Touring the Scottish Highlands

Sarah and I had both been dying to visit the Scottish Highlands, so we decided that at some point during my visit, we would definitely need to get out of Edinburgh for a day and properly explore.  After researching a few options, we booked a day trip with Timberbush Tours (West Highland Lochs, Mountains & Castles) for about £38.  We piled into a minibus early one rainy morning outside Edinburgh Castle, along with two couples from America, two guys from India, two women from Korea, and our bus driver / tour guide, Donald.   (Note:  my camera battery - the only one I had at the time - died the second we started the tour, so photos are either from my iPhone or credited to Sarah!)

The rain poured steadily during the first part of our drive, as we passed two massive kelpy (a mythical horse that lives at the bottom of the lochs) statues on our way to Doune Castle.  Sarah and I had been particularly excited to visit Doune, as it was not only the filming site for Monty Python and the Holy Grail, but it's also being used for the filming of the Outlander TV series on Starz (and was also used for Winterfell scenes for Game of Thrones).  And, to our great delight, the Outlander set was still in place in the courtyard!  The castle wasn't very large in terms of the footprint, but it rose a number of stories high, and we took our time weaving our way through the various rooms and alcoves with the assistance of an audioguide, as much as we could in the time allowed.  

Doune Castle - photo by Sarah Gundle

Starstruck!  By a set! - photo by Sarah Gundle

Back in the bus, we made our way into the Highlands and its stunning scenery.  Sarah observed that it looked like a cross between Appalachia and New Zealand - there were stony mountains, tall pines and leaf-less trees, long grasses blanketing the hills like a fur coat, and bushes dotting the landscape, in every shade of green imaginable, in vibrant tones enriched by the rainfall.  A few of the hills were capped with snow, and black-faced sheep grazed alongside much of the road in large, sprawling pastures.  Donald took us on a couple of brief stops and detours - first to Loch Lubnaig, a massive narrow lake shaped like a boomerang with ancient mountains in the distance, then to a narrow bridge over an expansive river, flowing over and down large rocks, around earth and trees, creating a beautiful section of rapids called the Falls of Dochart.  Nestled next to the falls sat an old burial site for Clan MacNab.  Our final stop before lunch was at Kilchurn Castle - a large castle situated on a strip of land in the middle of a lake, visible from afar.

After a quick stop for a cafeteria-style lunch, we continued our drive through the incredible scenery, enjoying Donald's stories and interesting facts about the Highlands, as well as the Scottish music playing in the background.  Our next stop was Inveraray, home to Inveraray Castle, the seat of the Duke of Argyll, head of Clan Campbell.  Unfortunately, the castle was closed for visitors during the winter months, and a steady rain was falling during our stop, so Sarah and I hid out in a local cafe, enjoying warm, freshly baked scones.  We listened to more tales as we made our way to Loch Lomand next, watching the green fields and forests pass by, blanketed in soft grey clouds, enveloped by winter.

One of the interesting tidbits Donald shared with us was the origin of the word "blackmail" - Rob Roy, a Robin Hood-like figure in the Highlands, was known for stealing cattle, a valuable resource in those days, from rich landowners.  He started charging a fee to "protect" (ie, not steal) cattle, which at the time, were typically black.  Money at that time was called "mail", so the fee paid to keep Roy from stealing the cattle became "blackmail"!  A side note - those same Highland cattle are now typically a reddish color, covered in sheepdog-like shaggy fur, and both the males and the females have long horns.  We happily spotted a few grazing not too far from the road along our route, though not quite close enough for a good photo!

We took a long break at Loch Lomand, perfect for wandering and exploring the area around the lake.  Sarah and I stumbled across a small, ancient moss-covered stone church with a small green and stone kirkyard, the gravestones covered in soft green and orange lichens.  Coming up to the lake, greeted by ducks and swans, we took in the massive expanse of the water in the frigid air, enjoying the gorgeous surroundings.

