It’s hard to sum up a city, any city in a few words. I usually compare cities to people, but Barcelona has so many faces. It’s lively, it knows how to chill out, knows how to party, it’s friendly, it’s beautiful, but also knows how to chat and enjoy itself. A perfect friend.

I spent almost a week with a friend there. We took Barcelona slow, as I knew I will come back one day with Tomek. And there is not the time to see it all. So we just walked. We walked a lot. And we drank enormous amounts of coffee and wine. The coffee in Barcelona is strong and the wine is sweet.

Spanish people love being outside. Even when it was chiller, tables outside were very busy. They also love dogs and standing on a street and chatting.

Ok, it wasn’t that cold.

The city that has access to a sea is always a good city.

This year I read Cathedral of the Sea by Ildefonso Falcones. I didn’t like it. The historic background is great, but the main plot and character didn’t appeal to me at all, but despise this I needed to see the famous cathedral. It’s beautiful and simple. We were there in the evening (from 5pm the entrance is free and the lights were on and it actually enhanced the shapes. Once you imagine how much has happened since it was built, how many people lived, dreamed, died… It’s overwhelming.

Gaudi’s works are so beautiful, so different, I should really learn more about him and they he worked. It’s pure genius.

Sagrada Familia is still work in progress. It means cranes, drilling, but it is breathtaking.

And that’s the view from Guel Park over the Barcelona.