Tourism & Christmas Spirit in BCN

For Spain's long weekend in early December, I felt like going somewhere to get me in the Christmas spirit. At home, it is always snowing by December. I miss the snow! Originally I thought of going to the famed Christmas markets of Germany or Strasbourg. But when I saw the price tag, I knew a cheap, short plane ride to Barcelona would suffice. 😁 I was surprised to find the Catalan capital on a list of best European Christmas markets. I had already been to Barcelona a few times when I was studying abroad, but since I had gone to meet up with a penpal, I didn't necessarily see all the tourist destinations. This time around my guiri (tourist) needs were fulfilled, as well as my desire for Christmas joy.

La Sagrada Familia

In the blue-green forest

On my last visit to BCN, I just observed it from outside and went into a small chapel that's free. My memories of that chapel (meh) have nothing to do with the real deal. The outside of the basilica is just as elaborate as the inside, so it was worth spending the time checking it out. Once inside, the most outstanding characteristic is the stained glass. Not the artwork itself, but the light that pours in, dying the walls reds, yellows, greens, and blues. The pillars succeed at looking like a forest. And the ceiling was such a draw that there was a mirror in the center facing upwards so visitors could get a good look without straining. The basilica is beautiful and unique, for sure. But with all they hype, I wasn't blown away. Maybe I should have splurged and paid the full 22€ for an audio guide. I'm sure there are a lot of details I didn't pick up on that would've made the experience even better.


Casa Milà (La Pedrera)
Continuing the Gaudí architecture tour of Barcelona was a private home he designed. In contrast to the Sagrada Familia, having the audio guide made it my favorite tour. It wasn't just a run-of-the-mill guide. Its sensors could tell where you were, and it would talk to you accordingly. It even had background music! For example, going up in the elevator to the rooftop it played intense music to get you pumped. And thanks to the audio guide, I focused on details I might not have picked up on. The repeated theme was nature, which could be found in the waves of design; the attic that was seemingly held up by a whale's backbone; the door patterned like a monarch butterfly; and the forest-like patio.

La Pedrera's Rooftop

The tour lets you see the first-floor patio, rooftop, attic, and the floor where the original homeowners lived, as it was. The building used to belong to the Milà family at the beginning of the 20th century. They rented out the other floors. Apparently there was drama because the wealthy neighbors of Passeig de Gràcia thought Gaudì had created a modern monstrosity. Now all the naysayers of yore have been proven wrong since La Pedrera is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Christmas Market-Fira de Santa Lucía

Christmas market--mistletoe in hand!

Barcelona's major Christmas market is the Fira de Santa Lucía, in the plaza of the Cathedral of Barcelona. The stands can be divided into 3 categories: plants, Nativity scenes, and miscellaneous gifts. The plant stands all sold holly, mistletoe, pines, and Caga Tiós. (Caga Tió, by the way, is one of two ¨crappy¨ Catalan Christmas traditions. It's a log with a face that children hit while singing a song so that it will crap them a present. At the market there was a giant Caga Tió and the kids took turns hitting it. ¨Shit me a gift!¨ Now there's a tradition that could go global!) The tiny Caga Tió's were cute, but I opted for a bunch of mistletoe. My first real mistletoe! I asked the vendor if they had the tradition of kissing underneath it. He said no, the Romans used it to bring luck to anyone who entered the house. Any other traditions were an invention. (I enforced our mistletoe kissing tradition at home regardless.)

Shit us a gift, Tió!

The Nativity scene stands had what you might expect...holy families, shepherds, wise men...as well as caganers. The caganer is the second ¨crappy¨ Catalan Christmas tradition. It's a little figurine hidden in all nativity scenes of a man taking a crap. Normally he was dressed in Catalan traditional garb. But nowadays, they have entire stands dedicated to curious caganers: every celebrity under the sun (athletes, politicians, musicians) plus tv show/videogame characters (Spongebob, Spiderman). You name it, there's probably a figurine of it crapping. I picked a few up as gifts, just for laughs.

Santa María del Mar
Known as the Catedral del Mar, this basilica was built by the people, for the people in the 14th century. The novel revolving around it -- La Catedral del Mar, recommended reading-- is what drew me to visit. I wouldn't say I liked it more than the Sagrada Familia. But visiting it at night with the candles lit (and getting in for free!) gave it a very different vibe. Grandiose.

Flying solo
It's unanimous: travelling alone is an experience everyone should have. Luckily I'm still at an age where I can stay at a hostel and feel comfortable socializing with my peers (when I'm in my 40s, maybe not so much). I really enjoy being able to do what I want, when I want. Also having no pressure if I get lost (and no one to blame but myself if I do). Of course the benefit of staying at a hostel is that you can easily make plans with other travellers in the same boat. Cultural visits alone are no problem for me, despite my inability to take a decent selfie. But eating a sit-down meal alone doesn't feel right. To take care of that, one night I had dinner in the hostel with fellow travellers, and another night I went out with my roommates. I didn't mind, however, having lunch by myself in a cheap, cramped bar that seemed authentic enough. It gave me time to journal.