Photo courtesy of Sarah Gundle

Back on the bus, the light began to fade as we headed back towards Edinburgh, but Donald managed to give us a few bonus stops along the way.  As we passed Stirling, he drove us up to the castle, which was itself closed, but we had a fantastic view of the town below perched from our vantage point on the ancient volcanic rock that the castle sits atop.  We also passed statues of William Wallace, Robert the Bruce, and an unnamed kilted soldier.  As we neared Edinburgh, we made one last pass through an area called Queens Ferry, taking in the view of the the Forth Bridge and passing a hotel that is the setting for a Robert Louis Stevenson novel ("Kidnapped").

Panorama from Stirling Castle

Donald dropped each of the tour members off in various spots around Edinburgh, with Sarah and I departing last only a block or so from her flat.  As it was my last evening in town and Donald had just been telling us about haggis, we decided to give it a try, picking up some haggis and chips to go from a nearby diner.  And the verdict is:  pretty tasty!  We were a little disappointed that we hadn't tried it earlier!

I had an incredible time visiting Sarah up in Edinburgh and exploring the area, and this tour was the perfect way to wrap up the trip.  I can't wait to see where in the world she and I wind up, and where we'll be journeying the next time we meet...

Stopping by St. Andrews

When deciding to visit my friend Sarah in Scotland, Edinburgh wasn't the only destination I hoped to visit.  Thankfully I was able to get out for a couple of day excursions that were wonderful additions to the trip!  Given that my father is a huge golf fan, I couldn't rightly visit Scotland without paying the Old Course at St. Andrews a visit on his behalf.  What I didn't expect was that the town would be so lovely of a stop in and of itself!  I took a morning train from Edinburgh up to St. Andrews on my own, leaving Sarah to focus on a couple of writing assignments for school. The one-hour ride was comfortable and scenic, as I passed tiny towns and brilliant green hills, stone and brick buildings with pointed roofs and little chimneys sprouting out of the top that remind me of Mary Poppins.  I remember passing one church in particular, with a tall steeple with a black clock with gold hands and numbers on the face, the door to the church painted a brilliant pink, and a sprawling kirkyard sitting next to it with dozens of gravestones that were probably centuries-old.

Upon arriving in St. Andrews (which requires a short, easy bus ride from the train station), I was greeted with bright blue skies.  I wandered through the quaint town, taking in the university buildings where Will and Kate attended classes, until I stopped for some much-needed lunch.  The spot was called Northpoint Cafe, and it was packed with students, locals, and tourists alike.  I had an incredible turkey, brie, and cranberry sandwich on a warm baguette, then set out to visit the cathedral ruins and kirkyard.  The ruins were haunting - towers and bits of walls of dark stone with empty windows. The grass was a vibrant green, in sharp contrast to the cold, dead stone and the bodies buried beneath the earth.  The weather went downhill as I walked through the space, going from bright blue skies to ominously dark and windy with misty rain.  I cut my visit short, but not before noticing a gravestone on a side wall, surrounded by protective metal fencing, the stone belonging to none other than William Wallace.  Glad I stopped to look!

From the kirkyard, I made my way across town to the golf course, passing university buildings as the rain gradually let up.  I quickly spotted the famous Swilcan Bridge at the 18th hole of the Old Course and walked out to get a photo.  A professional had just been taking photos for a footballer (no idea who or why), so he kindly obliged and snapped a photo of me on the bridge.  Next I paid a visit to the clubhouse for a few gifts, passing a handful of golfers braving the elements for their chance to play at the "home of golf". From the course, I wandered along the shore, meandering through the gorgeous campus, enjoying the once again blue sky (that wouldn't last long!).  I grabbed a cup of coffee to go on one of the main roads and headed back to catch the bus, arriving at the train station just minutes before the next train arrived.  A massive downpour began as soon as I sat down - I couldn't have timed my return any better!

