Barcelona and Gaudi (Part 2)

TUESDAY 2/21

As we lazily headed North to Sagrada Familia, clouds had moved in and the sky turned gray. Lightening shot across the sky followed by an ENORMOUS thunder that shook everything and the first splatters of rain began to fall. We in turn shot a glance at each other and said "We've gotta try!" We arrived as the rain began coming down harder and were surprised to still find it open. Note: For those who have never seen an overview shot of how SF compares with the rest of the buildings in Barcelona - It's HUGE! The third tallest building in the City and taller than St. Peter's in Rome by a stretch) We began in the Nave - Columns growing up like giant redwoods and lots of construction in progress with scaffolding everywhere - The orange in stark contrast to the light stone. Up the stairs, into the first of the Towers - Up and up - Stairs corkscrewing into what seemed an infinity. Peek-a-boo shots of details, sometimes opening onto a small balcony with broader views with large drainage openings big enough for your leg to fit through that made us both (who are typ. not afraid of heights) VERY uneasy. We continue - Up and up - Eventually we pop out at the first narrow bridge which gives us a dramatic view of the phallic Torre Agbar, penetrating the skyline in perfect contrast to this Modernisme masterpiece on which we stood. Up and up - We tower over everything around. Giant construction cranes are BELOW us. Have we gone THAT high?! We finally exit onto the highest bridge, next to the Tree of Life with it's stark white doves. So narrow, we squeeze past the people already standing with their mouths agape. We are on TOP! Only the GIANT cranes and the words rise above us now - Excelsis! The rain had ceased momentarily and the sky is SPECTACULAR! A band of light below the line of steel gray. The moodiness of it so appropriate for experiencing this - Gaudi's masterpiece - which Barcelona, KNOWING how lucky it is to have him, continues to build (est. completion 2050 - We could come back every 5 years to check progress!) Darin grabs my arm and says "Look, over the Mediterranean - A Tornado!" It took me awhile to grasp the reality of what I was seeing, but there it was! A sight I had only HOPED to see once in a lifetime, but to see it NOW! Here! The funnel cloud loomed like some monstrous yet delicate piece of vaporous art on the horizon. It shifted ever so slightly and would dissapate or become more concentrated as we watched. At this point we could see the Torre Agbar and Torre Calatrava on Montjuic in addition. It was so surreal beyond belief that words can't even encompass my emotions at that moment. Others on the bridge saw it, but hurried down in apprehension because it was, in fact, heading our way... although still a long ways off. This was the point that we looked at each other and resolved to stay put at our fantastic vantage and just see what happened. It wasn't too long after that it dissapated completely and the rain picked up again, finally prompting us to head down - damp, awed and chilled to the bone. Back on the street, we quickly made our way towards the Metro and bought a bottle of Tempranillo to wash down all our tasty market goodies we'd bought earlier and had another excellent bed-top picnic.

Those 2 days have been those 11 out of 10 ranking days that you only HOPE for and dream of having more in your life. So much of it seems to be about being at the right place at the right time, or maybe sharing the experience with a friend that can actually say "Yes, that amazing thing DID happen!" so you know you weren´t just dreaming. For me, alot of what I´m hoping for in taking this trip and putting myself out here in the world is to get myself out of my comfort zone, where I have a job and money to spend on luxury items instead of necessities, and just try to be receptive to new experiences. Just try to live life to it´s fullest...

Barcelona and Gaudi (Part 1)

WOW!!!! The last 2 days have been SO unreal as to exceed even the highest expectation! There was one point last evening at sunset atop Gaudi´s Sagrada Familia when we knew the tornado (Yes, Tornado!) was coming our way and thought about getting to a safer spot, and then we said "Well, I'm ready to go, so if this be our destiny, what a SPECTACULAR exit!" People would say of us, "Well, that's too bad about Darin and Tami, but Shit, Wow!" But let me back up a bit...

