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Leisure Activities

1. Palo Alto Fest 

      a.  After traveling to different countries a few weekends in a row, I decided to stay in Barcelona the first weekend of April to explore and see all that the city has to offer. Luckily, I picked a good weekend to stay in Barcelona because the Palo Alto Market only happens on the first weekend of every month. My friend and I bought our tickets online beforehand for a few euros which granted us instant access and the luxury of not having to wait in a long line. The Palo Market Fest is held in the unique neighborhood of Poblenou. As we entered the festival I noticed that it was not filled with tourists but more so locals just hanging out and enjoying each other’s company. There was a variety of food and beverage choices ranging from tacos, paella, sweets, wine, beer and mixed cocktails. My favorite aspect of the festival was watching and engaging in everyone singing and dancing to the live music that was being performed. Throughout the market there was a variety of shops that sold bikinis, sunglasses, clothes, jewelry, handbags and other eye catching accessories. I really enjoyed the festival because I don’t typically spend much time in the area of Poblenou and it was cool to see how the locals were interacting with one another. I would definitely recommend others to visit this market before leaving Barcelona if you’re looking for a chill outdoor activity!

2. Camp Nou 

      a. When my friends from home came to visit Barcelona, I took them to a fútbol game at Camp Nou. Our seats were in the very last row of the stadium which gave us an amazing panoramic view of the entire stadium. Although I wish we would have had closer seats so that we could engage with other people more, it was still a really cool experience just being there. A few hours before the game we found out that we weren't allowed to purchase or drink alcohol inside the stadium because supposedly the matches get too intense and alcohol intake would heighten it. This was surprising because at the sports stadiums in the states almost every stand in the stadium sells alcohol and people are encouraged to drink inside. 

3. La Barceloneta 

      a. You could find me at the beach during any free time I was granted in between classes. One of the many aspects I love about Barcelona is that it is a perfect combination of the city and the beach. My friends and I would visit the beautiful beach of La Barceloneta frequently, and would bring snacks and drinks to enjoy while watching the sunset. I love this area of the city because the beach is close to Port Vell where a lot of great restaurants and outdoor stands selling fruit and crepes could be found. 

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Cultural Activities

1. Park Güell 

      a. Antoni Gaudi brought about a conservative artistic movement specific to architecture and Catalonia, known as modernisme, to the rejuvenation of the city. During the Universal Exhibition of 1888, one of Gaudi’s most well-known pieces of work was underway. The construction of Park Güell began in the early 1900’s and was completed in 1922. The name derives from an extremely wealthy entrepreneur, Eusebi Güell, who admired Gaudi’s work and paid him to construct multiple sites including Park Güell. Eusebi’s original plan was to turn the land into an estate for wealthy families that mirrored those of British residential estates. However, his vision fell through when he came to the realization that there was a lack of people purchasing the property. Therefore, Gaudi bought the estate and turned it into his own living space up until 1926. The year of Gaudi’s death, the property was open to the public and was transitioned into what is now known as the notable Park Güell. The design of the park was inspired by the Garden City movement, which was a utopian urban plan to create green communities, similar to Cerda’s vision of Eixample. Park Güell is especially representative of the modernisme movement because it contains the combination of nature and art as one, which is what Gaudi aimed to portray in his work. He incorporated the two together because he believed that it would make people more in touch with religion and god. Gaudi was notorious for utilizing trencadis, which was a broken textile technique that recycled old materials such as glass, tile and chinaware to be given a new purpose. In the picture attached, this method can especially be seen on the benches that wrap around the upper part of the park like a sea serpent with an amazing view of the city. The mosaic work and “el drac”, the salamander that resides on the steps leading up to the benches are the two main components that attract many tourists to Gràcia to see the site. Some of the less popular parts of Park Güell include cave like designs, stones, columns and construction that is currently underway. 

2. Casa Vicens 

      a.  When my dad came to visit Barcelona I took him to several of Gaudi’s works of art. Casa Vicens, located in the neighborhood of Gràcia, symbolizes the beginning of an artistic trend that was about to contribute largely to the growth of the city: Modernisme. As Gaudi’s first house, there was a great deal of experimentation that went into the design of it. Throughout the house, there are apparent cultural inspirations ranging from Catalan, Islamic, Oriental and English. For instance, the smoking room which was an area of the house where the men could perform leisure activities aka the “man cave”, contains and array of Islamic style. Multi colored paintings, blue paper mache designs covering the walls, and an Islamic lantern hanging from the ceiling make up the design of the room. In addition, Casa Vicens is a prime example of Gaudi’s obsession with combining nature and art as one. The covered porch contains the trompe-l’oeil on the ceiling, which reproduces the sky and the leaves of the palms of the garden. In the dining room, the interior consists of a great deal of decoration that replicates that of birds and ivy growing on the walls. In 2014 the house was bought to be transformed into a museum where the works of restoration began. Contemporary Spanish architects were put in charge of the project and were to strip it entirely and rebuild it from scratch. Although they were unable to recreate Gaudi’s original master piece due to modern necessities such as elevators, they were capable of maintaining an open space with an open staircase and windows on different floors so that the light could still filter through all of the spaces of the house.

