barcelona.

the last three days in Barcelona have been really great. being with my parents has been a nice vacation, them taking acre of me and telling me where to go is exactly what i needed.

we went into the cathedral of Barcelona which is a huge cathedral in the Gothic district of the city. I was kind of over churches from seeing so many in France but this one was so different. We first had to enter a courtyard where there were swans and palm tress and the stations of the cross. then we went inside- it was so decorated. The Spanish churches are very different from the French ones- i find the Spanish ones less scary. Each station of the cross was way over done. The chapel had such a glorified crucifix, you were only allowed to go in there if you were going to pray and i wasn't so i didn't go in. Catholic churches always make me feel uncomfortable, no matter what i always feel like i'm doing something wrong. We were able go up to the roof and look out to the sea. I'm starting to see a trend in a lot of places in Barcelona have great rooftop areas and all the buildings seem to connect to the outside in some way. On display was a crown, ring and where they keep communion I have never seen so many jewels in my life! big emeralds and diamonds and pearls it was crazy. it became really aparent that the catholic church is what Spain put all there money into.

we spent the entire day on Friday at Gaudi's park in the norther part of Barcelona. What an amazing park! Every place I walked was like exploring something new. There were areas to walk completely in the trees and other places to lay out in the sun.The place originally was someone's estate I can't imagine someone having this park all to themselves. Throughout the park there were so many street musicians so each place had a different feeling completely due to the architecture and the music. there were three guys playing great Spanish guitar out in the main field, to be able to sit and listen to them and see the Mediterranean sea was perfect. This park was fun because there is so much to explore, We were able to walk up to the highest point (which was a big cross) and see all of Barcelona. The park is decorated with a lot of tile work everywhere there is a concrete area is covered with tile. In the sun it gibes an amazing color to the park and makes it like a fairy tale place.

The last night I was in Barcelona we went down to the Gothic district and watched futbol and had a great dinner. Everyone is futbol obsessed it's so crazy. The entire city stopped when the match was on it was crazy. We were lucky that we were able to get a seat in a restaurant where we were able to see the game. There was one girl outside who looked so distressed watching the match, she kept chewing on her hair tie and had this worried look the entire time. I thought that America was obsessed with American football but coming to Barcelona they are really really obsessed!

Goodbye Cadaques

Back in barcelona.

After a day of traveling I'm back in barcelona. We had to take a bus from Cadaques to Figueres then from there take a train to Barcelona. The bus to Figueres is on one small windy road that is through the mountains. We sat in the back of the bus to get a view of the scenery, but that didn't work out for me. I got so motion sick that its a miracle that I didn't throw-up on my dad. My parents kept saying how amazing the snowy mountains from Andoura were but I just sat there trying to keep it together. As soon as we got to Figueres I got off the bus and lied in the grass I felt so much better then. The train ride is about 2 hours and 10euros (the bus is 5euros) so it takes time, and money, to get out to Cadaques but its such an amazing village.

Since Cadaques is so small Americans really don't go there. The time that we were there we were the only Americans around, I guarantee it. As we were leaving a destination wedding party from America was coming but other than that we didn't run into any others. It was nice because I felt like I really got away. So many places I've traveled, even though I'm in a new country I'm with Americans and I meet someone who knows someone else. Also since Cadaques is an old fishing village they aren't at all concerned with American culture I saw one guy working in a restaurant wearing an Obama hat but at least there were no "RIP Michael Jackson" things around. Its nice to know that I can completely escape everything American if I choose. I hope to find more places like Cadaques

It is nice though be back in Barcelona at the same hotel as before, which is such a nice hotel. There is still so much I want to discover about Barcelona.

the wild coat.

the same hike just two very different days.

I'm still not quite sure how my parents convinced me to go hiking two days in a row. On monday I woke up to my balcony windows being thrown open by the wind and rain was coming in. It rained all day monday, but my parents were determined to hike. We went to Port Lligat to go into the national park to explore. Since it was rainy and the dali house was closed we were the only people around. Walking to the mountain path are the slate rocks that act like a staircase to the mountain. It being so rainy only made the rocks really slippery. One wrong step and I would have been sliding down to the rocky coast. I was so concern with where I was stepping that when I finally looked up it was an amazing site. Even through it was raining the water was so peaceful and incredible shades of blue. We were able to get out pretty far on a ledge to look around and down at the coastline. The slate that makes up the coastline is crazy, it seems like it should be in the western united states not by the Mediterranean coast. The rain only made the natural colors of the water more vibrant. We hiked a little more up to the top of one mountains and had a great view overlooking everything. The one thing I really like about hiking is that the air is so clean and it smelled really good from all the mountain flowers. Coming down we sat on the beach and looked at these funny purple jellyfish that were lying eggs around the rocks. The night it only got more rainy and windy.
On tuesday the sun was out and it was a beautiful morning but it turned out to be an extremely windy day. So windy that trees were blown over the next day. My parent again wanted to go hiking up the same path that we did the day before. There were a lot more people wondering around but none were hiking- I think we were the only crazy ones that would hike in the winds. Going up the slate to the path I was worried that I would blow off we had to stay real close to the ground. The winds were so fierce that we couldn't go out and really see the ocean. We were able to get to the top of the mountain but I could lean back and put most of my weight in the wind. It was so damn cold though! I was expecting to be lying by the beach in the sun not hiking a mountain on the cold.

