Thursday in Barcelona

Its been over a week since we were in Barcelona, and Im only now writing about it. But the fact that I am writing about it at all is an accomplishment for me! We left for Barcelona on Wednesday, Jan. 31. I think it was about a 6 hour drive, and we arrived in time for dinner at 8:30. We stayed in a hostel at a Catholic Seminary. Thursday was our first full day in Barcelona, and it was a day full of Antoni Gaudí, a famous Barcalonean (I don't think that's actually a word, but you know what I mean) architect. Our first stop was the Casa Milá, or La Pedrera. It used to be an apartment building for people that had a lot more money than me. The roof is the most interesting part. Along with a view of the city, there are chimneys that look like statues of whipped cream. After La Pedrera, we headed to La Sagrada Familia, on of the best known sites in Barcelona. The story behind the cathedral is more interesting to me than the actual building. I wont bore you with the whole story, but it has been under construction since 1882. Gaudí was the architect until his death in 1926. Our next Gaudí stop was el Parque Güell. As one of the Calvin students said, the architecture makes you feel like your in a fairy land. Our last stop of the day was the National Art Museum, and unfortunately, I was too tired to properly enjoy it. That night, we went to a futbol game in the Barcelona stadium, Camp Nou. I don't think that any US sporting events can really compare. The fans have cheers and songs, and in general futbol is huge here. I see the famous Barcelona player, Messi, on the news every night, and it was fun to see him play. There are a lot more pictures on my shutterfly site!

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