3. Montserrat 

      a. Founded in the 11th century and rebuilt in the 19th/20th, Montserrat stands as a religious center for the Catalans. It was founded by expanding the hermitage of Santa Maria, which was a place where individuals practiced religion in seclusion. During the period of Francosim, the Catalans experienced a great deal of cultural repression. Catalan language, tradition and religion were banned from the entity of Spain. However, Montserrat resisted against Franco’s dictatorship and served as a hiding place for the Catalans. During my trip to Montserrat, I hiked around, saw the basilica and the black Madonna and concluded with a wine tour. Unfortunately, since I went on a Saturday I did not get to see the 50 choirboys. The view from the top of the mountain was incredible and is definitely a trip worth taking. 

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Local News Stories

1. “Barcelona’s world-famous unofficial skate park faces controversial nighttime curfew” http://www.catalannews.com/life-style/item/barcelona-s-world-famous-unofficial-skate-park-faces-controversial-nighttime-curfewa.    

      a.) In attempt to protect the communal neighborhood of Raval, Barcelona City Hall has recently set a curfew for skating activity infront of the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art to 10 pm. This news was shocking given that we just completed a field study on Raval and saw the plethora of young skaters that meet in front of the museum to practice something they are passionate about. Prior to urban regeneration, Raval was known as the center for prostitution and drugs. I believe it is unethical to limit the skating activity that goes on in the area because it is a harmless hobby that keeps young kids out of trouble. After all, the area is designated towards the youth with its alternative nature. The decision to ban the activity after a certain time could help to improve rowdiness during the wee hours of the night, but it could also lead to other problems in the neighborhood. 

2. “Now Barcelona taxis go on strike too” https://www.thelocal.es/20190118/now-barcelona-taxis-go-on-strike-tooa.   

      a.) In January of 2019, numerous taxis blocked major streets in Barcelona such as Gran Via, in protest of convenient riding apps like Uber and Cabify. Taxi drivers believed that the time allotted to wait for an Uber ride should be increased because the way it was originally set up left them at a disadvantage for less clients. The regional government of Catalonia increased the wait of VTCs to up to 15 minutes, but taxi drivers argued that it needed to be further increased to the booking of 12 to 24 hours in advance. In my opinion, there is great Inequality between the two riding systems. For instance, Taxi drivers are required to pay a great deal of money for a license as well as a vehicle, while Uber drivers do not. The taxi strike occurred shortly after the study abroad student’s arrival to Barcelona and contributed largely to the culture shock. In America, it is unlikely that strikes last for a long time and are rarely effective. Although it was inconvenient and difficult to get around, it was shocking that changes were made so quickly to the system. 

3. “Sant Jordi: a unique celebration of love and culture” http://www.catalannews.com/life-style/item/sant-jordi-a-unique-celebration-of-love-and-culturea.    

      a.) Every year when the 23rd of April comes around, all of Catalonia celebrates its patron, Sant Jordi. The streets are typically filled with flower and book stands because it is a tradition for men to give women roses, and in return women give men books. However, as times are changing and gender norms are evolving, the gifting has been reversed by many. I’m extremely happy that I was able to witness one of the most important holidays in Catalan culture before parting ways with Barcelona. We discussed the unique holiday of Sant Jordi so much in class, but it really puts things in perspective being able to witness it first hand and be apart of it. 

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Catalan Cuisine

1. One of the most typical dishes in Catalan cuisine is escudella. After a quick visit home, my BCC brought leftovers back to the apartment for my roommates and I to try. She explained that she eats the soup with the galets first otherwise the meat dissolves in the broth. However, if you enjoy moist meat she advises you to eat it in the reverse order. The dish consists of broth mixed with some vegetables, different types of meat, chick peas, and a final touch of pasta called galets. The most common vegetables used to make the broth are potatoes, carrots and celery among others. For meat they use several parts of the pork, a sausage-looking meat called botifarra (black and white), the bone of a leg of ham, a ball-looking meat called pilota and sometimes sheep and beef ribs. They usually serve the broth with the galets and depending on the family they may choose to add the meat (called carn d’ olla) in the soup or eat it afterwards.

