Barcelona at a glance

I felt like a freshman all over again as I arrived at the building where ALBA study abroad classes are located. The morning journey to the city center went quite smoothly, for the 8 am streets were not yet filled with bustling tourists and locals.

We had our orientation presented to us by Xavier, our ALBA program manager. His Spanish accent added to his humorous personality and he urged us to not be afraid of getting lost while walking in the streets and immerse ourselves totally in Barcelona.

"Barcelona is a gem rich in art and history."

Spain is a mixture of 4 historical kingdoms with Barcelona as its number one region for investment, Barcelona is the second most popular city, after Madrid, and is bursting with centuries of culture, religion, art, history and architecture.

We were whisked into our guided tours immediately after lunch, and our hilarious Scottish tour guide (unfortunately I did not catch his name) led us weaving through a labyrinth of narrow alleyways in the city center, We admired the decorative and organically built Palau de la Música Catalana (a.ka Musical Palace in Catalonia) where concerts and performances are frequently held.

As we stumbled into the the 2000 year-old Gothic Quarter, it was hard to wrap my mind around the fact that I was stepping on the remains of the ancient Roman city. The medieval architecture built over the roman remains were silent, sturdy and impenetrable.

The Catedral de Barcelona is the only cathedral in Barcelona because the bishop is the head of the cathedral, and there can only be one bishop in a city. Its majestic doorway is intricately carved, and the ancient gray stone walls sent off a powerful, formidable yet peaceful vibe.

We got to stroll through the gardens of the hospital where the famous Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí passed away after a tragic accident. Moreover, I got to witness the exact location where King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella I welcomed Christopher Columbus back from his expeditions and colonialism efforts. However, this wall was also used as the place for hundreds of executions during the Spanish Civil War, with the remains of bullet holes puncturing the faded stone walls as evidence of the violence.

The city hall of Barcelona sits proudly in a large open square with baroque facade on the front of the building. What was fascinating that this modern center of political power was once the Roman Forum two-thousand years ago! Even after all these decades, the fundamental purpose of this architecture remained unchanged.

Later in the evening, my two flatmates and I walked for 40 minutes all the way back to our apartment located in the Poblenou neighborhood. 40 minutes was no joke...my calves and feet were screaming in protest during the last few stretches to home.