I still remembered the first time I heard Spanish songs. Even though I didn’t know the meaning of the language, somehow the cheerful melodies stayed with me for a long time. They accompanied me during times I felt stressful and those days I felt blue and beat up by life. Then I decided to learn Spanish to understand what the singers are singing about. I noticed that most Spanish songs spread positive life messages and that’s why I am so intrigued with the Spanish culture, and this spirit brought me to a trip to Spain.
When the plane flew over Mar Balear, I knew I was very near Barcelona. Barcelona is the largest city in Spain, but the local people speak Catalan. Though it is not Spanish, knowing some Spanish, French, and English can help decode Catalan. Most knowledge about Barcelona I acquired from my Spanish courses. Therefore, visiting Barcelona felt exactly like the pictures on textbooks became real in front of my face. As I had a short stay at Barcelona, I didn’t tour all the tourist attractions in details, but I will share as much as I can.
One of the must-sees in Barcelona is Park Güell, which was designed by Antoni Gaudí and was listed as the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. The characteristic of Gaudí’s works is that they are mostly colorful and/or consist of irregular shapes. Those features can be observed in Park Güell as well and the logic behind it was that Gaudí believed in nature, thus artificial straight lines shouldn’t appear. The entrance fee for Park Güell is 10 euro, free entry is possible outside of the ticket charging hours, but due to Covid-19 new regulations may apply. Most part of the park, besides the monumental area, is free, as they are public areas. Nevertheless, to avoid large crowds during summer times, early entrance is strongly suggested. The colorful salamander and the rooftop of Park Güell are places that shouldn’t be missed out. The whole Barcelona is filled with Gaudí’s work, other famous architecture includes Casa Batlló, Casa Milà, Sagrada Familia (above photo 3), and so on. As Sagrada Familia is not done yet, I plan to pay the entrance fee when it is done after 2026.