An Anniversary in Edinburgh

One of the lynchpins to making the decision to visit Europe was that I would be able to also drop in on one of my dearest friends in Scotland.  Sarah and I had met years ago in Charlotte, bonding over a mutual love of ultimate frisbee and travel, and, together with our friend Andrea, we made up a trio of Amazons, a fitting name as anytime we would get dressed up and don our heels for a night out, we generally towered over the male population of the city.  The three of us wound up all having major life-changing events occur at roughly the same time - Andrea giving birth to a beautiful set of twins, and Sarah and I each quitting our jobs - me to begin this journey, and her to move to Edinburgh to pursue a Masters in Creative Writing.  (And given that she's one of the most talented people and most incredible writers I've ever met, I have no doubt that she will be successful there.)  So after hearing about how wonderful Edinburgh was for the last few months, I was excited to reunite with my partner in crime and see this beautiful city she now called home.

My gorgeous travel partner in crime.

I arrived late on a Thursday in February, the sky a dark cloudy haze, misty rain coming down here and there that would last for most of my visit - ah, Scottish winter!  The next morning, I walked part of the way with Sarah as she ventured to class, wandering on my own to the Scott Monument (the largest monument to a writer in the world - Sir Walter Scott), the sound of a lone bagpipe player filling the cold, damp air around the stone structure.  I ventured just across North Bridge and back, taking in the view of Arthur's seat and the surrounding city, finally making my way to a spot called Artisan Roast back in Sarah's neighborhood for an excellent cup of coffee, a tasty snack, and some time to write in the cozy atmosphere.  Sarah met me there later, and eventually we ventured back out, wandering around campus and up to Edinburgh Castle to take in the view before it started raining.  We darted back towards her flat, ducking into a pub for a pint and some delicious, warm soup, as outside a mix of heavy rain and snow (angry snow!) poured from the sky.  That evening being Valentine's Day, we had a fantastic girls' night planned, getting together with a group of Sarah's classmates for a potluck style dinner of fajitas and margaritas and a terrible Nicholas Sparks movie that we enjoyed openly laughing at.

Scott Monument

View from Edinburgh Castle

The next day, Sarah gave me a grand tour of Edinburgh, taking advantage of a gorgeous sunny (albeit cold) day to walk around some of the gorgeous old sections of campus, stopping at a spot called Brewlab for a fantastic lunch and another great cup of coffee, continuing to the student union, then to then to the Meadows, a massive park of lush green grass and tall trees, where we definitely spotted a game of Quiddach happening.  Sarah took me to one of her favorite bookstores, a gorgeous little spot with colorful walls and shelves (and macaroons), with many of the books on display having tiny notes affixed to them, describing and/or recommending them.  We also walked through Greyfriar's Kirkyard, a hauntingly beautiful cemetery with centuries' old gravestones and an incredible view of Edinburgh rising up around it, guarded by a statue of Greyfriar's Bobby, a tiny dog that used to live at the cemetery and has since become a town mascot.  From there we walked down Grassmarket, enjoying the view of the castle from the square and the colorful pink light of the sunset against the old stone buildings, finally making our way back home, nosing into small shops along the way.  

The University Student Union Center

I think she likes it here.

Chimneys on the University of Edinburgh campus

Greyfriar's Kirkyard

Grassmarket

While I had been mostly unaware of the Winter Olympics during my travels, I did happen to be in Scotland during most of the hockey tournament, and with a decent amount of both Americans and Canadians on hand, watching the games became a fixture over the next few days!  Although we missed the epic US-Russia game, we caught the Canada-Finland game at the student union the following day, and later in the week we ventured to a bar called the Globe for the Canada-Latvia quarterfinal and the US-Canada semifinal games, making friends with the other supporters of our respective causes in the process.

Sarah and I also used to climb together as often as possible back in Charlotte, so I was thrilled with the opportunity to accompany her and her friends Hailey and Chris to the climbing gym at the university's expansive gym.  I definitely didn't have the strength or endurance that I once had, but it was still wonderful to get back on some top-rope routes and boulder problems.  We celebrated our venture with a trip to Gourmet Burger Bar, where we stuffed ourselves silly with enormous, delicious burgers (Sarah and I both added cheese and a fried egg to each of ours) and crispy fries.

Finally back in a bouldering cave!

