Barcelona (Wendy’s version)

Some of you may remember the adventures of the Tres Cevales from the early 90’s, a “trip of a lifetime” that I was definitely not invited on. Nearly a decade later, a much-anticipated honeymoon to Spain somehow became a weekend at Snoqualmie Falls watching the Tour de France instead. Suffice it to say that when we finally landed in Barcelona on Sunday, it was the start of a trip that was long overdue.

With only a day and a half in Barcelona, we focused in on the utmost essentials: see Gaudi and wander La Rambla. Casa Mila is more famous and more architecturally relevant, perhaps, but I found Casa Batlló more satisfying. The organic wooden shapes used throughout—on doors, windows, and banisters—had a lovely heft and warmth. And they had some art installations near the end of the tour that actually added to the experience. One was a series of chains hanging from the bottoms of the stairs that you could run your hands through and imagine wind passing through seashell chimes. The other was a “Gaudi cube” with video projected on all surfaces at once, including the floor and ceiling.