Index

Fieldtrips

Roman

Jewish

El Born

Raval

Cultural Activities

La Merce Lightshow

La Sagrada Familia

Christmas Market at La Sagrada Familia

Leisure

FCB v Mallorca

Parc Ciutadella

Moog

Restaurants

Champañeria

Tapa Tapa

Cerveceria

Local News

Papa to La Sagrada Familia

“Eto'o, Ibra y Cesc, los mayores peligros del Barça en octavos”

“La Font Màgica estrena la réplica de las cuatro columnas jónicas de Josep Puig i Cadafalch”

National News

“La Guardia Civil acusa a Marta Domínguez de suministrar productos dopantes”

Neighborhood

Epilogue

Roman City Field Trip

September 15, 2010

            Our first field trip to the old Roman city was truly a great experience. We got to go underground to see the old Roman city and it’s ruins. One of the first tips we learned is that drinking wine from a plastic cup is never a good thing and spoils the wine. It is best to drink it from a clay cup to get the full effect. One interesting fact is that they used their urine for stain remover when they washed their clothes, and their hands would be very roughed up from the washing. They would also use the urine for medicine because it killed germs and bugs. One major invention which was life- changing was the introduction of 2 aqueduct systems. The water would flow in and out and made everything much more efficient. This way, they could have clean water and they used the hot water to heat the houses. Another aspect of life was how they would catch fish in bulk and burry it in sand to dry it out. The salt kept the food, and this was one of their most important resources. Slavery was very important to the Romans. Bacus was the god of pleasure and orgies. When young boys were growing older, the older men, including fathers and uncles, would perform sexual acts on the boys as a way of teaching them and helping them get practice for women later on in life. It was not seen as anything homosexual or inappropriate, it was simply a way of life and instruction. 

Jewish District Fieldtrip

October 13, 2010

            I thoroughly enjoyed our field trip to the Jewish area and got to see and learn about a whole new area that was very interesting. It is a very beautiful area, with some very old buildings and architecture, as well as some newer additions. The old buildings are so beautiful and detailed, but unfortunately some of them were torn down and huge, very unflattering buildings were put up in its place. Many of the newer buildings are very plain and tasteless, and it is a shame that the older ones were demolished. The streets were small and extremely narrow, called “calle”, and the windows were progressive and were smaller at the top and got bigger as they got lower, or the opposite. The boundaries of the city are now different, and you can no longer see the ocean from the ends of them. Back when they used horses and carriages for transportation, signs were put up to direct which way you could enter and exit in order to avoid collision. We went by a school, courtyard and church with little children running around and playing soccer. There were many cute little shops and restaurants that we walked by which I definitely want to come back and visit, and I am very glad that I got to have this experience. 

El Born Fieldtrip

September 27, 2010

            For our third fieldtrip, we started off by the palace of music, a beautiful old theatre that is still in use today. From here we passed by a typical artisans workshop, as they go up they have decreasing windows. It was known that when people walked through the streets, girls would walk on the inside because people would throw their urine and waste out the window, and they would want to avoid it getting on the women. We walked by which used to be a monastery, but is now a market, with a curvy colorful rooftop. This building was rebuilt from the monastery times but the base was kept. Across the street from this was a newer, much uglier building that was done with no taste and lots of uniform windows. Another location of the Roman Ruins and the monastery remains, was known in the Middle Ages as the world of dreams. Each guild had its own sign outside the door which was made of iron. Then we headed to the stalk market for shepherds where we were in the Placa de la Llana, and here they established prices for wool. The windows on these buildings went from smaller to bigger in a descending order. One store called “Senegal” is owned by privileged people and you can tell this because there are 2 windows on the store, one in each corner. This was a sign of middle class people. The rich people left the dense area to go north. One project since the late 80’s was the renew buildings, which entailed buying an entire building and then reselling the flats. They would build furniture inside the house as well. On the main street, Carrer de la Princesa, buildings were demolished to widen the avenue, so when the Queen passed through she would not have to weave through the narrow streets. This main street is also a street that leads right down to the Picasso Museum.

Each guild had internships, and a minstrel was an official expert who would work three years with no salary to learn the trade. They would be paid with one pair of shoes per year, which was significant in those times. The trip ended with going to the courtyard where a middle class church was, along with the bricks overlaying tons of dead bodies. This church would be used for middle class weddings, and higher class weddings were held in the Catedral. 