Of course we managed to have a few nights out as well.  We hit up the Bongo Club (66 Cowgate) for a regular Tuesday night occurrence called "I ♥ Hip Hop", where we danced the night away to both older and more recent rap and hip hop tunes, and the DJ worked his magic with a few mashups (one in particular:  Jay Z's '99 Problems' with Jimi Hendrix's 'All Along the Watchtower').  We also had a quieter ladies night at a luxurious spot called Tigerlily, where Sarah's friend Carrie mixed us up some fantastic cocktails, including something called a Traveling Cuban - a sort of mojito fancied up with Prosecco.

Out for a night of dancing at I ♥ Hip Hop

I also celebrated my five month anniversary while in Edinburgh, and Sarah and I figured there was no better way than to celebrate an anniversary in Scotland with a proper Scotch tasting.  We visited the Scotch Whisky Experience just outside the Edinburgh Castle, bypassing the tour to sit at the bar.  The place was nearly empty (it was a Wednesday afternoon, after all), so we had Kenny, our bartender from the Scottish Highlands, nearly all to ourselves.  We split a flight of four regional drams (because let's be honest, we would both be under the table if we had four glasses of Scotch all to ourselves) and an accompanying cheese platter (probably the best decision ever).  Our selections included:  Glenkichie Distiller's Edition, Glenmorangie 18 year old Extremely Rare, Macallan Ruby, and Lagavulin Distiller's Edition.  We added an extra at the end - Ardbeg Uigeadail, at Kenny's recommendation.  The cheese plate included an organic calve brie, smoked applewood cheddar, gruth dhu, and lanark blue cheese, as well as bread, crackers, and a fruit chutney.  The Glenmorangie and the Macallan Ruby were my favorites, but I did keep going back to the Lagavulin's peaty taste, "trying to decide" if I liked it or not.  I'm so glad we decided to sit down for a tasting - it's one of the few tourist activities I really wanted to do in Edinburgh, and as far as celebrations go, five Scotches for five months isn't too bad!

The Scotch Whisky Experience

Five drams for five months!

  

Barcelona's Santa Eulalia Festival: A PhotoEssay

During our long weekend in Barcelona, we happened across a festival taking place in and around the area where we were staying, specifically centered around the Plaza St. Jaume, just a few blocks off the Ramblas.  The Fiesta de Santa Eulalia is an annual event that takes place around the official Saint Eulalia's day on the 12th of February, the date of her death in the year 303.  While one of the biggest annual festivals in Barcelona, it is actually a children's celebration, as Saint Eulalia, a co-patron saint of Barcelona, only lived to be thirteen years old.

We had no idea that the festival was actually taking place or what the events would be, but our paths continuously intersected with the festival happenings.  Every bit of it was a happy surprise, an incredible cultural addition to our time in Barcelona.  What follows is a photo essay on the events that we witnessed.

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Our first glimpse of the festival was a parade marching down Ferran, one of the side streets off the Ramblas.  The sounds of drums pulled us towards the festivities, and we witnessed children and parents marching along - some of the children carrying small instruments, some dressed in costume, some with paper mache fruits attached to them!

Later, as we walked through Plaza St. Jaume en route to the Picasso Museum, we spotted a stage set up where various groups perform traditional dances until it began to grow dark.

After the dance performances, another parade of drummers - a consistent theme that we noticed - began winding their way around the streets surrounding the square.

A few hours later, we noticed the plaza was now jam-packed with people, as they watched animated short films that had been projected onto the facade of one of the buildings in the square.  All three of the films shown utilized the structure of the building, and all were incredibly entertaining, unique, and inventive.  

The following day, we found ourselves back in the Plaza St. Jaume after dark, and João happened to pick up on an announcement (in Catalan) saying something about the next portion involving fire and to participate at your own risk, so of course we wanted to stick around to see what it was all about.  

Suddenly we saw the start of the parade, emerging from the opening in one of the large buildings in the square, a stream of locals playing drums, followed by young children in costumes wielding fireworks, spinning at the ends of long poles, like giant sparklers creating an umbrella of sparks over the children carrying them, until the fireworks were spent, going out with small pops.  Each time the fireworks ran out, the child would go running back to an adult (also in costume), to be given a new firework that would then be lit anew.  