2. Another must in Catalan gastronomy is pa amb tomaquet, which means bread with tomato. I’ve ordered this dish several times throughout my time in Barcelona when going out for tapas with friends. What I like about it is that it is simple, yet tasty. They have a special type of juicy tomato that they can just cut and slide on the bread. One can also add some olive oil to add the final touch to this dish. It is common to just eat it by itself, with some ham or other cured meats as well as manchego cheese on top of it. Furthermore, they also rub the bread of their sandwiches with tomato to make it moister instead of using mayo or mustard, which are more common in the United States. When they are making a sandwich they use baguette bread or barra gallega (which means Galician bread) and its crust is harder than the one from the baguette. However, when they are only eating it by itself, it is common to have a big slice of a round bread called pa de pages. It usually weights half a kilogram or a whole kilogram because it is so big that the slices on the ends are usually considerably smaller than the ones in the middle. Sometimes they may exclude the end portion because there isn’t enough molla (the inside of the bread aka the soft part) to make good bread with tomato.

3. During a trip to Montserrat paired with a wine tasting tour, I was served Canelons, which are a traditional Christmas dish for Catalan families. They prepare the dish by taking pasta sheets, similar to lasagna sheets but more square, and soak them for a bit. Then, they mix thinly grounded meat, a mixture of pork and beef with some onion and pepper (some people may choose to do only meat). They place some of the mixture on top of the sheets and roll them up. Finally, they add béchamel and cheese on top to gratin on the oven. Sometimes the family gets together to prepare this dish for Christmas from scratch. It is a tradition passed from one generation to another and the little ones may help their grandmas, whom are usually the ones making the canelons, to roll them and prepare them. This dish was one of my favorites that I've had in Barcelona and would definitely recommend trying it if you can! 

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Blog Post 3: Raval

1. While walking through Raval you’ll come across edgy skater stores, inexpensive bars/restaurants and lowkey open spaces to hang out with friends. The spaces for public use in Raval were designed for the youth as a center where one doesn’t feel obligated to spend money. These open spaces, one being the area around the MACBA museum, require people to be creative and interactive with one another. If you pass by at any time you’ll see teens surrounding the perimeter of the museum riding their skateboards and relaxing with their friends. The streets to get to the public spaces are quaint and narrow unlike neighborhoods such as Eixample. Passeig de gracia in Eixample is filled with high end stores such as Saint Laurent, Rolex, etc which a great deal of tourists are drawn to. Raval also has many social use apartments with cheap rents to keep locals living in the area. Barcelona is a big city, but neighborhoods such as Raval help to maintain an active sense of community and neighborhood life.

2. On the City Map Raval is located in the Ciutat Vella area. It is nearby popular areas designed for tourism and shopping such as Las Ramblas and the Gothic Quarter. If you take any right while in Las Ramblas, you will end up in Raval. This is one of the many aspects I love about Barcelona, because one second you will be surrounded by the more glamorous areas and in just a few short minutes you will be walking through an area that gives off a sense of community life.

3. a.) The University of Barcelona– The university doesn’t just serve the purpose of educating the youth, but is also a space that encourages freedom of expression and art. As can be seen in the photos, the students are free to vandalize the walls and floors surrounding the school as a form of expression. A specific example would be when we were walking around the area and saw signs in protest of the proposal of raising yearly tuition. As of now it typically costs around 400 euros to attend the university but they are trying to raise it by a few hundred. I thought this was interesting because drawling on school property would never be permitted in the States, well at least at my university it wouldn’t be. I also found it interesting that you don’t have to be enrolled in the university to attend a lecture…pretty much anyone can sit in on one but it would be helpful if you knew some Spanish to follow along and be able to better interact with the local students.

b.) MACBA – The contemporary art museum is one of the buildings in Raval that attracts a diverse group of people to its location. The MACBA is unique because local teens have turned the outer area into a meet up spot for practicing skateboarding, while the actual museum itself lures people not living in the area who enjoy art.

c.) CCCB – The Centre de Cultura Contemporania de Barcelona is another cool area that the younger generation uses as a hangout to take pictures after class, chat with friends, practice their instruments, etc. In previous years, Raval was known as one of the most dangerous parts of the city and an area filled with prostitution and drug exchange. However, the new public spaces like the CCCB encourage innovation and art, detracting the youth from getting involved with bad habits.

