La Pedrera con Cervecería Catalana

FINALLY! After 3 months of begging my friends to come with me, I finally got to see La Pedrera, Another building designed by Gaudi, La Pedrera, also known as Casa Mila, has one of the most interesting and strange rooftops designs in Barcelona. The building it located down the street from my apartment on Passeig de Gracia and admission grants you access to a tour of the inside of the building as well as the beautiful rooftop. The inside of the building was meant to serve as residential housing apartments and is built around a giant courtyard in the center. My favorite part of the structure however, is the strange architecture located on the rooftop. I had seen it every day as I walked to and from school, but finally seeing the structure up close and personal was well worth the wait.  It’s definitely not your average rooftop, and it’s almost hard to explain, so here are some pictures of the rooftops unique design:

After exploring La Pedrera, we took a walk down the street to a popular tapas restaurant that was highly recommended: Cerveceria Catalana. Knowing that the restaurant does not take reservations, we tried to go at an off time to avoid any lines. However, regardless of our strategic planning, the place was still packed! After a 40 minute wait, we were finally seated and ready to eat. To start, we ordered a pitcher of delicious white sangria and two orders of Greek salad. Next, we got a round of patatas bravas and fried calamari and finished it off with their speciality dish, Huevos cabreados, my favorite dish by far! The dish is made up of small crispy-fried potatoes with a spicy red sauce and covered with fried egg whites. High definitely recommend and can’t wait to come back and try them again!

 

A Cultural Day: Sagrada Familia & Parc Guell

My weekend of culture didn’t just end in the city of Tossa Del Mar. On a beautiful sunny day back in Barcelona, I took my parents to two of the most famous Gaudi creations: La Sagrada Familia and Parc Guell.

I had been waiting for my family to be in Spain to finally visit the cathedral of Sagrada Famalia, as it is one of the most well-known architectural spots in Spain that everyone always recommends to tourists. Turns out, la Sagrada Familia is located on Carrer de Mallorca just 10 blocks down the street from my apartment – who knew! Seeing la Sagrada Familia from the outside for the first time is breathtaking. The tall, beautiful building reaches to a height of 170 meters and is way taller than any of the buildings that surround it. The inside of the cathedral is also just as amazing – rainbows of stained glass lines each window with large cubic colums lining the interior. I really enjoyed how the glass windows lit up the interior of the cathedral with beautiful, vivacious colors. Here a few pictures that capture the experience:

Next, I took my family to Parc Guell, another famous Guadi creation. I had already visted Parc Guell, but it was still just as enjoyable the second time around and a great experience to take the family there. Parc Guell is known as one of the largest architectural works in Europe and can be described as a garden complex filled with Gaudi architectural elements. Originally intended to be a housing site, the park was converted into a beautiful garden. At the top of main terrace of the park gives tourists the perfect view of all of Barcelona, extending all the way to the sea. There’s no better way to describe the beauty of the park and the sites than surround it than by showing some snapshots from my family’s visit:

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