Barcelona

Today Sherman, we are going into the Wayback Machine to the second-to-last week-end in February. As mentioned in a previous post, while I was getting lost in the Black Forest, Theresa and Gabi Vega took a long week-end trip to Barcelona. That would be Barcelona....as in Spain...as in Mediteranian climate during the month of February. While the common Strassburgers like me were bundled against the sub-freezing cold my wife was off basking in a balmy 60 degree paradise.

It was a well-deserved trip for Theresa, though. Since Christmas, there had been no real vacations (due somewhat to work but in large part because someone had to take the dog out 4 times a day.) This was her chance to get farther afield.

I had been to Barcelona about 5 years ago and found it to be a city like no other. It is a mutt-mix of Spanish and French and Mediteranian culture known as Catalonia. The Catalans are proud of their culture and their architecture and their food and the fact that people with lots of money come there to spend it.

This posting would be better if Theresa were writing. Like I implied, I was back walking the dog in the Black Forest. I will try to do my best.

Barcelona's history is based upon it's prominence as a port city. The Carthaginians loved it as did the Romans after them. The harbor of Barcelona today contains decidedly more cruise ships than it did in those times. The land mark of the harbor is the monument to Christopher Columbus. (It should be noted that Christopher Colombus did not sail from Barcelona, but rather marched cross-country to get there after his visit to America to catch up with Ferdinand and Isabella. Barcelona is an apt home for the monument because the Spanish claim that Columbus did not come from Genoa, Italy but rather was actually a local boy made good.)

Anyway, here is the view of Barcelona Harbor from the top of the Columbus monuement.

Barcelona is also famous for it's main street - Las Ramblas. La Ramblas is a wide boulevard running from the port to the center of the city. Along the Ramlas, you have restaurants and bars and street performers. Here is the view from Columbus' head looking away from the port and back toward Las Ramblas.

History again....in 1937 George Orwell came to Barcelona to recuperate amongst his fellow Republicans after being shot during the Spanish Civil War. While there, he was caught up in bloody infighting between the communist and socialist elements. It was on one of these roofs that he spent his nights with a rifle shooting at, and being shot at by, supposed comrades. This sparked a dissolutionment that later inspired him to write Animal Farm and 1984. In turn, this led to millions of mandatory book reports by high-school students everywhere.

Barcelona is known for it's spectacular architecture, especially the buildings designed by local hero Antoni Gaudi. Gaudi was an avant-garde architect who, at the turn of the century, was commisioned to design a number of still-standing buildings throughout the city. Quite honestly, I think his work looks like Candy Land. An example appears below.

His most famous work-still-in-progress is the Cathedral de Sagrada Familia, as shown below. I believe it will be finished in another 20 years.

Theresa speaks highly the local sea food and the must-have paella...always to be washed down with Sangria.

So now to the drama. While in Barcelona, Gabi got pickpocketed and lost her wallet. Cash, credit cards, drivers licence...all gone. She was carrying her stuff in a back-pack and someone sneaked up behind her and .....zip.....gone in an instant. Kind of put a damper on the whole week-end. Truth told, this could happen in any big city - US or Europe. It is especially prevelant in tourist hotspots such as Rome, Paris, Barcelona, etc...

If you plan to come to visit, please educate yourself on pick-pokects by going to http://travel.howstuffworks.com/pickpocket.htm and http://travel.howstuffworks.com/pickpocket1.htm andhttp://travel.howstuffworks.com/pickpocket2.htm

and finally

http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/barcelona-safety.html