MONDAY 2/20
The day began earlier than many as we were drinking strong coffee and eating pastries on Avenida Diagonal by 9:30AM. We turned North onto Calle de Gracia and were treated to building after building of impressive facades with eye-catching stained glass bays and other Modernisme detailing. Continuing on past one of Gaudi's early works (Casa Vicens) then to Parc Guell. I'd last been there in '98 and had fond memories, but hadn't appreciated the full impression it had left on me. Over the course of an entire afternoon we strolled, gazed, absorbed the vibe and plentiful details with more than a bit of sensory overload. The Parc is a symphony of stone and ceramic tile, of people talking, children running and laughing, musicians playing... My mind was reeling. I felt absolutely happy and totally inspired! Which way to go next!? There was so much capturing our attention! We part ways briefly, unable to decide on any one thing. I proceed through a long, curving stone tunnel. One I have vague memories of from the previous visit, but has been calling me back all day. After the flurry of people at the tunnel entrance I find myself alone. I walk deeper, away from their voices. The light is soft, sensuous, dream-like... and I begin to have a growing sense of deja-vu. Yes, I've been here before... but, I've forgotten SO MUCH... The details! I'm in an awed daze, and then I turn, look back through where I've come, and then I see it - The snapshot forever imprinted in my mind - The place I've so often visited in my dreams. So THIS is the place! I HAVE been here! It's REAL! I can't believe my good fortune to experience it all over again, and I stand there for a long while, awed. When Darin and I meet up again, I take him here. After, he brings me to the new view HE'S discovered.

Eventually we head back down to the main plaza. You know, the one with the famous, curvy bench. It's sunset now. The crowds have cleared out and the light's getting really good. Then, an alley on sun breaks through the clouds, illuminating a long swath of city, in the middle of which rises Torre Agbar and Sagrada Familia. Two of the tallest buildings in the City. We can't believe our luck! It's a Kodak moment if ever there was one! We linger with the remaining few until the light finally fades and we're frozen to the bone. We hurry out, trying to make it to the Metro as quickly as possible. En route, we stumble upon a bar - Cerveseria Plaza - and order up a couple beers and some Spanish almonds (The plump, sweet, skinless kind, not the kind we get in the States) and revive our bodies with a few much-needed calories. Re-energized we set about getting bread, olives and 3 types of Spnish cheese to go with a special bottle of wine ('95 Chateau Ferriere Margaux) that Darin had received for his 40th Birthday and we'd been saving for special occasion. Back at the hostal, our bed-top picnic was FANTASTIC! We were so excited by the end of dinner that we decided to go out for a walk and nightcap. We'd brought my I/pod with both pairs of headphones and put on my BurningMn Night playlist as we walked down the Rmblas to the waterfront. It was a nice night and people were out. Farther along Port Vell we stopped at an inviting bar and ordered up a brandy and then cava/champagne as we chatted with the bartender and his friends. We walked home happy, buzzed and listening to good tunes. It was 3AM by the time we crawled into bed.

Details of Tuesday to follow...

Here's a "link" to more photos

Goodbye USA, Hello World

So, after lots great sights + adventures, many fond farewells and the final flurry of sorting through things and paring down to a backpack, we find ourselves in Spain. It´s taken us a few days just to get caught up on sleep again, but we´re finally getting into our groove AND we´ve had a bit of time to reflect on how truly wonderful our time in the States has been + all the wonderful friends and family we´re leaving behind. I´d be lying if I said there haven´t been any tears shed, but the love and encouragement we´ve received alongside has eased any uncertainties about taking such a big step. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who´s been a part of the big sendoff!

So far, Barcelona is as wonderful as I´ve remembered and I´m enjoying seeing it through Darin´s virgin eyes as well. Things have changed a bit since ´98 - The city feels more prosperous, work has moved full speed ahead on Gaudi´s Sagrada Familia + the Euro is in (so it´s about 2x more expensive). We´ve been stretching our legs getting out into areas around the Barri Gotic (where we´re staying) and trying to get off the tourist path, but we´ve seen some of the prime attractions too - The Rambla, Casa Mila, Casa Battlo, Teatro de la Musica Catalana, Parc Guell + Sagrada Familia (which I´ll expound on later). The food situation hasn´t been horrible for us veggies either, despite the fact that Spain IS carniverous. We´ve had decent bread, FANTASTIC olives, good veggie tapas, tortilla espanola (potato + egg fritata), falafels, a variety of beans, fruit, great coffee and lots of good, cheap vino blanco + vino tinto that doesn´t break the bank at around $3-$6 for a totally drinkable bottle. If you haven´t been here yet, put it on your list of places to visit sooner than later.