4. Almost immediately after entering Raval, you will notice the alternative and edginess of the neighborhood. We passed by a lot of bars with graphite décor on the front, book stores also with some graphite on the outside, bakeries, hipster stores, skateboarding shops and so on. It is made obvious that this isn’t a high maintenance area, but rather a chill place targeted towards the youth. There are signs and street art all over the place that portray topics of feminism, protest against local issues, and other things teens are passionate about.

5. The area of the Raval district of Barcelona has become one of the centers of alternative culture in Europe because it wanted to maintain community life while also beautifying other parts of the city for tourism purposes. The period that Raval was refurbished were the years after Francoism. Under Franco’s dictatorship, there was a complete elimination of any reference to Catalonia as a distinct culture and the city experienced a great deal of hunger, repression and lack of hope. The access to public spaces and freedom of expression allowed individuals to get back a sense of cultural identity after being repressed for so many years. Also during this time, Barcelona was up and coming but they wanted to make everyone feel included in the renovation of the city during the years before the 1992 Olympic games. Raval is lively and attractive, but in a different way than other tourist destinations. With the intent of designing this area for local youths, Raval has become an alternative and spunky area that is enjoyable but less mainstream than hot spot tourist areas. This area isn’t just exclusive to locals, but welcomes other people as well. 

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Blog Post 2: El Born

1. Guilds are professional associations of trades from the middle ages. There are several streets in the old city named after different trades, such as:

i. Carrer De Les Candeles The street of the candles.

ii. Carrer Dels Mirallers: The street of the mirror craftsman. This street can be found in the vicinity of Santa Maria Del Mar where the mirror makers produced stained glass windows for the basilica.

iii. Carrer Dels Cotoners: The street of the cotton makers.

iv. Carrer Dels Corders: The street of the rope makers.  

v. Carrer Dels Banys Vells: The street of the old baths. In the last image below, there is a visual of one of the old baths woman used to wash clothes for men up until washing machines were invented.

2. La casa-taller was the typical craftsmanship family house where individuals worked and lived simultaneously. The workshops were located below the living spaces and consisted of tiny doors and narrow staircases. The principal was the most luxurious section of the house, with large windows where the owner of the workshop resided. On the other hand, the servants lived in small spaces nearer to the top of the building with very little window space. Windows were indicative of socioeconomic status, which explains why the owners occupied areas with the largest ones.

3. The craftsmanwork buildings are much more old fashioned and less spacious in comparison to the industrial production buildings we see today. The buildings in the area of the guilds were typically made out of stone for ventilation purposes of changing seasons. The corners of the streets were designed to be octagonal in order to let the horses get by. Specific to Carrer De Les Semoleres, Xavi mentioned that this area was not a good fit for large families, but rather single people working near the main square because these buildings did not have elevators.

4. Santa Maria del Mar: Santa Maria d’El Mar is the perfect representation of Catalan Gothic. The basilica contains stained glass windows, gargoyles, pointed arches and towers with bells inside of them. Catalan Gothic churches are simple in exterior design because Catalans prefer to be reserved and not show off, making it more about the faithfulness to their religion rather than the materialistic aspect. In contrast, Ancient Roman based churches are more complex and elaborate architecturally. These churches include flying buttresses, which cannot be found anywhere in Catalunya.   

El Mercat del Born: El Mercat del Born is significant to Catalan culture because the design of the market and use of iron represents the beginning of Modernisme. Modern day, this can be regarded as an artistic movement that gives a sense of Catalan identity through poetry, architecture and other works of art.   

El Fossa de les moreres: El Fossa de les moreres is located right outside of Santa Maria Del Mar and stands as a memorial for those who have fallen in The War of Succession. This is an important part of Catalan Culture because it is a constant reminder of the hard work and determination put forth in order to gain independence, and commemorates those who have risked their lives to achieve it. 

La ciutadella Park: La ciutadella Park is the only park that can be found in Barcelona. Before it was a park, it was a military fortress during the War of Succession in 1714. After it was destructed several times, it was rebuilt in the 19th century by Catalan labor. The Parliament of Catalonia resides in the park and stands as a symbol of Castilian government. 

5. September 11th, 1714 became a moment the Catalans could never get over. The War of Spanish Succession was a war to determine who was going to take over after Carlos II. Philip V forced Spain to intervene in the 30 yearlong war, where many Catalans were drafted as well as forced to provide room and board for Spanish troops passing by. In essence, the Catalans supported the “wrong side” which resulted in many consequences. The biggest change for the Catalans was the military construction that was built by the French right outside of the city (aka Ciutadella). In addition to Ciutadella, The New Foundation of 1716 was implemented which suppressed Catalan language and institutions. It is extremely likely that you will hear Catalan’s in the stands of a Barcelona fútbol game chanting the Catalan national anthem at minute 17:14 in reembrace of this detrimental point in time. Across the street from Santa Maria Del Mar, there is a memorial where fallen troops from the War of Spanish Succession are buried. 

