My first full week in Barcelona was filled with fun, food, and learning. I had the opportunity to participate in many group excursions and also do some individual exploration. As a group, we visited the FC Barcelona Museum, Casa Mila, Montserrat, and the Freixenet facility. It was a special experience visiting Camp Nou and reading about the history of FC Barcelona. Ever since Argentina?s world cup run in 2014, I have become fascinated with soccer and my favorite player Lionel Messi. Messi is widely regarded as the best player in the world and has played for Barcelona for as long as I can remember. Before visiting the stadium, I had a pretty good idea of the last decade of Barcelona?s history, but I didn?t know much at all about anything before that time period. Reading about the rich history of this famous soccer team opened my eyes to so much more than the past ten years. This visit encouraged me to do even more research about the history of Barcelona throughout this past week.
Visiting Casa Mila was memorable because it gave me a perspective on nature that I have not had before. Gaudi?s inspiration for the design of the house was truly fascinating. The electronic tour guide repeated a quote that will stick with me for a long time: ?Nothing is invented for it has been written in nature first.? Gaudi?s perspective on God?s creation is very telling about the man he was and makes his work that much more interesting. My favorite piece of art in the house was the reflection of the chains representing what the house looks like from an aerial view. The intricate thought and detail Gaudi put into his work portray his patience and attention to the smallest details. He is a man that everyone can learn one or two things from.
Outside of our group excursions, a couple of my friends and I got the opportunity to play a round of golf at a beautiful golf course outside of town. Our taxi ride to the course was a great experience because it forced us to get outside of our comfort zone and try to communicate with our driver in Spanish. Also, when we got to the golf course we were forced to practice Spanish as we tried to communicate with the starter (the person who lets you start your round of golf). Continuing to participate in activities outside of a group setting has been a great learning experience because of the fact that it makes me practice my Spanish speaking ability.
I?ve learned that Barcelona is a city that takes much pride in the fact that its residents are Catalonian and are serious about obtaining independence. The conflict between the Spanish Government and Catalonia is a serious issue that has seriously impacted the region over the past decade. The conflict has intensified over the past five years especially when Catalonian leaders were arrested. This conflict is an ongoing issue and the end seems out of sight. The people here are extremely passionate about the issue. One night at dinner, I exchanged comments with our waiter about Spain losing in the European Championship semi-finals. I made a joke and said ?Viva Espana?, and his response was ?Viva Catalonia.? I thought his remark was a great portrayal of the passion the residents of Barcelona have towards independence.