The children wore outfits that resembled miniature devils - colored jumpsuits with hoods and goggles and little horns, wearing large gloves, allowing them to run and leap and hop around under their showers of sparks without any potential for danger.  

As the procession made its way through the square, parents and children and casual observers (like ourselves) would dash out, ducking under the umbrellas of sparks, trying to keep up as the children danced around.  

Occasionally a figure would emerge - usually large dragons -carried, pulled, or worn by adults in the groups, with their own sets of fireworks, shooting dozens of sparks into the crowd before quickly burning out and advancing forward again.  

We stayed for nearly the entire parade, eyes wide with wonder and grinning like children as we watched and snapped photos and dashed in and out from under the sparks ourselves.  We finally tore ourselves away as it started raining, just catching one of the last of the giant figures - a sort of dragon-human figure with fireworks sprouting from its mouth.  

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While completely unplanned, the Santa Eulalia festival became one of our favorite activities of our entire visit to Barcelona.  The energy and the cultural pride of the people all around us was so beautiful to witness, and the events themselves were incredible and unique, both simple and surprising, altogether awe-inspiring.

More information on the Santa Eulalia festival in Barcelona can be found here.

A Long Weekend in Barcelona

While I had an opportunity to travel around Spain four years ago, the one city I hated to have missed was Barcelona.  So when the opportunity came up to spend a long weekend there with João during my time in Portugal, I definitely didn't want to pass it up.  An artist himself, João had always wanted to visit the city best known for Gaudi's incredible architecture, but had somehow never made the trip.  After running across a too-good-to-pass-up fare on RyanAir out of nearby Porto and confirming that we could stay with a friend and former bandmate of João's in the heart of the city, it was impossible to turn down.  Our visit definitely focused on some of the major tourist attractions, but we also enjoyed simply wandering and people-watching, and we were fortunate enough to happen upon an incredible festival during our stay - something I'll cover in a later post :)

Day 1

We arrived into Barcelona very early on a Friday, catching an absolutely gorgeous sunrise midway through our flight.  We easily navigated our way to Ricardo's flat, just off the Ramblas, it was an incredibly convenient point for exploring the city!  Once we had some food (and coffee!), João and I hopped the metro to Park Güell to take advantage of the clear blue skies and gorgeous weather.  We wound through the neighborhood en route, stopping at a massive monastery with beautiful architecture and climbing a tall hill to reach the park.  Park Güell was constructed between 1900 and 1914, a collaboration between Antoni Gaudi and his benefactor, Count Eusebi Güell, and was originally intended to be an upper-class housing development, but has since been converted into a municipal garden.

Entering the main section of the park, we followed a designated path to the front entrance, stopping in two small houses covered in mosaic tiles, with organic, winding spires.  We toured the small exhibit in one of the houses, then continued up the ornate staircase outside, flanked by two walls of tiles, with a small fountain in the center, which included a large lizard covered in multicolor mosaic tiles.  We continued inside the hypostyle room, a covered area with tall, twisting organic columns of white, like roots of the structure above - a small plaza, outlined with benches covered in mosaic tiles above a row of gargoyles.  We relaxed in the open space, enjoying the sun and the view over Barcelona.  

We followed the path down the other side of the pavilion, which led to a sort of open tunnel - wall on one side, columns on the other, which wound around the exterior of this section of the park until it eventually formed a winding ramp leading up to the gate where we had originally entered.  (This tunnel may also be familiar to anyone who watches America's Next Top Model, as it was used in a finale runway show a number of years ago!).  After exiting the 'pay' section of the park, we continued wandering around, past the Gaudi house, and watched a street performer create massive bubbles for children to chase.

