Barcelona and Madrid

Off all the cities that we have had the pleasure of visiting on this amazing journey, Barcelona just might take the cake. It’s one of those unique cities that are able to perfectly blend old world charm with a healthy dose of modern swagger and stylish appeal.

When we arrived and checked into our hotel, we immediately set out to explore. After a two block stroll, we turned down one of the most famous streets in all of Spain. As we walked down La Rambla, we were entertained by multiple street performers and statues, a plethora of upscale shops and café’s; all surrounded by baroque architecture and tree-lined streets. At night, the wrought iron street lamps gently lit up the salient Spanish avenue and gave it an almost magical glow. It’s easy to imaging the famous poet, Frederico Garcia Lorca, describing it as, “the only street in the world which I wish would never end.

Well, it finally did end, and to our surprise and elation, there lied one of the most beautiful stretches of beach we’ve ever seen. Not in a pure aesthetic sense, mind you, but due to the fact that it too was surrounded by restaurants and café’s, shops and performers, and runners and bikers everywhere.

We decided the best way to explore the miles and miles of beach, was by bike. The city has over 100 miles of dedicated bike paths, 10 or so that run directly along the port and beach. We glided along, taking in all the scenes; a rock climbing competition, a sand carving display, and of course a healthy dose of people watching.

Since we had been riding for a few hours, we decided to lock up the bikes and stroll along the boardwalk. It was there that we found Ice Barcelona. This bar has the distinction of being the only “ice bar” located on a beach. For those of you who don’t know what an ice bar is, it’s pretty much what it sounds like…..everything is made out of ice! The glasses, the bar, the walls, the seats….everything! In order to keep it from melting, they hold the temperature at a steady -5 Celsius. Luckily they gave us special thermal clothing before we entered. Megan commented that we were getting a taste of what Minnesota would be like in the winter!

After the chilling experience in sub terrain conditions, we hit the warmth of the sun and continued to explore. After a few more miles of biking, we accidently stumbled onto Ciutadella Park and Zoo. This former military fortress has since been turned into a green respite in the middle of a bustling city. As we rode around the luscious park, we couldn’t help but notice the pleasant multicultural feel it possessed. Our favorite moment came unexpectedly by way of a hippie performer. We were entertained by his snake like dance as he elegantly moved a crystal ball around his yoga sculpted body, while his companion kept the beat via a makeshift steel drum. It was a true treat and evidentially a staple of Ciutadella Park.

After more than seven hours on bikes, we finally called it quits. We dropped them off and headed into the Gothic District, Barcelona’s oldest and most historic part of the city. The buildings looked as if they all, at one point in time, had contained a dungeon or two. The medieval feel permeated through the labyrinth of narrow corridors that sporadically opened to squares, markets, and designer shops. This just solidified our original supposition of Barcelona as a city with two beautiful yet very different faces. Before leaving, we agreed that we must gaze upon her face again, as her splendor and allure is irrefutable and utterly irresistible.

The next morning, we reluctantly left for Madrid. Here we encountered our first bit of inclement weather. Exploring the streets would require additional clothing and a beanie for Megan. Having only two days here and absolutely no idea of what to do, I turned to the one fail-safe….Google. After five minutes of research, I had uncovered a list of the “Top 10 Sites to See in Madrid.” So, armed with a map and walking shoes, we ventured into the frigid air in search of Plaza’s, Squares, Cathedrals, etc….. With no public transportation and no common language, we managed to hit nine out of ten!

We still need to do the research on the history behind all of them, but regardless, we genuinely loved three spots; the Parque Del Buen Retrio, Plaza Del Oriente and Plaza Mayor.

The Parque (park) was the biggest we’ve ever, save for Central Park in New York. It was adorned with a lovely rose garden, a lake with canoes, multiple restaurants, miles and miles of jogging paths, fountains spouting everywhere, and musicians spaced just far enough so as to not drown out the others while providing a constant melody to our ears. It was a place where you could just as easily lose yourself for hours in a novel or on a leisurely stroll.

At the Plaza Del Oriente, we simply sat down and took in the scenery of the Royal Palace, Opera house and Cathedral, while listening to a trumpet player elicit melodies that belonged on a CD. We watched a couple snuggle, an artist sketch, and on elderly mad read the paper. We were content to become part of the scenery as we sat on the steps and simply people watched.

We entered the Plaza Mayor, which is an enormous square, surrounded by historical three story buildings. There we had lunch while being serenaded by musicians and entertained by street performers. We sat for hours enjoying the experience as we researched Tuscany and Florence.
Tomorrow we leave to Portugal for a few days and then head back to Italy to explore the wine country.

We are so thankful that we got the opportunity to visit Spain, as it has been become one of our favorite countries on our journey. If the food was only more to our liking, we might never leave!

I’m optimistic that Lisbon can rival Barcelona……but I’m not holding my breath. I’ll let you know our thoughts in a few days!