By Isabelle McAlevey ’13, Contributor
During this past summer, I traveled to Barcelona, Spain. Living in the city and
exploring what it had to offer was a truly amazing experience.
The city is concentrated on the coast, near the famous port, Port Vell, and the
mountain overlooking the port, Montjüic. Montjüic is the area where
the city hosted the 1992 Olympics.
Barcelona is known for its exciting and crowded beaches, where I often spent my
time. One of the reasons the city is so amazing is because it is in the heart of Catalonia, (one of the seventeen autonomous regions of Spain)
and is rich with a unique culture that cannot be found anywhere else in the country.
The streets of Barcelona are alive with many street performers and vendors,
especially the most famous street in the city, Las Ramblas. Every bustling
street there housed a surprise, some authentic and delicious tapas restaurants,
others funky clothing boutiques, and of course gelato stands.
During the month I spent in northern Spain, I had the chance to go to Girona, an
amazing walled city from the medieval times. Girona was quite possibly the
highlight of the trip for me.
I also went hiking with my friends in Montserrat, the religious center of
Catalonia, and the home of one of the world’s most famous mountain monasteries as
well as an incredible art museum.
Another great aspect of Barcelona was the myriad of museums and artworks the city contained. My favorite exhibit was the show on Gothic art at the museum known as MNAC (Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya) , which featured many frescos that had been painstakingly removed from their original homes in churches and rehoused in the museum.The exhibit also showcased many other ornate pieces and paintings.
Barcelona is a city truly teeming with life and culture that can be felt in the magnificent galleries housing Picasso’s and Miró’s down to the musicians performing in the labyrinth tunnels of the crowded metro. The month I spent in Barcelona was one of the most amazing experiences of my life, and I hope to return to the city very soon.
