A Trip to Barcelona | Gabriel Correa

May 31st I was ready to depart Panama and hit Europe, and after some passport and visa issues, I was able to make it to Barcelona. Awful flight, not going to lie, 11-hours and it was hard trying to sleep. When I was finally sleeping, the flight attendant woke me up to have breakfast, and I was not able to sleep again.

The Magical Fountain at Montjuic

I Landed in Barcelona around 10pm, met a friend who’s been living there for around 6 months and visited the Magic Fountain of Monjuic. Incredible amount of people around the fountain, but even a better view. The fountain was full of lights dancing to a song, very similar to the one in Las Vegas but much prettier. We wondered around the beautiful beach of La Barceloneta, where we could just sit there and relax under the beautiful sun of Barcelona. The absolute best place was La Sagrada Familia, which is the most beautiful church on the planet and is still under construction. Not only the most wonderful structural architecture, but also an amazing design on the inside decorated with paintings from famous, historical artists all around the world. The Sagrada Familia is an unfinished work started by famous architect Antoni Gaudí, who died in 1926 and left the people from Barcelona the task of finishing this incredible structure, which was only a quarter done by 1926. It is scheduled to be completely done by 2026, 100 years after the death of Gaudí. I also saw a lot of gothic architecture in a park known as the Gothic Park, which shows the influence of Gaudí in Barcelona. I really loved every street of the entire city, it was just so nice to see an antique modernism influence compared to Panama which is full of traffic and modern skyscrapers.

La Sagrada Familia

I was impressed to see so many international people living in Barcelona along with all the tourists. That’s why they say that Barcelona has a little bit of everything. There are many cultures living in Barcelona at the same time, but you get to experience the Spanish culture. They also have their native language the Catalan, which even though everyone speaks Spanish, shows us how proud they are of their city. I felt completely comfortable in those ten days, as if I had been living there for at least 5 years. It was so easy to adapt because of the international presence in the city. Also, their well design transportation system made it easier to travel around. Unlike other cities in Spain, where rumor has it that Spanish people aren’t that nice, I found the people from Cataluña very welcoming and friendly, I guess it’s just part of their culture. Another thing I liked a lot was the choice of food around the city. Because of the international influence, there are so many types of choices, from Argentinean empanadas to true Spanish dishes. All I know is that I will definitely be going back to Barcelona at some point in my life to reconnect with the most interesting places I’ve ever been to.