Barçelona was our original destination when we first conceived our ex-pat plan. Cost of living was one reason, but we also understood that Spain did not require a permanent address at the start of the visa--that is, you could stay in a hotel while you looked for more permanent lodgings.
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| Ever since Sant Jordi (Saint George), the dragon has been Barçelona's go-to beast. Not so many werewolves. |
For reasons that don't matter now, the plan fell through. Poor, poor pitiful me, we ended up in Paris--we later learned that France also does not require a fixed address at the start of the visa.
Luckily, soon after we made it to Paris, my sister and brother-in-law were on a whirlwind trip through Spain, so we met them for a few days in Barçelona. We had visited the city back in 2001, so touring La Sagrada Familia was already checked off our list (unlike now, back then there were no Disneyland-grade crowds to deal with). That gave us more time to wander the streets and winding alleys and partake in the outdoor dining and cafe scene--October temperatures were still in the low 80s Fahrenheit.
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| 2001: Inside La Sagrada Familia |
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| 2023: Too nice a day to go indoors |
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| The exterior details of La Sagrada Familia always interested me more than the interior. A bit more graphic than the Sunday school version, perhaps. |
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| Even from way, way off in the distance. |
Like Paris, Barçelona overflows with architectural detail and outdoor sculpture. Basically, you get rewarded by keeping your eyes open between beers and bites.
The heat was stifling in the afternoons, and between the four of us we were dealing with one injured foot, one case of traveler's lament, and a roaring stomach bug (mine). But it was still an excellent trip, which says more about Barçelona than it does about us.
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| A few samples from the Barçelona bestiary |
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| Gato (1990), Fernando Botero |
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