Postcards from Barcelona

For the Easter break, my best friend Aiym and I planned a trip to Barcelona. Although it's already been a couple of months since then, I want to keep these memories in my blog and share some photos with you.

It was my very first trip without my toddler, and the first time we were separated for "so long!". I was anxious about it initially, but thanks to my husband taking on solo childcare responsibilities for a few days, everything went smoothly.

I was able to truly enjoy the trip, Barcelona's architecture, the food, our girly discussions about everything including politics and religion (haha!), and the warm weather. Being outside of the constant "mom" role helped me recharge and also realize how grown and independent my toddler already is, and how some distancing is beneficial from time to time for both of us.

I took a tiny Ricoh GR IV camera with me to capture the Barcelona views. Initially, I was looking for a distinct Fujifilm film simulation effect, but ended up choosing the Ricoh following the advice of my husband, who is an avid photography enthusiast. The Ricoh GR IV is smaller than its Fujifilm analogs, does not catch the eye in the crowd (as I was wary of pickpockets), and with some tweaks, it can give pretty similar results. For the film simulation effect, I used the "Reggie's Portra for Ricoh" recipe recommended by Becca Farsace in her review.

We planned in advance two landmarks to visit each full day we had: first, Casa Batlló and Palau de la Música Catalana, and second, Sagrada Família and Park Güell. For the last day, we planned to see Barceloneta Beach before our flights home.

Each of the places impressed me. Casa Batlló was so whimsical, without a single stark, straight line in its architecture, feeling like a living, breathing organism; I kept looking at the Batlló family photos on the walls depicting them surrounded by furniture, enjoying their daily lives, and imagining with envy how magical it must have felt to grow up in such a house.

At the Palau de la Música Catalana, we went to see Gran Gala Flamenco, a show that first premiered in 2004 and has been running uninterrupted since, showcasing different styles of flamenco. I was most impressed by Nacho Blanco's solo dance and the live singing accompaniment.

Sagrada Família is the most beautiful building I've ever seen in my life, and I believe I will never see anything man-made that would top that. It is a must-see for anyone at least once in a lifetime. An immersive audioguide explained the significance and genius creativity behind each detail; seeing the pure amber light through the stained glass and learning about Gaudí's tragic death moved us to tears. Regardless of the crowds, the church seems very airy and calm.

Park Güell shows how ahead of his time Gaudí was in applying an urban landscaping approach with sustainable solutions, using recycled materials, and applying avant-garde architecture techniques. Also, the park is home to many cute and funnily quarrelsome parrots.

The highlight of Barceloneta was savouring a Calabrian panini from the Compa deli shop with white wine in a paper cup, burying our feet in the sand, and soaking in the gentle, early April sunlight.

Speaking of food, on the other days, we enjoyed paella in Gràcia Platets i Bistró and tapas in Bar Anxoita, both of which I highly recommend.

Aiym and I revisit these memories quite often in our texts: even with an unexpected altercation with an older couple sitting behind us in the theatre and the logistical challenge of making it on time to the airport, these days were precious! Aiym and I grew up together; we were practically inseparable throughout our school years, and we transformed many times alongside and with the support of each other. We had not met for almost two years before the trip, and it felt surreal to finally be able to hug each other! Becoming an adult and being long distance makes me appreciate and value our friendship even more.

I hope that there are many more girls' trips like this one ahead of us.