By meaggymurphy
Barcelona was definitely not the same Spain that I have gotten to know in Pamplona. I knew it would be different as soon as I got there when the first sign I read was in Spanish and Catalán. The architecture of the city was also very different from any city I've seen since arriving here; between the huge marble buildings, the Gaudí houses, and the giant palace sitting on top of Montjüic, I kept having "Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Pamplona anymore" moments. I hadn't realized how used to small-city life I'd become until I realized how different I felt seeing everything in the big city.
My other first impression of everything was the Barcelona has a style uniquely its own. Kids walk around with dreadlocks and tattoos, and cafes play tons of rock and indie music. That's to say I saw an alternative culture there that is definitely not the norm in Pamplona. Also, protesting seems to be a favorite pastime of the people living there. There were no shortage of protests over the Catalán independence movement, and that just contributed to a very rebellious vibe that I found throughout the city.
Barcelona also surprised me by how international it is. In the hostel where I stayed, I got to meet tons of people from all over the world. The other thing I realized about Barcelona very quickly is that is a lot more aggressive than what I've become used to. There are tons of crowds, lots of noise, always someone protesting or trying to sell you something. Barcelona, at least after spending time in the relative calmness of a northern Spanish city, was a bit of a reverse culture shock. It was like being in New York, with all the tourists and hugeness, except Spanish-style.
The best part of being in Barcelona was reuniting with friends from GW- some of whom study there, others who study elsewhere in Spain, and even one friend who came all the way from London (which isn't actually that far when you aren't thinking on American terms, I've come to realize). Of all the things I saw, my favorite was a nighttime fountain light show that happens in from of the National Palace every night. The fountain is coordinated to lights and music, and the view of the show with the huge palace in the background was unforgettable. Ah, wait! I also really liked the Park Güell, with all of Gadí's whimsical architecture woven in with the nature surrounding it. And there was also his Sagrada Familia, which was definitely the most unique and impressive (and also least churchy) church I've ever been in. I loved seeing all of Gaudí's works throughout the city because I felt like he left little pieces of his genius behind in every detail of one of his sculptures and every piece of one of his mosaics.
The other thing I liked about Barcelona (which is also something that I really like about Spain, to be honest) is that no one needs an excuse to get together with friends, eat good food, enjoy oneself, and ya está. For example, one day we took a free tour (props to my friend for finding an awesome free tour service) and just happened upon a huge wine/food/ham festival (ham gets its own category, but that is another post for another day) outside of the Barcelona Cathedral. Or at night, every terrace and cafe in the city is full of people and music. For me, that was the best part about Barcelona; it never sleeps, but it never sleeps because everyone is having too much fun. That's what a siesta is for, after all!