DALI OBSESSED

DALI´S HOUSE PORT LLIGAT


I´m staying in Cadaques but on the same peninsula is Port Lligat where Dali lived. There are a lot of tourist that go to Port Lligat to see the crazy mans house. From Cadaques it´s about a 20 min walk to Port Lligat, but such a great walk! It´s through old parts of the fishing village and up a big hill so you can see the entire world- amazing. The only thing in Port Lligat is Dali´s house and two hotels. When Dali was alive and living there more people came in and were trying to build up the area for summer homes, Dali didn´t like that so he got the Spanish government to make him ambassador of the area therefore, nobody can build on Port Lligat unless the Dali Estate says it´s ok. So, it´s completely unbuilt besides two old hotels and Dali´s house.

Of course Dali´s house is ridiculous. Completely over the top and very bizarre. When his wife died he just got up and left the house so most of the things in the house are completely the way they were when he was living there. There are even two unfinished paintings in his workroom. The house is so cool, it´s a series of old fishing houses put together on the side of the mountain so there are a lot of small stairways and rooms that are connected in interesting ways. Only the bathrooms have doors on them so the whole house is open, which is so nice. He has a couple of outdoor patios and areas that are so cool and so weird. Lot´s of big eggs are placed everywhere. There´s a room outside that has a projector showing movies and an old piano that is built into the wall. The pool is such a weird shape I don´t think anyone actually swam in it, but it leads up to two thrones that Dali and Gala sat on. It is so over the top but so fascinating. And of course the water is beautiful and the view that he has from every room is amazing. Since Dali made Cadaques and Port Lligat famous everywhere you look there is something about Dali. There are big statues and posters and facts about him. This area seems totally Dali obsessed. Between Dali and Gaudi I´m seeing some totally bizarre things.

-- the first thing you see when you walk into Dali´s house. He stuffed all his animals. All the swans that lived outside his house he would stuff when they died, so they are everywhere in his house.

--- Dali and Gala´s bedroom.

Cadaques

I have really enjoyed being in Cadaques. It´s unlike anyplace I´ve been to, the mountains, the cute little white houses that line the shore and the most amazing blue water. The harbor is full of small sailboats (mostly with big french flags on them), and everyone drives mopeds arounds. It use to be an old fishing village but now is a summer place for wealthy people to come to. There are a lot of big houses that are still boarded up and i´m sure in the summer the harbor is full of yachts. I´m glad we´re here on the off season, it´s not too crowded yet. It´s too cold though to swim and be in a bathing suit which I was looking forward to.

My dad kayaked around the harbor while my mother and I walked the whole village. It´s nice to be in such a small village that you can walk the entire thing without being tired. The beaches are made up of rocks and small stones so there isn´t much sand. There is a lot of natural slate that makes great natural staircases all along the shore so you can climb all around the water edge without being in the water. There is only one small church that everyone goes to. Inside the alter is so ornately decorated I would have never expected that this small village would have such a glorious church, but the catholic church is what everyone here believes in and probably gives so much money to. It´s so quite here expect the church bells and when theres a futbol match on...

I´m eating amazing seafood and drinking the best sangria while on the mediterranean, perfect.

Cadeques cost of brava

Cadaques is hard to get to. We had to take a bus from Figerus that stopped a couple of places before going over the mountains to cadeques. There is only one road that goes to cadeques that winds up through the mountains. It was still light out when we were traveling so we were able to see everything. I got nauseous and nervous being on the bus on a tiny road through the mountains. Finally we came down the mountain, the bus stopped and everyone got out. we were in cadeques and really didn't know where we were. It was still light out but about 830 so there weren't many people out. We walked down to the water to the most amazing view. I have never been someplace so beautiful. Its a tiny harbor that the mountains come right down to and this village is built around it. Thankfully we found a hotel sign and walked there. Our room is perfect it faces the water with two balconies. I brought my parents champagne from france so we did a toast before we went out.

figueres

We got off the train with all of our bags in the small city Figueres. I realized real quickly that my parents didn't really have a plan. The only thing that is in Figueres is the Dali Museum, and my parents love Dali so we set out for the museum.

Walking up to the Dali Museum was funny. Out of nowhere you start to see a giant glass egg as you get closer you start to see more weird shit. Outside there is a big statue made of random things and little gold people that line the top of the building. You walk into a court yard before you actually go into the museum that has another bizarre statue involving a cadilac, a boat, a big woman with penis' for nipples and more little gold people. Its very bizarre, my parent and I just sat there and laughed for a good while. The museum itself just gets stranger. The museum has a theatre theme therefore there are lots of interactions between the art and the people. I felt like I was in pee wee hermans house, a fun house, and on some type of physidlic drug. It almost seemed too weird and my attention was so scattered trying to absorb everything that I missed seeing a lot of the art. We spent a good while there seeing everything and then headed to the bus station. We missed the bus to Cadaques by about 5 mins and the next one wasn't for three hours. So we had a lot of time to kill in Figueres.

We walked back to the Dali house and stared at all the eggs that line the building. I think my mother is worried that my dad might line our house with eggs now.
There is something really charming about small cities and how everyone comes out to one event. Figueres is so small so about everyone from the city was out in two different squares. In one square a band was setting up to play; we never actually saw them play. All the little kids were running around and getting balloon animals from a clown. Another square looked like a dance show was about to happen. There were a lot of girls dressed to do flamenco and other kids were dressed like Michaels Jackson. We couldn't stay to see them perform but I'm sure it was an end of the year performance. It was great that they had so many outdoor spaces.