Category — Spain

My favorite travel memory

by Shari

Ever since posting my photo the week before last of Sagrada Familia in Barcelona for Travel Photo Tuesday, I’ve been thinking about that life-changing trip.

This was a trip that almost didn’t happen. I actually had to be talked into it but my best friend Lisa. I’d been through a bad breakup and had been down in the dumps for a while. It seems so silly now. We left LAX on the day of my 30th birthday for Ireland. Spent two wonderful weeks in Ireland, which really is an amazing country. Then, we decided we just couldn’t go home yet so we extended out trip for another week and went to Barcelona, Spain.

Ah, Barcelona. The architecture, the food, the people. This is such a magical city! I was absolutely enchanted by all the architectural wonders of Antoni Gaudí scattered throughout the city, from Sagrada Familia to La Pedrera to my favorite, Park Güell. Lisa and I had the hardest time finding Park Güell. We wandered around the city and kept asking people. They kept pointing us in the right direction, or so we hoped.

Finally, after hours of looking, we came across it. Such an amazing place. Words really can’t describe the fantastical place. Imagine Disney minus the cheese. Gaudí was a genius. All his works are truly unique. You really have to see it to believe it. Even photographs don’t do it justice.

After we explored the park for about an hour, it started to rain. Lisa wanted to leave, but I didn’t. I actually love the rain. Especially on a warm, sultry day. She took a cab back to the hotel, and I had one of the most amazing afternoons of my life. I stayed at Park Güell for quite a while taking it all in.

Then I spent hours just wandering around the city in the rain. I can’t even explain the sense of freedom and wonder. I was literally skipping through puddles. There were lots of Spaniards tucked into alcoves all over the city, watching the rain and looking at me like I was crazy.