Our next stop was La Pedrera, Gaudi's crowning achievement in architecture, constructed from 1906-1912.  Unfortunately, the entire exterior was covered in scaffolding, but we were eager to see the interior and the famous rooftop.  We made our way inside to the courtyard, framed by organic waves of walls and windows, covered in white tile with a light dusting of color - greens and purples - along the walls.  We took an elevator up to the roof where the setting sun cast an incredible light on the unique shapes of the famous chimneys… some were large, bulbous creatures with human features; others appeared to be rows of soldiers, with helmets like star troopers!!  Some were smooth, sand-colored, and others were covered in a patchwork of white tile.  A single set of 'soldiers' were covered in a mosaic of broken green glass bottles.  

We slowly explored the roof for a while before venturing to the attic, which was set up as a sort of museum to Gaudi's work.  It was fascinating to see examples of the natural inspirations he used, models of many of his projects, and even a set of chains arranged in parabolic arches that, when held upside down, depicted the structural plan for one of his buildings.  Finally, we visited the apartment space, crafted in Gaudi's unique style and furnished in art deco decor.  Even the floor tiles, echoed in the sidewalks outside, were beautifully unique, like abstract fossils set into the floor.  

Beyond exhausted from our day of travel and exploring, we couldn't bring ourselves to cook that evening.  Luckily we discovered a small bar called Guru near the end of the Ramblas, close to where we were staying, where we had two of the most incredible burgers I've tasted in a long time!  Topped with caramelized onions and cheese, and served with a pile of roasted potato wedges with spicy ketchup and garlic mayo on the side, it was exactly what we needed before collapsing.

Day 2 

The next day, we slept in and decided on a more relaxing day 'close to home'.  We wandered down the Ramblas, stopping in at La Boqueria Market, exploring the aisles of fresh fruit, cheese, fish, and other assorted food products.  We picked up a couple of salads from one of the stalls and staked out a spot to enjoy them.  From there, we planned to continue down the Ramblas, until the sounds of a small parade drew us down one of the side streets, part of the festival that I will discuss next time :).  

Winding back to the Ramblas, a small local art gallery caught our eye.  Venturing inside, we slowly checked out the various pieces on display, spending an inordinate amount of time discussing a piece by artist Javier de Cea that we disliked immediately, and wanted to purchase by the time we left the shop!

Back on the Ramblas, we decided to visit Palau Güell, another of Gaudi's masterpieces of architecture, and one of his very first works!  Admission included an audio tour, so we spent quite a long time inside exploring the incredible architecture (which was both extravagant and incredibly practical) and the ridiculous amount of wealth that was exhibited inside the home!  Starting in the basement (where the horses were kept), to the impressive entryway (Gaudi used 'bricks' made of wood on the side entry where the carriages arrived to mute the sounds of the horses' hooves), to the ornately decorated rooms, especially the large interior room containing an organ, used for musical concerts and as part of actual church services!  

The home spanned multiple stories up to an impressive spired roof, which from the inside appeared to be a dome with beautiful pinpoints of light shining through, and from the outside was a spire covered in mosaic stone, topped with an iron dragon!  The roof also contained dozens of chimneys, some in brick, others in blends of mosaic tile in Gaudi's style.  

We decided to venture back down Ferran, the same street where we had spotted the parade earlier, which turned out to be the way over to the Picasso Museum.  On the way, we stopped in at what would become our favorite spot in our favorite cafe, El Fornet - a spot to indulge in coffee and watch people walking up and down the busy road, a window to the world.  We continued on, finally reaching the Picasso Museum just as it closed!  We decided to venture back later, instead grabbing coffee in a nearby cafe and broke out the sketchbook, trying our hand at some charcoals as it grew dark outside. 

Day 3

On Sunday, we got a leisurely start and took the metro out to Parc Joan Miro, where we viewed a large, abstract, colorful statue by Miro and watched locals of various skillets rollerblade up and down the concrete pavilion where the statue was located.  We spotted a cafe stand and tables in another section of the park and enjoyed a coffee and snack while we watched dogs and their owners scamper around an adjacent dog park.  From the park, we ventured to Plaza Espanya, walking towards the Nacional d'Art de Catalunya.  The museum was a massive capitol-shaped building - long, rectangular, with a central dome - set high upon a hill, above a set of platforms with fountains, making the building appear even more grandiose from below.  After making our way up, we discovered the exhibitions were closing soon, but we were able to at least go in to see the impressive architecture of the central space and one of Miro's large works before exiting.  

