Later on in my stay in Barcelona I visited Sagrada Familia again. I had been here once before with my family but was not able to go inside. I was so happy that I got the chance to come back and go inside this time because I am truly fascinated with it’s beauty and history. 

Sagrada Familia is considered a temple of the Roman Catholic faith designed by Antoni Gaudi. It began being built in 1882 under a different architect but he resigned after a year which is when Gaudi look over. He devoted all his time to this project until he passed away only completing less than 1/4 of it. 

The construction was fueled by private donations but was put on hold until the 1950s, during the Spanish Civil War. Today, the temple still has 10 more spires to be built and is set to be completed in 2026.  I found it interesting that Gaudi even thought to put a school right next to it for the children of the construction workers which is now relocated close by. 

The contraction budget is 25 million euros which I found crazy but understandable given how much detail and work must go into building this outstanding building. It was designed to be a cathedral but is actually a Basilica. I also found it interesting how the central spire cannot pass the height of Montjuic because it would be considered higher than God.

I would definitely recommend a tour of Sagrada Familia. It is on the longer side but 100% worth it because you probably won’t see anything like that in the United States or maybe anywhere else for that matter. 

One of my all time favorite things to do in Barcelona is shop, I probably go every single day. I hardly buy anything because I am a student on a budget but I love looking at the European styles and how I can adapt it to my own to blend in more. 

I love just window shopping around Plaça Catalunya and going into the stores and looking around. My favorites are H&M, Zara, Oysho, Bershka, Mango and Pull & Bear. The H&M and Zara I have at home but the ones here are significantly better. There is also a Mango and Berhska that just opened in New York City that I went to last summer, but again it is just not as good as the many locations here.

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Even the architecture of the building is interesting to look at. Above is my favorite, Zara in Placa Catalunya. It is in a circular shape and has a brilliant ceiling (shown above). Also when you go up the escalators you get a floor to ceiling view of the square of Placa Catalunya.

I am going to miss the shopping most of all when I return to the United States. I found it so interesting to see both the similar trends in style as well as the different ones.

One of my favorite things to do in Barcelona this semester has been to go to the Bunkers during sunset. Besides the beach, it is truly one of the most peaceful places I have been in all of Barcelona. It takes you out of the bustling city environment into a serenity of mostly a young crowd drinking wine and smoking cigarettes just relaxing. 

I also think it is so cool how this doubles as a historical landmark in Barcelona. It was built during the Spanish Civil War in 1937 to defend themselves from guns. After the use of guns ended when Franco came to power it was then used at housing and shelter for the tougher times with almost 3,000 people living in the area.

Before the 1992 Olympic Games, they decided to move everyone in the area to alternate housing to make the city appear nicer. After this, it is mainly used just to see the views. What I didn’t know before researching the Bunkers was that MUHBA has a museum inside explaining this history which I am definitely going to check out next time I’m there.

The Bunkers are home to tourist, locals and everyone in between which is was makes it so special. The views and the vibe of the people there are great if you need to escape for a little, need a good date night spot, or just a place to hang out with friends. It is definitely one of my favorite spots to go in Barcelona and it’s free!

https://elpais.com/elpais/2019/04/01/inenglish/1554107629_170580.html

I chose an article that focused on a protest that took place in Madrid recently focusing on how the voters in the countryside of Spain do not get as much recognition as voters in more populated areas. I picked this because we touched on this in one of my other courses. The problem is that people of Spain that live in more rural areas do not get accurate representation in the elections. 

This is a problem right now because the general election is in less than a month and only 101 seats in parliament represent the people of the lesser populated areas out of 350. The people of these areas want tax cuts for areas with less than 5,000 people. The turnout was about 50,000 people which was high as many people as the protest organizers thought. 

The slogan for this protest was “This Spain, the emptied Spain, wants its voice heard.” I think it is crazy that there is around 3900 villages in Spain with fewer than 500 residents. I would have loved to visit some of those villages before they are set to become extinct. It also got me thinking if anything like that exists in the United States, certainly not near where I live. 

These villages are decaying due to lack of banks, highways, trains and general resources and transportation needed to live in this day and age. 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-47772603

I chose to report on an article that has to do with Brexit because it is one of the biggest political debates going on in Europe right now. I first heard about this about a year or two ago because two of my cousins live in London and were talking about how they were in favor of it because they would pay less taxes. Now, I also get an outsiders perspective on everything because one of my best friends is studying abroad there right now. 

This article specifically touches on UK trade relations and how the EU is not allowed to discuss future trade relations with another country in the EU by law. This is scary for people in the EU because the future is unknown if this goes through the England disassociated itself with the EU. Although, some think that MP’s are out of touch and that a future is predictable. 

Brexit has now been delayed to April 10th when they will decided what to go forth with next. The European Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker, understandably has said to be running out of patience with England. The EU is said to have wished that MP’s had thought this out for longer before Brexit is pushed any longer. 

Exiample was another one of our field trips and is home to the prettiest buildings in the city, from what I have seen. It is pretty centrally located in between the Gothic Quarter and Gracia but also a very safe area compared to the more touristy areas near La Rambla. 

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It is much larger than El Raval with about 267,000 people in it’s population with many of that population being Asian. It is constructed in a grid pattern which is helpful to me because I am familiar with a similar pattern after living in New York City. The grid was intended by Cerdá to be ideal for more space between buildings and more parking. 

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This became a higher class neighborhood for what was intended to be a mix of every class. Cerdá thought of everything necessary for the area: many markets, schools and hospitals still exist here. 

