A trip to Barcelona to escape Spain...

After returning from Germany and laying low in Madrid for a few weeks, I traveled to Barcelona to visit my sister the second weekend of February. People say cities become ‘Americanized’ but I prefer the term ‘internationalized’ because it is not just American culture that has infiltrated Spain’s second largest city.
Arriving late Thursday night had me up early the next day seeing the sights with my sister, her friends, and my aunt, who had flown in for the weekend. The city is beautiful, located on the Mediterranean (although not beach weather whatsoever during my trip), and filled with amazing architecture. Anton Gaudi, who is guilty for the majority of the famed structures that line the streets, was truly a genius. I know squat about architecture but it does not take much to appreciate the creativity the man possessed. His most famous work, La Sagrada Familia, is still a work in progress. Construction began in the late 19th century and estimates do not envision the church complete until 2030 (though I’d be willing to bet they are undershooting with that estimate). Nonetheless, it is a magnificent structure filled with an interesting history. Sightseeing aside, my sister and her friends took me out to a club the Friday night, which left the two of us appropriately hung over for our mother and brother’s arrival the next day.
Sunday afternoon, after a weekend of tourism, Beans and I headed outside the city to try and catch an Espanyol football match; however, the cheapest tickets were 75 euro, which, for an incredibly shit team, is grossly overpriced. Hungry, we stumbled into what would turn out to be the home side’s supporter’s bar. Some drinks, tapas and the belligerent singing of the Espanyol faithful ended up being a better experience we agreed.
A very different feel than Madrid or any other city I have visited in the country, Barcelona had a very unique feel (spend two minutes reading about its history and you will understand why) and was a very nice weekend escape from Madrid.