Aquí estoy yo Barcelona!

The decision of spending a weekend in Barcelona came from an ordinary afternoon (too much ordinary) while I was returning home tired from the work. I said to myself "today I'm gonna book a weekend trip wherever it goes and however it costs" (well, about the cost I couldn't be so flexible). And so I did it. I searched for flights which was compatible with my work's schedule. And suddenly it came to my mind "Lucia Teixeira" and then "Vueling". Let me explain... The Vueling is an air company which has flights from Lisbon to Barcelona on Fridays after 8p.m. and from Barcelona to Lisbon on Mondays before 1p.m. (perfect for me) and my friend Lucia Teixeira (my ex-flatmate) who lives in Barcelona. I sent a SMS to Cláudia (a friend who traveled with me to Rome - see post "ROME with a little break in Madrid") proposing the deal and she immediately accepted. Barcelona here I am!

I arrived Friday night and I realized that was so many people on the streets, such a good atmosphere. I met Lucia and we went to her place and this night we spent just chatting and relaxing....

(I forgot to say that Lucia Teixeira is formed on "Sound and Image" and all the photos that I present in this post were done for her. - see more in http://www.luciateixeira.net/).

Lets talk about the most populous city of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain. About 5 million people live in Barcelona. It is located on the Mediterranean coast between the mouths of the rivers Llobregat and Besòs. Barcelona is recognized as a global city due to its importance in finance, commerce, media, entertainment, international trade, education, tourism and ARTS. Barcelona is a city made for walk, where the streets are wide and cafes are plenty. Arts and artists are everywhere in this city, actually if I had to define Barcelona in one sentence I should describe this city as an artistic place bounded for a relaxing beach. It is a mix of two realities that are sometimes difficult to match, but here fits perfectly.

Founded as a Roman city, Barcelona became the capital of the Counts of Barcelona. After merging with the Kingdom of Aragon, it became one of the most important cities of the Crown of Aragon. Besieged several times during its history, Barcelona is today an important cultural centre and a major tourist destination and has a rich cultural heritage. Particularly renowned are architectural works of Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i Montaner that have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The city is well known for the 1992 Summer Olympics.

Concluding, Barcelona was a good choice for a relaxing weekend, however the worst part of this trip was spending it crying. Wherever I looked I cried, whatever I saw I cried... I cried before sleep and I woke up crying... I was fed up of CRYING! As they say "cago en mi alergia". The spring came and with it allergies!! Who has seen me crying looking to Gaudi's works should think that I was a big fan and just a look could be enough to move me.

Basically, this weekend was very rewarding in terms of knowledge (as it is in any journey) but was also a perfect excuse to review my friend Lucy, back to travel with Claudia and break the monotony of my working life. And of course it was also a new and strange experience on Monday morning, instead of the car; have to catch the plane to work. =)

25-28.03.2010