europa 2010: barcelona, bueno...

i. have. walked. all. over. this. city.

if there´s one thing a trip to europe is sure to satisfy, that is a lot of walking... my once baby soft feet are now littered with rough skin and bruised bottoms... but it is all so worth it... yesterday and today i covered so much ground in this fair city of barcelona... to and from the beach when the clouds parted for sunshine; wandering through the picasso museum; in and out of shop after shop...

i stood in absolutely awe of the sagrada familia -- a unique building designed by the one and only spanish artist, gaudi... its gothic towers shot into the blue sky, while whimsical rounded portions were dotted with circular stained glass... those that passed by snapped photos and just plain stared... the majestic structure was something you could not just walk past -- you had to breathe it in... i sat in a park a stone´s throw away and gazed from a slight distance, writing in my journal all the while...

the picasso museum introduced me to so much i´d never known about the eclectic painter... his early years developing some of the most proportioned and precise realism portraits, his comical sketches, his eventual use of vivid colour and later penchant for cubism and geometric shapes galore... i feverishly scribbled down notes as i waltzed through the collection, as to ensure i´d never forget a thing...

wandering along la rambla is certainly a treat... rows and rows of souvenir stalls, along with food, animals for sale, artwork, fashion -- you name it... plus, dozens of street performers hoping you´ll stop and take a photo and give them a few euro for doing so... i sauntered through the area distracted at every metre... i also gave in and bought a stunning painting of a flamenco woman from a sweet older man named jose antonio ferrari...

on the beach. reading. relaxing. soaking up the sun. sand in my hair.