Nightlife: OPIUM MAR

In March, I was lucky enough to see one of the top DJs perform at 

one of the leading clubs in Barcelona, Opium Mar. Located in Port Olympic right on the beach, Opium is a favorite among young adults. They simply know how to entertain. 

On top of that, it is a good crowd--a combination of both tourists and locals. Although my ticket said Afrojack came on at midnight, I knew better. By this time, I had been out enough to know that the nightlife in Barcelona does not really reach its peak until around four or five in the morning. Although I had been to Opium prior to this event, I had not seen the club go off like this. When we finally arrived around 2 AM, Afrojack was coming on stage. 

Formerly known as Nick van de Wall, Afrojack is a DJ from the Netherlands. Perhaps his best song "Take Over Control", featuring Dutch singer Eva Simons, charted in a number of countries, and tonight, it was his encore. My friends and I were lucky enough to score VIP after talking with some Swedish guys for awhile. Certainly, we had some of the best seats in the house. But I wanted to dance, and dance I did. As perhaps one of the best nights of my life, I know now that the nightlife in Barcelona surpasses even the Vegas strip. Its more than just entertainment--its the culture: the cava, the dancers, the sparkling costumes, and of course, the music. 

AFROJACK @ OPIUM 2011:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0138EAGLKs

Restaurant: La Champagneria

By far, my favorite "restaurant" in Barcelona is La Champagneria. Located in the heart of Barceloneta, La Champagneria is a small tapas bar that no matter what hour, is always packed with people--usually locals. Interestingly enough, there is no sign outside indicating what its called. However, I was lucky enough to hear about it from a friend that studied here previously, or else I am sure I would never have found it. There are no chairs to sit, but the menu is aboslutely fantastic!  My personal favorite is the "bocadillo con lomo, cebolla, y queso". In addition to your sandwich, you get three glasses of champagne on the house. 

After your third, you have to order another tapa to get more champagne. The menu includes an array of foods including: cheese, sardines, olives, sandwiches, frankfurts, among others. And although you have to stand the entire time, this tapas bar is the absolute best the I have found in the city with perhaps some of the best people I have met here in Barcelona. 

Salud!

Restaurant: Sardina

February 23, 2010

I spent the past week in Barcelona trying to focus on improving my Spanish and I definitely think I am making some headway. I have found it is much easier to speak a different language after a couple of drinks because you are less self conscious about whether or not you are saying things correctly. I asked some locals if they felt the same way when attempting to speak English and all of them agreed. I suppose after a drink or five, it just rolls off the tongue.

Although, I made progress this week in regards to language, I still find the culture barrier to be very much present. For instance, on Saturday, my friends and I went to a tapas bar in Barceloneta with a Catalan local.  He suggested we order the menu of the day—chorizo, fried fish, and a glass of wine for eight euros. The chorizo was delicious, as well as the vino, but when the fish was placed in front of us, I was immediately speculative—fried sardines, head and all. 

Normally, I am not a picky eater—not at all but this seemed extremely abnormal to me. Still, I did not want to be rude or fall into the typical American stereotypes, so I ate one. It was absolutely repulsing, but he suggested I try another. After my second or third one I was forced to call it quits, as I began feeling queasy and nauseated. Before leaving, I ordered another glass of wine to reward myself for the effort and then went for a crepe with strawberries and nutella. Now, there’s a food that crosses cultural barriers! I felt a wave of relief as I settled back into my comfort zone with my absolute favorite comfort food—chocolate. Maybe in a couple weeks those little sardines won’t seem so intimidating.

 

Restaurant/Marketplace: La Boqueria

January 26, 2011

Monday I took my first trip to La Bosqueria—the open market in the middle of La Rambla. I had been told by many people, especially the locals, how fresh the fish and produce were, and how flavorful the meat was at this particular market. It surpassed my expectations entirely. The first thing I noticed my friend and I approached the open market was its size. The selection was incredible—far better than anything I have seen in America. 

There was fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, wine, and an assortment of sweets. Although it was a little before noon, I noticed a number of people seated at the market’s bar, sipping on beer and wine while eating tapas. For lunch, I tried my first pallela dish with rice, vegetables, and a variety of sea-food. It was absolutely delicious. Afterwards, I walked around buying avocadoes, tomatoes, grapes and other fruits and vegetables. I was shocked at the price—3 euros for perhaps some of the freshest produce I have ever had. On the other hand, the meat was very expensive. 