On our field trip we walked up Passeig de Gracia observing all the artictecturhe of the newer city. I love this architecture because of it’s attention to detail and beautiful designs. Many buildings incorporated religious figures on the outsides of their buildings which was very interesting to me as well. We went inside the lobby of Casa Batlló and saw the beautiful designs even inside the buildings as well. 

During my first week in Barcelona I visited one of the most iconic places in the city – Park Güell. I had been looking forward to visiting this place ever since I didn’t have time to visit the last time I was in Barcelona.

When I first entered the area I was amazed by all the beauty. Pictures truly don’t do it justice. Gaudi’s work is mesmerizing and unlike another architecture or art I have ever seen. When you first enter outside the park you see two structures:

It is a mix of stunning artwork unlike any art I had ever seen before along with pretty landscaping surrounding it. I found it interesting that one of my professors said that it used to be his playground in grade school during recess. I can’t imagine having that as my childhood playground in one of Barcelona’s most famous landmarks. 

The park was built in 1900, completed in 1914 and opened to the public in 1926, so in comparison to other historical things in Barcelona and Europe in general, very recently. It was built during Gaudí’s naturalist phase incorporating a lot of geometric shapes. This style of design soon because his signature that inspired much of the art in Sagrada Familia. 

The park was intended to have homes that were more modern and nice than normal homes being completely up to date but with a touch of art. It is situated on a hill to escape pollution and get fresh air. The park has a lot of hidden religious symbolism, political symbolism and also mythical symbolism. It also is home to Gaudi’s showroom and a home where he lived for 20 years. 

Park Guell is now divided into a monumental zone which costs money and a park which is free. When I went I did both but definitely think it’s worth paying to see. It is supposed to be a calming peaceful place but with all the tourist it makes it kind of hard. Nevertheless, I would say it is a must see and doesn’t take a lot of time to see all of it. 

For our last field study we visited the neighborhood of El Raval. This was one I was looking forward to the most because this is the area I live in. El Raval was right off La Rambla and right next to the Gothic Quarter. It’s home to parts of the University of Barcelona

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El Raval has about 50,000 inhabitants but is less touristy then the Gothic Quarter and La Rambla. It originally was known for its prostitution and crime but after the Olympic Games Barcelona tried to clean it up a bit. In our field studied we learned that the area was home to many middle eastern immigrants and when I researched further I learned that almost 50% of the population were not from originally Spain. 

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These pictures along with the designs on the outside of the building and the public courtyard were 5 I thought summed up Raval. The art was very interesting and different than typical art in Barcelona. It showed a lot of expression and symbolism, as if the people that live there were trying to send a message to the rest of the city.

We started at the MACBA museum then made our way to Plaça University where we got to see students our own age at their University. This was my favorite part because as we looked around we could relate to the students even though there was a language barrier. We passed many bars, restaurants of all different cuisines, vintage stores, many skaters and graffiti which made it seem like it was made for students. Another one of my favorite parts was the square where you can see the skyline of the city if you look up at the top of it. We ended our tour at a public basketball court where we got to see even more students our age which was really interesting to me.  

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We stopped by a community center, a church that was turned into a public space, and many squares that had people skate boarding or just hanging out. I think this space has become a place of alternative culture because of the many young people and different cultures that inhibit the area. When there are so many people of different cultures mixed with the youth who are trying to figure out who they are, there is a very different mix of people in my opinion.

Another news story I was interested in writing about was the taxi strike. This was one of the most irritating things to happen during my stay in Barcelona because the city is so big. Although the metro system is great, it does not run into the late hours, so when I wanted to go out with my friends it was very difficult.

This article was surprising to me because the taxi drivers made such an uproar to push Cabify and Uber out of Barcelona and stop them from taking any business away from them and now they are just returning a month later?

Barcelona made a new rule that you have to book services other than taxi’s at least 15 minutes in advance. So Cabify re-did their app to adapt to those new regulations and were set to launch in early March.

I’m not sure about anyone else, but I was still under the impression that both companies were banned from the city so I have continued to only use cabs. I will still continue to do so because when you are out drinking with friends no one will think to book a cab 15 minutes before you leave seeing as you usually have no idea when you will leave. I am curious to see how these companies survive after these new rules.

https://elpais.com/elpais/2019/03/05/inenglish/1551773366_405862.html

I decided to reflect on an article about the women’s rights movements in Spain because of recent protests that have gone on in Barcelona. After the Women’s March in early March, I realized how much is wrong with the way women are treated in Barcelona. When we reflected in class I asked what some of the signs meant and it was referring to what this article was written about, “feminazis.” A bus that started in Madrid reached Barcelona the other day, causing some backlash from the public.

This article touches on how these advertisements are being allowed by a judge even though some consider it a hate crime against the female gender. I find this very interesting and wondered if something like this would be allowed in the United States because the judge ruled it allowed for “freedom of speech” which is what we have in the United States as well.

The article also talked about the extremist group “Vox” and how they try to eliminate laws to protect the LBGTQ community, I also saw signs at the movement referring to that.

Personally, I think this is extremely wrong because they are using images of Hitler then relating them to the female gender. I think that nothing should be used with the images of Hitler or Nazi’s relating to an entire gender especially. There are other ways to advertise your opinions and thoughts.

Although the bus is allowed to keep the advertisement, they did get fined for breaking Barcelona’s ordinance on social harmony and the Catalan Advertising Law. This pushed them out of Barcelona on to their next target.