6. El Consolat de Mar, also known as La lotia was a building for Catalan trade initially built by an architect, Pere Llobet and later reassembled by Pere Arbei. This institution for trade can largely be attributed to the growth of population in Catolinia in the 13th century. The Lotia is significant for Catalan culture today because it gave merchants an official place to conduct business, power in the workforce and opportunity for economic growth. Modern day, this building stands as a the place for commerce in Catalonia.

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6. Visigothic Influence in Catalunya 

One of the last stops on the tour was the Visigothic Baptism pool of the 4th century that was later destroyed in the 5th. The roman empire collapsed and was invaded by the Germans in 476 a.d. Along with Christianity, the Visigoths brought Romanesque to Catalonia, which in simple terms, was a small reminder that one day you are going to die. In the middle ages, roughly around 711, Christianity was pushed out when the Muslims dominated Catalonia. Finally, the French overpowered the Muslims in 898 and restored Christianity. As we can conclude, it was a long and vicious battle, but the end result was worth the fight.  

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5. Food & Wine in Roman Times

Depicted in the photo above are vessels that served the purpose of fermenting wine for roughly 21 days. Along with the image of the vessels is a picture of Baco, the God of wine. The Romans had an established relationship with wine. They drank it casually with meals and in social settings, and had religious ties to it. Although they had access to other types of alcohol such as beer, wine was the drink of choice because the purpose of drinking wine was not to get drunk but to be social. This tradition has been carried into the wine culture of Catalunya today. The people of Catalunya are extremely prideful and find it humiliating to be publicly intoxicated since it is expected of everyone to know their limit. At almost every restaurant in Barcelona, two types of wine that are always likely to appear on the menu are cava and rojo.

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4. Domestic Objects 

The Antich Roman domestic objects were some of the most fascinating artifacts displayed on the tour. We were able to visualize the objects used to complete day to day routines, such as beauty, hair and skin products. The cubicula was a small, private space used by both men and women to apply makeup. I thought this was intriguing given that it is not common for men to wear makeup in today’s society unless they are apart of a theatrical production or featured in a movie. On the other hand, the tablinum was a key feature of the house that was used for writing. The Romans valued hygiene and took pride in cleanliness, which can be seen through the effort they put forth to maintain their image. For instance, natural material such as salt, honey and beans were used in the making of keeping their teeth white, maintaining glossy nails and concealing wrinkles. It was shocking to see that these fancy ways of enhancing self-image were in existence during the Roman times. The only difference is that in 2019 we have everything at our fingertips, while the Romans had to put in a great deal of work to achieve the desired end product.

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3. Catalan Buildings & Roman Catalan Decorative Arts 

Several of the images shown were taken in the Gothic quarter, which is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Barcelona that consists of remnants from the Romans past. During our trip to MUHBA we saw a typical domus and its components. The triclinium (the dining room) was an imperative part of the domus because it was indicative of the owner’s social status. Located at the center of the domus, was the atrium where rainwater was collected through a gap in the ceiling. Furthermore, these pictures depict several similarities between Roman and Catalan buildings. Both include rectangular windows with rounded or pointed tops, pillars and stones. The designs of Roman buildings are also still prevalent in American architecture modern day. For instance, the design of the White House that resides in Washington D.C. is made up of columns similar to the old Roman home that we visited during class.  

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2. Roman Religious Artifacts

One of the images above depicts the mural paintings of the baptistery that symbolizes the abandonment of the devil before the baptism takes place. In another photo lies the painting on the ceiling of the baptistery, which encompassed the baptism pool in the 9th century. I mention the significance of these two works of art because Baptism is an important ceremony that rids individuals of sin and invites them as members into the Christian church. In Barcelona today, Christianity is the most practiced religion.

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1.  Roman Monumental Influence

Throughout the tour we were exposed to walls, towers, sewer systems, public baths and the streets of Roman times. In comparison to Catalan buildings today, they are similar in design, but have evolved in other aspects such as size and structure. Back in the day, the streets of Catalunya were puny, barely allowing more than three people to stand side by side in the street at once. Walking the streets of Catalunya today, it is apparent that the streets are much more broad. Evident similarities between the two that can especially be seen in the gothic quarter are the arc ways embedded in the architecture, complex designs and the stone used to upkeep the buildings.