Barcelona, Spain (October 26-29, 2006)

I think the best way to describe Barcelona is crazy and over-the-top. The rest of Spain seems reserved and quaint in comparison to this bustling party mecca. It is no wonder that every backpacker in Spain talks so fondly of their time in Barcelona! A mid-day stroll along La Rambla greets you with eccentric street performers, hoards of strolling tourists, and, of course, ridiculous prices for food and souvenirs. You hear English (or other foreign languages) spoken as much (if not more) than Spanish or Catalonian (Barcelona is in Catalonia, a Spanish state that also seeks independence and claims a different culture and history).

During the day, you can get lost for hours in Barri Gotic’s (the old town) winding, narrow streets, spend an afternoon sunbathing along the beach, or explore the city’s many modernist buildings (most by the eccentric, Dr. Suess-like Antoni Gaudi). At night, Barcelona truly comes alive. Dinner is not until 9:00pm and don’t even bother going to a bar or nightclub until midnight or later.

I have to agree with the many other Barcelona-lovers in saying that Barcelona is an intriguing and awe-inspiring city. With that, however, I have to admit that my first few days there were rough. I didn’t meet any cool people to hang out with at first, so I spent my first few days exploring the city by myself, which was fine but can get a little lonely. On Friday night I was supposed to change hostels to (supposedly) the coolest one in Barcelona, where I had a reservation for three nights. I was really looking forward to staying there, but when I arrived there on Friday, I was told my reservations had been messed up and they had to send me to another hostel (one I had heard was not very good). Sure enough, it was not ideal—old mattresses in a 10-person dormitory, push button showers, no WiFi or kitchen, but it was only 15 Euros per night.

My luck changed on Saturday evening, when I went on a pub crawl and met the partial-owner and her Kiwi (New Zealand) boyfriend and his friend. We ended up spending all of Sunday (along with an Australian guy I had met at my hostel in Madrid and had arrived Saturday night) together. They took us to a local restaurant for lunch, on an hours-long tour through the city, and to an excellent wine bar that evening for drinks. I had such a great time on Sunday that I was sad to have to leave Barcelona on Monday morning, but I had already made reservations for my next destination, Nice, France.

For the photo journal for Barcelona, visit http://www.AndreasOdyssey.shutterfly.com.