When I left for Spain, I made sure to look up almost nothing about Barcelona in an effort to make my experience a surprise. Upon first landing in the city, I immediately started noticing European influences in America. The city is comprised of and built on a grid pattern in a series of cubic segments which comprise the city in its entirety. Being in the city is much like a maze, there are skyscrapers and the city feels very compressed. That is how a city much smaller than say Houston seems much larger. The design reminds me a lot of Washington D.C. and how the layout of that city is similar. The European style of architecture being so compressed requires businesses to be smaller, with small businesses being the primary form of shopping and food in the city. The narrow streets and shops and restaurants appearing near endless wherever you go can be disorientating at first, but after learning how to recognize subtle landmarks I was quickly able to navigate the city without issues. The food was the other major thing I was looking forward to. On our first day, we explored a local market full of fresh produce, meat, and seafood. I love to cook and so immediately I began thinking about recipes I could create with the ingredients. With cafes being everywhere the coffee and baked goods far surpass most restaurants in the United States at a price that is unmatched. For less than 2 euros you can get a fresh cafe au lait and a pastry. The buildings have so much detail in each building, all of them have sculpted elements, which isn?t common in the US with most buildings being made out of concrete. I’m looking forward to learning more about parts of the city and trying more of the food to fully understand the culture.
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