bustlin' Barcelona

The next stop on our Kiezel hopping tour took us to Barcelona to see Guillermo! We put our stuff at his flat and started exploring the city – so much to see!

The city is so physically attractive, just as I imagined it would be. One thing I really loved about it was the unification of a lot of the buildings. Antoni Gaudi was a Catalan architect who brought modernism to the Catalan city of Barcelona in a beautiful way. He was also skilled in ceramics, stained glass, wrought iron work and carpentry, and as he became a stronger Catholic they called him “God’s architect”. Some of his works are now UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and you can easily spot their style throughout the city.

Sagrada Familia – his most famous work. Started in 1882 and still not complete!

We were fortunate that the night we arrived was part of the Festivals de Gracia in the Gracia neighborhood. The people that live the in area get together and decorate the streets with certain themes, so the result is calles lined with art, mostly from recycled material, music, people and various entertainment, depending on the theme. It felt like walking through the scene of a play everywhere you went, was really an exceptional experience!

Euro Disney AND Euro Vegas, all in one place

Some theatrical work in the plazas and some music in the alleys

You could pay to join in on this massive paella and wine dinner party!

All the site seeing and oppressive August heat left us in need for some beach time! So crowded, but so great to be there.

Mojito!

Estraella Dam in Barcelona…que bueno!

That night had the brilliant fortune of meeting up with Cass & Nick, two lovely Aussies that I met and traveled with in South America! We met in the south of Ecuador, then again in Peru where we spent the most time together. It was really fun to sit around for some tapas and reminisce about our experiences on another continent… they both brought up how ungodly huge my backpack was (ahem, ahem) and that I was always ordering everything with aji (spicy). Loved to see their smiles again!

Park Guell - garden complex and architectural park made by Gaudi

View from the park

A great quote from Gaudi – “Everything comes from the great book of nature.”

Occupy Barcelona

Plaza de Espana

A little present for papa :)

Beautiful Barca

La Boquaria (Mercado)

And lastly, that devilish Christopher Columbus, pointing arrogantly toward Latin America.

Was such an amazing trip in Spain, made so memorable by our friends, old and new! This country and culture has appealed to me for a long time, and I really loved the time we had there. Next trip will have to be longer, but this one will surely always stay in my memories! Viva Espana!

"To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted." - Bill Bryson

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Rototom Sunsplash 2012

Castellon, Benicassium, and the Rototom Sunsplash Reggae Festival:  Left Madrid with big smiles and the satisfaction of a time well had! Almost glad we missed that bus to Vallencia, or else we never would have had the experience. Life works out. Arrived in the evening to Castellon, the town of Alberto. We hadn’t all been together since the days of our student housing, Kiezel, in Amsterdam. So good to see him again, oh my cat! The timing was perfect, as the nearby town of Benicassium was having the 19th annual Rototom, so the next morning we headed there for some beach, sunshine & reggae! Spain + beach + reggae = heaven! 
 Rototom Beach

At the festival grounds

Andrew Tosh

Andrew Tosh & Kymani Marley

Sunrise at the market

Live music at the beach each day…when it got to hot they were spraying the crowd with huge hoses. But otherwise you can just chill….. chill…… chill…..

Alberto’s camper

More festival grounds

they know their crowd

Kiezel reggae reunion

expression and creativity everywhere

loads of good food!

Steel Pulse

Amazing weekend with Alberto… I will definitely be back for another Rototom at some point in my life!

"Don't gain the World and lose your soul... wisdom is better than silver or gold." - Bob Marley

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