watch the match, as well as packing the Plaça de Catalunya, one of the city’s largest squares, where giant screens had been set up to show the match. Needless to say, the entire city celebrated when Spain beat England 2-1.

And Then There’s Gaudí

On most tourist guides to the city, the four top attractions are all structures designed by architect Antoni Gaudí. The Barcelona native is known worldwide for his unique and eccentric style. Whether you love it or hate it (his name is, after all, the origin of the adjective gaudy), Barcelona has embraced his designs as a symbol of the city.

The Sagrada Família is the most famous of his buildings, followed by Park Güell, Casa Batlló, and La Pedrera. The Sagrada Família is an immense church, started in 1882 and still under construction to this day. The almost continuous presence of cranes and scaffolding around the building make it very hard to get a good photo of the exterior. The enormous interior, though, is impressive with its kaleidoscope of colors coming through the stained glass windows.

Barcelona’s Neighborhoods

We spent our last day in Barcelona exploring some of the nearby neighborhoods. Our hotel was located on La Rambla, Barcelona’s boulevard famous for its restaurants, shops, promenade and the variety of people it attracts. To one side was El Raval, where we had stumbled across the Festa. This was a very diverse neighborhood, where we saw residents, restaurants and shops from all over the world.

On the other side of La Rambla is the Gothic Quarter, the oldest part of the city and an area that is full of buildings and churches that are hundreds of years old. Beyond that was El Born, which is becoming known as a “maker” space, where artists, artisans and other creatives have set up shop to make and sell their wares. The one that grabbed my attention was a shop making old-fashioned music synthesizers. Just like Keith Emerson back in the day, I could have spent all day in there twirling knobs!

Economic Success Story or Over-Tourism Run Amok?

After a decades-long push by the city to increase tourism to help their economy, Barcelona in some ways is a victim of its own success. Local residents are now revolting against the onslaught of tourism, and the crowds and inflation that come with it. Things got so bad this past summer that there was an organized campaign to feed misinformation to Google Maps, to keep the hordes away from the locals’ favorite spots.

In the last 20 years, Barcelona has gone from an off-the-beaten-path spot to the 3rd most visited city in Europe and 10th worldwide. It is also the largest passenger port in Europe, and we saw many giant cruise ships arriving and departing every day. So what makes Barcelona special?

We both loved the energy and vibe of the city. Despite the crowds in the most touristy areas, it wasn’t hard to get away to the real city and enjoy it the way the locals do. We’re anxious to go back.