Spain Travelogue-Barcelona

Emily Li
Emily Li
Aug 31, 2018 · 3 min read

We took a flight from Sevilla to Barcelona, and the moment we landed the cityscape changed drastically–from the barren southern land scattered with olive trees into more diverse northern cityscapes–cypresses taller trees flourishing on sides of the road.

Barcelona is packed with tourist hotspots–grand architecture from Antonio Gaudi, Picasso’s museum, the 3 Cats Café, shopping avenues, grand musical theatres, and many more. It is a city fusing modern and historical elements, with furnished historical buildings (of neoclassical, renaissance, or baroque style) turned into stores of huge brands lined up in tourist packed streets. The city itself is faster paced, more claustrophobic, commercial, and lively than Madrid, with less Islamic influence since it was only under Islamic rule for around 100 years.

Gaudi’s grand architectural designs definitely turned heads back in the 20th Century– it still starkly contrasts with the buildings beside with its eccentric style combining natural elements, contemporary design, and use of light into his works. La Pedera (Casa Mila), Casa Batllo, Park Guell, and Basillica de la Familia were among some of his most popular works that we visited, and each time I was blown away by how he turns rock hard cityscapes into a breathing and lively celebration of art. “Nature is a book that is eternally open”, says Gaudi. His originality stemmed from the most unimaginable muses–back bones of whales, seaweeds, skeletons of animals, flowers, trees branches…, shaping them into eccentric yet beautiful designs that are one of a kind. The colorful mosaic tiles on rooftops of residential homes and cathedrals are characterizes Gaudi’s designs, and I really appreciate how they revitalize cityscapes with ingenuity.

Basillica de la Familia
Basillica de la Familia
Casa Mila

The Palau de la Music Catalana is a grand theater seated in midst of Barcelona’s bustling old town, designed and constructed in only three years yet a masterpiece of vibrant colors. From stained glass dome pouring sunlight from above, white sculptures, colorful mosaics, ironworks, to ornamentation, the Catalan modernism design is a magical music box blending decorative arts. Since its construction in 1982, it has seen top musicians of all kinds, performing more than 300 shows each year in chamber music, jazz, symphonies, Catalan music, and more. Appreciating arts and music inside the magical music box must be an enlightening experience, and I look forward to the exchange semester for a taste of musical enchantment!

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