Barthelona!

Hello from Barcelona! Our first day in Barcelona was as fact-filled and interesting as we could've hoped for. We've learned through our travels to do the walking tour first when we get to a city and we are certainly glad we did that in Barcelona. Our guide was a master's student in urban development and what he lacked in charisma he made up for with history and education.

First of all, Barcelona is not in Spain; most people think it is, I know I did, but it is in fact in Catalunya. They have their own flag, their own language, a distinct culture and a dislike for Spain that stretches from rivalry to hatred. The most recent World Cup was, as our guide told us, one of the first times the Catalan people rooted for a Spanish national team and it was only because the team had so many Catalan players. They have fought wars against the Spanish, they have their own parliament and they fly the Catalan flag of independence (different than the Catalan flag) even though it is illegal to do so. They even chose the donkey as their national animal instead of the bull, and one of the more popular T-shirts is one depicting a donkey doing indecent things to a bull, representing just how they feel about the Spanish.

The Catalan pride is even more distinct because it was banned until 1975 when Francisco Franco died. They were not allowed to fly their flag or speak their language for so long that now they celebrate their freedom like a 21 year-old celebrates drinking after waiting so long to do so legally.

People told us that Barcelona is "such a vibrant city", and "Barcelona is so alive!" After assuming that meant colorful food and late-night parties I now know what they mean. It starts with the art and architecture. Gaudi's unorthodox, surreal, and even dark style is seen on churches and houses throughout the city. Picasso, Dali and Miró have their work displayed throughout the city and people draw (well, I might add) on everything from Gelatto shops to sidewalks. All sorts of ethnic groups can be found and all types of cuisine can be sampled, making Barcelona 'colorful' and 'vibrant' in other ways as well.

On the walking tour, we saw some old churches (I don't think you can take a walking tour in Europe without seeing at least one), some cool Plazas, incluiding Plaza de George Orwell, and a statue of everyone's favorite mass-murdering discoverer who didn't actually discover anything, Christopher Columbus. There are nice sandy beaches and palm trees, but both are imported. We are a 5 minute walk from Las Ramblas which is the city's main market, essentially a mile long street of Saturday-market style shops.

We are going to see the museums, beaches and churches on a bike tour soon, so I will have more to report then, but check back for more from the most non-Spanish city in Spain.