Visit to Barcelona

In 2013, a Spanish colleague invited me to go with her to Spain.  Her family lives an hour’s train ride outside Barcelona and we went there when we arrived.  Her mother quickly prepared dinner at about 4.00 pm, but my friend refused to eat.  I had dinner on my own and we left to sightsee. One thing that stood out was the old infrastructure that was  incorporated into the new.  Apparently if someone was making any renovation and they found any old/ancient infrastructure, they had to inform the government department in charge of infrastructure and work with them on how best to incorporate it into the new building.

Around 8.00 pm my friend said we should go back to her parents’ place for dinner.  What?  Apparently, the 4.00 pm meal was a ‘snack’ and that’s why she had refused to eat. Anyway, we went home.  Her younger brother came and he shook my hand and greeted me in perfect English.  Her older brother came later and immediately hugged (OK more like grabbed), kissed me heartily on both cheeks and said how happy he was to see me.  My friend saw my shock and laughed and said: “Zambian Lady, my young brother wanted to learn about other cultures and English, hence his response to meeting you.  My older brother, on the other hand, is a real Spaniard and greets everybody with kisses and a lot of touching.”  Older brother’s wife was more reserved in her greeting, but the patriarch of the house also displayed a lot of love for me.

Dinner was at 9.00 pm and it was quite an affair and the table was covered with all sorts of food.  I mentioned this to my friend and asked if her mother had gone all out cooking because we were visiting.  I was told that this was how they ate everyday.  The whole family gathered every evening for dinner at 9.00 pm and the table was always full.  I was surprised because I thought that was a lot of work for her elderly mother who did the cooking.

I went to Barcelona the following day and stayed there for the next couple of days where I walked about a lot.  I liked it a lot

1. See the red and yellow flag of Catalunya?  These flags were all over Barcelona even back then.

 

2. Narrow streets in Old Town

 

3. Temple d’August – these columns predate Christ

 

4. What ‘animal’ does this sculpture look like?  Apparently, the mason had never seen an elephant, but it was described to him and this is what he can up with.

 

5. Spear sharpening did this on one of the old buildings!

 

6. Casa Battlo by Gaudi – I did not manage to go in, but it is quite flamboyant.

 

7. Casa Mila – another building by Gaudi.

 

8. Barca! For the first time, I went to watch professional football and saw Messi score his 78th goal.  I remember that number for some reason.  I had a great time.  Barca opponents had come from another city and had only about 20 fans.  Barca fans were so good that about 100 of them joined the visiting fans and cheered for the visiting team.  It was really a fun time.

 

9. For the love of Barcelona, I do not know what the back of this lady’s head and the lamp shot have anything to do with anything, but in the background is the 1992 summer Olympics venue.

 

I did not visit the Barcelona Cathedral, also by Gaudi.  It just looked too busy for me – it overwhelmed me just looking at it from the outside.  Maybe I am just not artistic enough, but I found the Cathedral a bit off putting, so much that I did not even take a photo of it even from the outside.  I am a simple woman, I guess.