El Cor de Catalunya

There are few places in the world I’ve visited more than once. After all, it’s such a big place, why revisit somewhere when there are so many more new places to discover? Barcelona is a rare exception to my “rule”. I first visited the city when I was in my teens, as part of our Spanish classes at school. Over the years I came back at different stages of my life; shortly after starting university, after I’d started travelling, and now when having a semi-settled life in the UK. It’s become a place for me to take stock of where I am and how far I’ve come since the last time I laid eyes upon the Sagrada Familia.

This trip was only the second time I went with a group; a few colleagues and I set off early morning for our flight and we landed (after a somewhat bumpy ride) in a very sunny Barcelona. We headed to our AirBnB, an airy apartment in Gràcia with a great little terrace. Ivàn welcomed us and showed us the best places to head to, and after we settled in we walked the short distance to one of my favourite places: Park Güell. Although the Park itself is free, to see the areas with most of Gaudí’s finished works there is a small fee and a much larger queue. We decided to not bother and enjoy the free areas of the park instead. Gaudí and Güell envisioned the park as a homing development, which it never became. Instead, it’s a labyrinth of bizarre architectural shapes, sometimes cave-like, sometimes embellished with symbols. In the many nooks and crannies you can find musicians playing Spanish guitar, vendors selling their wares, and sudden views over the city.

After the Park we wandered the streets, getting a feel for the city and eventually settling down with tapas and drinks for the evening. We went back for an early night after the 5am start, and made a vague plan for the next day.

That vague plan ended up being a lot of walking. For the morning we split, one group heading to the Picasso museum, the other randomly walking around town. Needless to say, I was part of the random group. We explored the city’s many tiny streets, and tried every food we could find; from ice creams to chorizo, from churros to patatas bravas. We visited the El Born cultural centre and, eventually, all of us regrouped to go to the beach at Platja de la Barceloneta.

In the evening we headed towards El Raval, to go see a documentary produced by an old colleague from back in the day in Manchester. It was a well-made and moving piece on the struggles immigrants face when they arrive in Spain, and how street art can help provide them a step up. We stayed for a few drinks at the gallery before moving on to a bar from a vague memory of one my earlier trips: El Bosque de les Fades. It’s worth a quick visit on any trip to Barcelona, with its forest decor and good people-watching.

The next morning we ambitiously set off to explore the Gothic quarter. We downloaded an app guiding you through the city in a type of treasure hunt (inspired by the one I did in Prague), taking us through the Gothic quarter, past many of Gaudí’s other elaborate pieces of work and interesting sights. The app is a bit glitchy, but for €5 it shows you the main sights, and it recommended some nice hidden places. It’s a great, non-committal way of seeing the city and if, like me, you’re a bit competitive, it’ll give you some motivation to compete against the clock or another team.

In the evening we went to see the show at Font Màgica in Montjuïc. The show is on every weekend, and has been running since 1929. Its use of light and music make it popular; by the time we got there it was absolutely packed. We were all shattered from walking all day, so the only way to not collapse into a pile was to keep moving. The show is not bad, but it’s the atmosphere that makes the 40min spectacle worth the effort.

Our last full day in the city we split up. I got up early to have a wander around the Sagrada Familia before all the tourists arrived, and was stunned by how much it has changed in 15 years. Infamous for never being finished (construction started in 1882), it is now estimated the colossal building will be finished around 2026, a hundred years after Gaudí’s death. From there I made my way to Barcelona Zoo. Despite my many visits, I never made it here before. It was a disappointing reality; well-known for its albino gorilla, Snowflake, and other primate collections, the zoo was run-down. Many of the exhibits were too old-fashioned, too small, and not enriching enough. Most disappointingly, dolphins were being trained in a minuscule basin to perform tricks for a captivated audience. Conservation messages were strong throughout, and there seemed to be a good education programme in place, but this does not take away from the fact that certain species are simply not suitable for life in captivity.

After the zoo, we decided to download another guided walk, this time in La Barceloneta. The story made even less sense than in the first walk, but it took us to some great places around the city’s harbour. For excellent views and beers, head over to the History Museum, which has a hidden bar and restaurant on the 4th floor. We explored this less touristic part of town and learnt all about mermaids and sailors. Once we completed our “mission”, we headed to Bonavida, a cocktail bar where another old colleague was now in charge of concocting amazing drinks. We enjoyed a few drinks here before heading off to a late-night showing of Captain Marvel, and eventually made it home.

Our last morning was spent buying vast quantities of jamón ibérico, Manchego and other foods, and enjoying a long breakfast. We headed back to the rooftop bar in La Barceloneta for a final beer in the sun. Then it truly was time to say goodbye to this city of colours and smells and amazing people; or rather, nos vemos: we’ll see each other again.