Barcelona Beckons: Spain 2022
Like so many of us, in 2022 it had been a long time between drinks when it comes to international travel. So we were just a little bit excited with the idea of taking 10 weeks to escape to Spain and avoid the end of the Canadian winter. We had the departure date circled in our calendars for many, many months (and an actual countdown timer set up in the kitchen).
We started to put together a loose itinerary, but always with the knowledge that we would need to be Gumby-like in our flexibility, given the state of the world. We started off with plans to meet friends in various places in Europe, but then settled on embracing ‘slow travel’ to spend the entire 10 weeks in Spain.
Spain 2022: Barcelona Beckons!
We have a vague plan of where we’re going to be over the next 2 and a half months, but plans can change. There’s only so many days of racing around tourist sites and eating out that these travellers can take. (Though we’re willing to give it a fair shake).
We bought an actual Lonely Planet for Spain, which had the unexpected consequence of forcing Al to finally accept the fact that no, fonts haven’t been getting smaller and no, it’s not really dark in here and no, no-one else is having trouble reading that… and he finally went and got some glasses.
Our travelling companion, Feathers McGraw (aka the evil penguin, the chicken, one of the top five criminal masterminds of all time) will once again be joining us on this adventure.
As the date drew ever closer, the threat of cancellation and/or another big Covid outbreak gradually faded, and eventually the big day arrived. We packed our (numerous) bags and headed to the airport. And remarkably, other than a little extra paperwork, having to wear masks the entire journey, and the airports being a lot less crowded than usual, the trip over to Spain was… just normal. Everyone around us seemed as excited as we were to dust off the ol’ passport.
Barcelona Day 1: Sagrada Familia
First stop, Barcelona, the home of design, good food and mind-bending architecture. We stayed in the Gracia neighbourhood, just far enough away from the madding tourist crowds and a short walk to our first foray back in to being a tourist: a return to the Sagrada Familia.
For those of you not familiar with the Sagrada Familia, this cathedral is the jewel in Antoni Gaudi’s architectural crown (and what a mighty crown it is). First envisioned in the late 1800’s and still being constructed over 140 years later, Gaudi threw himself into the Sagrada’s design and creation over the latter years of his life, but by the time of his untimely death in 1926 less than a quarter of the cathedral was complete.
The Spanish Civil War further disrupted progress, with revolutionaries destroying many of the original plans and models. Over the decades architects from all around the world have collaborated to both reconstruct the lost plans as well as build on his original ideas using modern technology to create a church unlike any we’ve ever seen.
Construction continues to this day, with ten(!) more towers still planned. We last visited more than 20 years ago, and at that time the interior was a construction zone. Now the interior is complete, and spectacular. Depending on the time of day the stained glass bathes the walls in either green / blue light in the morning or the colours of sunset in the afternoon. If you didn’t know better, you’d think it was light created by spotlights. The columns rise from the ground like giant trees, and despite their massive size give the space an incredible feeling of light and openness.
(For comparison, these are photos we took on our last visit more than 20 years ago:).
Whew – and that was just the first day! Speaking of Gumby (were we?), our legs felt like rubber by the time we got home that afternoon. We opted to eat at home, have an afternoon nap and do some laundry (how can we have so much laundry on Day One of our holiday??) The fatigue/jet lag is what I’m blaming for putting a dishwasher tablet into the washing machine.
In our next post, we’ll explore Antoni Gaudí’s first commissioned building, the Casa Vicens.
Where We Stayed
For this visit we stayed in Gràcia, which is above the Avinguda Diagonal, and just to the Southwest of the Sagrada Familia. We specifically wanted to stay away from the super-touristy areas, and instead looked for somewhere with a more Local vibe. We loved it there.
Related Posts You May Enjoy