So many pictures, and I cannot post them all. Here are a few other important sites in the capital of Catalonia. Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain. Catalan is the official language in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and the Valencian Community (also called Valenciano), along with Spanish.
Taste testing at Codorniu Winery and exploring their drop dead gorgeous winery, including the underground cellars labyrinth. Codorniu is the oldest family company in Spain and one of the oldest in the world—more than 450 years of history!
Hasta la próxima, Barcelona!
This post is dedicated to two another amazing works by Gaudí, which are also UNESCO World Heritage sites.
I am overdue writing this post as we have been back for a couple of weeks. But the memories of my 3rd time in Barcelona will last forever—as cliche as it sounds, Barcelona is unforgettable.
Let me begin by saying that I haven’t been to Barcelona in 37 years. While a lot has changed (including progress on La Sagrada Familia), there’s so many things that are exactly the same (Gothic Quarter).
Let’s start with La Sagrada Familia, the absolutely breathtaking basilica by the famous architect, Antoni Gaudí. I pulled out the old photo album from my studies in Spain. My first trip to Barcelona was before the Olympics in the early fall 1987. In fact, they were selling Olympic gear at that time and I still have a T-shirt that has the 1992 Summer Olympic emblem—that I bought in 1987! There was a lot of work preparing for those Olympics and that result is still present today.
Here is a picture that I took in the fall ‘87. I wrote next to this picture that it wouldn’t be ready for at least another 70 years. It’s been 37 and they’re now saying no longer than 5. I remember going inside and viewing the model of how it would look when completed. More redesign has been done based on the picture I took. I also remember taking the stairs and going up on another floor inside the church, which we were not allowed to do now. Sadly, I have no pictures inside except the below where I took a picture of the model inside the Basilica.
Let’s move to the inside…
Pictures don’t begin to capture the genius of the Catalán architect and designer, Gaudí, who was part of the Modernista movement. Gaudí’s style is stamped all over Barcelona and his use of architecture, nature, and religion are abundant are trademarks of his work. Last I checked, his masterpiece, La Sagrada Familia, is the most visited monument in España. 🇪🇸
Then I walked up to the altar, knelt down, pointed my camera up, and took the best picture of my life…
I cannot top that so will leave it right there.
It’s been 37 years since I have set foot in extraordinary España 🇪🇸. I have had plenty of opportunities but nothing “felt right”. Deep down I know why—it’s because any trip there will never be the same as it was my sophomore year when I attended the Universitat de Valencia for two semesters. That school year shaped the person I am today. It made me crave cultures—that there were fascinating things to learn about, interesting people to know, and adventures to experience. That year served as the cornerstone of everything I love about travel.
I was stupid…I should have gone by now, more than once. I was “saving” the next time to walk the Camino De Santiago. But now I have the opportunity to return and I couldn’t be more excited!
We land in Barcelona in 8 hours, 45 minutes. Then we drive 3 1/2 hours to Valencia where we will spend 2 days exploring my old stomping grounds. Then back to Barcelona for the next 5 days.
Buckle up…Voy a volver!
I kept a journal when I was in España —this is the inside cover of that diario when I was 19 and 20 years old!
Christina’s Journey Journal 