Day 6 – Barcelona Free Day

Day 6 – by Allison Hellwig and Brandon Long

After a week filled with three amazing paper mill visits, we had a full free day in Barcelona. We stayed in a small beach town called Sitges about 40 kilometers from Barcelona. This morning we loaded the bus at 9 AM and headed to Barcelona. We split into smaller ramble groups to tour the city at our own leisure. It was an excellent way to explore the unique culture of the city. The weather was unexpectedly pleasant and conducive to lots of walking outside.

The bus dropped us all off at Plaza de Catalunya, just a short walk from the Cathedral of Barcelona. This Cathedral was built in 1298 and took 120 years to complete. The inside was extremely intricate and displayed many Catholic symbols from the Spanish culture. The church is dedicated to the co-patron saint of Barcelona, Saint Eulaila, who was sacrificed by the Romans at age 13. In memory of her, in the cloister there are 13 white geese.

After the Cathedral, we walked toward the La Sagrada Familia. Along the way we saw the Arc de Triomf and La Monumenta, an old bull fighting stadium. La Sagrada Familia is an iconic cathedral in Barcelona that has been under construction since 1882. The cathedral was designed by Antoni Gaudi but was never finished before he died. The Cathedral has come under much scrutiny and has yet to be completed. Some do not agree with the style of the Cathedral and others do not agree with how the cathedral should be finished. The cathedral is massive and built in a very modern style. Many classic gothic styles have been mimicked in the Art Nouveau style. Each year 4.5 million people visit the church making it the most visited landmark in the world.

Following the Gaudi theme, we then hiked to Park Guell, a park designed by Gaudi. The park reflects Gaudi’s style through the extensive mosaics and organic shapes. There is a great overlook of the entire city. Gaudi built several other structures in the park such as the viaduct, a pavilion and a church. We had a classic Barcelona lunch of paella before venturing back down to the city. Within the city we saw other houses designed by Gaudi that reflected his classic style.

Barcelona was a great city to visit to experience many elements of Spanish art and enriched with Spanish architecture. We are very grateful to have an experience to see a culture that is much older than our own. Barcelona was a very diverse city with a multitude of ethnicities and languages. We are also extremely grateful to have been immersed in such a unique city and will remember it for the rest of our lives.

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