Raval Fieldtrip

December 1, 2010

            Going through the Raval district was probably my favorite fieldtrip of them all. It was a whole new side of Barcelona that I wasn’t really comfortable venturing around in until then. It was so authentic and full of music and art, which I love. We ventured into the skate park and watched different groups of people, skate, watch or walk by. This area used to be dangerous and is now surrounded by churches and new modern building. Schools and hospitals were put in the area in order to make it more attractive for people to come visit here. We went over to the CCCB which is a modern structure and has the last sky line of city exhibition. It is also where the Asian film festival is location with electronic music playing throughout. We ran into a wall with “ravalejar” written on it and many different definitions. It literally means “to hang out,” and was ironic because as we looked around, we saw various groups of people just “hanging out” around the area. One of the coolest aspects of this area is that it is full of all different types of people. There are old, poor apartments right next to the new modern ones. There are many young, trendy youth living in the area because it is so close to the University which makes for a lot of art and expression all over the area. There are many representations and art that show the past, present and future of the district which displays is diversity. My favorite part of Raval is the house painted by the kids in which they inhabited for so long that the police no longer have the right to kick them out. The house is crazily painted and has three sets of eyes running up the center. There is also a sign that reads “this is not a tourist attraction.” The area used to be known for it’s fresh fish because it is so close to the port, and still contains one of the best restaurants for fish. I liked this area so much that I have been back multiple times and even bought my dad and brother’s Christmas presents from the percussion store we passed. 

La Merce Lightshow

September 25, 2010

I am so glad I was able to be in Barcelona for the La Merce festival that goes on once a year and to see the amazing things that go on for the weekend. I felt like a little kid again going from activity to activity and being so amused and entertained by the performances! One performance that really blew my mind was the lightshow held on the last night in Parc Ciutadella. I knew there was one going on, but I had no idea how amazing it would be, I never imagined something so cool! Everyone stood toward the entrance of the park, around where the gates are, and faced inward. The lightshow included colorful lights, a fog machine and some great music to perfectly accompany the ever- changing lights. The soundtrack went along just right with the lights, when the music was fast, the lights were going crazy in all directions and with all different colors. When the music was slower, the lights would creep up and down and build up for what was to come next. One of my favorite displays was when the lights would go in circular motion and make you feel like you were being sucked into an O zone layer. The fog around was perfect too because it really distinguished the lights and colors and blocked out the rest of reality. It went on for several minutes and played twice over and I definitely stayed for both shows. I have really never seen something like it or even something comparable and it really makes me think about how much time and effort went into coordinating the lights and music to make everything to great. All the families and kids and people really enjoyed it and I’m glad I got it on video because it’s something I will never forget. 

La Sagrada Familia

October 14, 2010

            One thing you absolutely cannot miss while in Barcelona is Gaudi’s most amazing work, La Sagrada Familia. Coming from a Catholic mother, I had heard much about this piece of work and the time and detail that has gone into it, but it is something you cannot fully understand or appreciate until you have actually experienced it. When I first saw La Sagrada Familia I was completely awestruck. With its vast towers reaching toward the sky to every last bit of detail, especially on the Nativity façade, to the view from the top looking down at all the people who look like little ants, I cannot decide which is more amazing. After getting a tour of the inside and out, I had a much better understanding and an undying appreciation for Gaudi’s work and how he thought out every single detail. I love nature, so to see this being applied to the entirety really stuck out to me. One of my favorite things is upon walking in, you feel like your in a forest with huge trees above and animals and life all around you, which was exactly his purpose. The diversity, from the Gothic style of the Nativity façade to the modern style of the Passion façade, has never been tested or done before, and he perfected it. Going up to the top was also a great experience and well worth the hour wait in line. It was really neat to look down the spiraling stairwell from the top and see spiral after spiral to really get a good feel for how high up we were. Another thing I really like about it is the use of color. Outside, there are very colorful fruit at the top of some of the smaller towers which really stand out, and inside there are stained- glass windows which really bring so much light and color into the main church. His mix of styles, detail, color, nature and, of course, the vastness of it all really make it a must- see in one’s lifetime, and I’m glad to have checked that one off!