We metroed back to Ricardo's neighborhood and paid a long visit to our favorite cafe before returning to visit the Picasso Museum.  As we arrived, we noticed a massive queue to get in - as it turns out, the museum is free for a few hours (between 4 and 6:30) on the first Sunday of the month, and we had hit it just at the right time!  The museum housed an incredible collection - mostly Picasso's earliest works - and we were astounded by many of the pieces.  One in particular, his very first major work, titled 'First Communion', absolutely blew us away - a master-level painting completed when he was only 15 years old.  We moved slowly through the rest of the museum, seeing studies and rough sketches, Latrec-inspired works (with brighter colors and darker subjects), pieces from the blue period, an barely-started work of pointillism that I absolutely loved, and many cubist works.  

Day 4

Our final full day in Barcelona, we slept in before heading out to see the Sagrada Família.  The weather was cold and windy and foggy, but as we stepped out of the metro, the first thing we noticed was the stunning facade and towering scaffolding of the church, standing stunned for a few moments, just taking it all in.  João had decided not to go inside, but he stood in the queue with me until I reached the entrance.  Walking through the entryway into the Sagrada Família was astounding.  Light poured in through a large stained glass window in greens and blues on the opposite end, and I caught my first glimpse of the structural columns that rose up all around, like thin tree trunks branching out to support the roof above.  

I fully entered the church, noticing the enormous alterspace to my left and the expansive knave to my right, where the tree-like columns continued, made of different types of stone - some with a purple hue, others more red, still others grey or speckled white.  Stained glass windows in dazzling colors lined the knave, reminiscent of Gaudi's broken tile mosaics in geometric patterns, occasionally forming Biblical images.  The windows in the far back, like so much of the church, sit waiting, unfinished.  

The ceiling, supported by the branching columns, held geometric leaves, white geometric levels forming grooves in the ceiling which created circular spaces, where simple Christian icons were visible.  Above the altar, a circle of lights framed a suspended crucifix.  High above, light poured in through and opening in the ceiling which had been framed in gold, with small triangular images representing the trinity, the entire thing resembling a beam of light shining down from heaven.

I explored the area behind the altar, which included small alcoves for prayer with seats, some containing religious iconography, all with brilliant stained glass windows in bright colors.  I made my way back to the center, taking time to sit and just take it all in… the cathedral makes you feel so incredibly small, and everything draws your eye upward.  

I finally made my way back outside into the cold and brutal wind to view the other facade up close - the same side that had initially struck us when we stepped out of the metro.  This one depicted the birth of Christ with very organic, detailed, lifelike forms.  A sharp contrast to the other side where I had initially entered, which depicts the death and resurrection of Christ in sharp, angular, abstract forms (where the Roman soldiers echo the 'Star Trooper' look we had seen in the chimneys on the roof of La Pedera).

I finally exited the cathedral, meeting up with João to exchange details of our past couple of hours.  We had originally thought to walk back to Ricardo's to see one last Gaudi building, but as terrible as the weather was getting (it was beginning to rain again), we simply returned to our window to the world at El Fornet, enjoying sandwiches and coffee, writing and drawing, until setting out to pick up a few things to make dinner for Ricardo to thank him for hosting.  

Later that day I made up some pesto pasta with fresh veggies and a beet-apple salad on the side, and spent the rest of the evening enjoying drinks, dinner, and conversation with João, Ricardo, and their friend Pedro.  To celebrate our last night in Spain, we did go out for one drink at a nearby pub - a shot of espresso with Bailey's that is a fairly common nighttime beverage in the area.  Drinks completed, we made our way back for the night, packed, and were set for an early wake-up and departure the next morning.  

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Our weekend in Barcelona was absolutely magical, and I'm so thankful that I had such a wonderful person to take it all in with, and that we had such a generous host to let us stay for a few days.  The city itself, the architecture, the art, the people, were so beautiful, the weekend was certainly unforgettable.