Summing Up Life in a Word Cloud

Summing up Barcelona in a word cloud.

The Beautiful Art & Architecture of Barcelona

Barcelona has beautiful art and architecture - no surprise in a region so closely tied to Picasso and Dali. Here are some of our favorites:

Favorite Memories

People keep asking me what my favorite part of the trip was. And so many things were incredible, it's hard to say. But the answer I usually give them is our first night in Paris. Derek and I found a cheap twist off bottle of Bordeaux (but a white) at the store and took it down to the banks of the Seine at Pont Neuf. For the record, this concept is actually pretty popular - don't expect an empty river. But we had a great time.

The view from the river was gorgeous. Trying to capture it in pictures was challenging (aided by the cheap wine), but still.

After a few hours by the river, our night devolved into Disney songs. It's hard to capture the whole experience in words - an experience deeply colored by the person I shared it with - and I mean that in the best way possible.

But I hope this inspires people to go out and make the most of where they are and who they're with. It only took a few Euros to have an experience we'll never forget.

Americanization

I'm originally from New York, and don't get me wrong: the theme of my bat mitzvah was New York City. I am pro I heart NY shirts as much as the next person.

But I got mine in Times Square from the guys who sell 3 for $10. So imagine my surprise at finding so many sold overseas:


Barcelona in particular had a surprising amount of Americanization, some of which we captured on camera. Not pictured was the protest we stumbled into where a large number of people marched down Las Ramblas with an anti-immigrant agenda telling all the tourists to go home. Also not pictured were the numerous McDonalds, Burger Kings, and other American restaurants and companies we encountered on our travels.

Lastly, one of my favorite pieces of Americanization was the Budweiser King of Beers towel we bought on our way to the beach (kind of pictured around Derek's neck below):

At the convenience store we went to in search of a towel, our only options were Disney and Budweiser. It is amazing how American companies have permeated cultures and language barriers, from Las Ramblas all the way to a little shop in Barceloneta.

Like Vegas But Better

Sometimes the best things you find on a trip are those you overhear from those around you. While at the beach in Barcelona (more on that later), this girl from Australia recommended the fountain show at Plaza de Espanya. When we took a bus through Plaza de Espanya on our way into the city from the airport, we didn't notice any big fountains, so we were a little dubious. However, when we followed the crowd off the train and into the plaza, the scene just kept getting better and better.

The fountains at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas are renowned, but they pale in comparison to these. With the Museu National d' Art Catalunya rising up in the background on Montjuic, the scene was gorgeous. The fountains were choreographed to music, with the water continually changing color throughout. The light show in and of itself was impeccable. The water changed to colors I didn't even know were possible.

We climbed up to the Museu, sat on the steps and looked out at the whole city below. It was beautiful - an unforgettable part of an amazing Barcelona trip.

You're Never Far From Home

Every trip is also filled with small world moments. And while our trip may not have had any crazy coincidences, my favorite one was when Derek encountered a fellow Ohio State graduate and supporter in front of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. The man and his wife were part of a tour group, and, though they live in Dallas now, they used to live in Columbus.

With matching outfits several thousand miles away from home, Buckeye pride was certainly strong - especially when Derek and the man recited the cheer: "O-H-I-O."

The Most Beautiful Fountain In The World

Every trip is filled with hidden wonders, and our trip was no exception. Hot and tired while wandering through a park in Barcelona in search of the Spanish version of the Arc de Triumph (which pales in comparison to the one in Paris), we stumbled upon the most beautiful fountain in the world. Grecian and majestic, it was like being transported to another world.

We would be remiss if we didn't share its beauty with you all.

An Amsterdam Bar

We only had one night out in Amsterdam, and, after wandering around, wound up at a bar that was everything I imagined it would be. Populated primarily by locals with cracked peanuts on the floor, the bar had a beautiful large painting on the wall. Our beers were solid, but we wished we'd sprung for cocktails. The hard alcohol looked even better than the beer.

Also, a word about the food in Amsterdam: it was amazing! Perhaps this is just due to the fact that I love smoked salmon, but every menu we looked at there was extremely enticing -- well, when we could find a restaurant, that is. There appear to be far more bars than restaurants in the city!

Suggestions on where to go next time we're in Amsterdam are extremely welcome - it's a hard city to find your way around!

Next stop: Barcelona

Visiting De Bierkoning (The Beer King)

For those of you who do not know my boyfriend Derek, he is one of the biggest beer snobs I have ever met. His "beerventory" contains over 100 beers. So perhaps it's no surprise he didn't trust me when I tried to convince him to go into a beer store in Amsterdam, De Bierkoning. Advertising hundreds of different beers, I figured we couldn't fail. And despite his apprehension, of course, I was right:

We were greeted by two floors featuring beers from all over the world. Our favorite find (a.k.a. the moment when Derek believed me) was when we found three beers from Short's Brewing Company, a brewery in the middle of nowhere in Michigan, that were only released AT the brewery three years ago -- a one time event. Yet this store thousands of miles away had many of each!

For fellow beer lovers, the Short's beers were: Aorta Ale, Abnormal Genius, & Ginger in the Rye.

The incredible beer selection at this store did not stop there. The #1 beer in the world right now, as rated by Beer Advocate, is the Trappist Westvleteren 12. Beers from that monastery are extremely hard to come by - the monks only brew the beer to make enough money to run the abbey, do not ship the beer, and let visitors only buy one gift pack (of 6 beers) each. Yet De Bierkoning had a crate of Trappist Westvleteren 8! (And it sounds like they often have 12s)

It is therefore unsurprising that, despite it being the first day of a three week trip to six different countries, Derek still bought several beers to bring back to the US.