I got thirty slices of the highest quality prosciutto for 42 euros! This got me wondering why some food seemed so cheap while others seemed so incredibly pricey. However, two days and thirty slices of prosciutto later, I did not doubt that I had gotten what I paid for. 

Nightlife in Barcelona: Sutton

Traveling to Barcelona has allowed me to discover an entirely new culture, while also observing my own culture from a very different perspective. This is especially true in regards to the nightlife the city has to offer its younger generation. My first night in Spain was a little over two months ago--January 8th to be exact. 
One of the first things I noticed was how late people go out in Spain. As opposed to America where people usually go out around seven or eight and get back around midnight, I found the majority of young people do not even hit their first bar or club until one in the morning. My first club in Barcelona was like nothing I had ever seen. We arrived at 'Sutton"--a local nightclub around two in the morning and already, the club was packed. 
We danced all night and all morning until the club closed around six. It occurred to me that few clubs in the U.S. would ever be open that late--two, maybe three in the morning at the latest. To my surprise, the night, or in this case, the morning was still young.  Some locals and I quickly headed to a nearby club called ‘Seven’ which opened at seven in the morning. The place once again was packed with locals for what the club called “Morning Sessions”. It was one of the longest and shortest nights of my life. For while it lasted more than eight hours, in a blink, it was gone. 

Still, I had met so many people that I doubt I will ever forget. All the locals seemed very open and friendly, especially when I made an effort to speak their language. While most new English, some new three, four, even five languages. They appeared much more worldly than young people in America. One guy even approached me and whispered in my ear, “Spanish, English, Italian, German, or French?” I meekly replied, “Ingles, por favor.”

Cultural Activity: Museo Picasso

Picasso established and maintained a strong relationship with Barcelona throughout his life. He lived his best years in this city including those during his apprenticeship and those as an artist. In 1960, Picasso expressed his desire for the creation of a museum with which to leave the imprint of his art. Opened in 1963, the Picasso Museum houses some of his finest works from a variety of periods; among them, Science and Charity, The Embrace, Harlequin, and his variations on Velazquez’s Las Meñinas. Furthermore, the museum reveals Picasso’s deep connection with Barcelona, from his adolescence all the way until his death in 1973.

A large painting of classical composition, Science and Charity is one of the major works from Picasso’s early years. This large, ambitious project was part of his academic studies, which were led by his father, Jose Ruiz Blasco. The painting falls into the realm of social realism with its interest in scientific progress and is structured in such a way so that all the characters are focused on the sick patient. The doctor, seen on the left, is actually Picasso’s father—representative of science. On the right, is the nun with child, symbolic of charity and religion. In 1896, Picasso received an Honorary Mention for this work, at the age of 15.

            Picasso’s strong sense of personal freedom and expressiveness led him to explore his horizons, rejecting academicism in favor of a more revolutionary style. As an artist, he focused more on fully on expressing moods and emotions through the use of color. Hence, his famous “Blue Period” and "Rose Period, of which the museum houses a number of works, including one of my personal favorites, The Embrace. 

Perhaps, his earliest and strongest influence was Velazquez, whose works were carefully studied and even copied by the young Picasso. Towards the end of his life, Picasso carried out several variations on Velazquez’s Las Meninas. In 1957, these experiments culminated in a series of 58 oil paintings, which mainly focus on the Infanta Margartia Maria, around whom the rest of the characters appear harmful and aggressive. In these paintings, Picasso re-introduces cubism. This series, which is also mixed with another sequence known as ‘La Californie’, is perhaps the clearest and best example of the artist’s personal iconography. For just as Velazquez’s sequence was a criticism on absolutism, Picasso’s series was a “eulogy of freedom and peace”. 

Cultural Activity: La Sagrada Familia

My trip to La Sagrada Familia was similar to that of La Padrera, in that both buildings evoked a sense of wonder and unity characteristic of Gaudi’s work. The depths of the building alone were incredibly intimidating and awe-inspiring. As an architectural project originally based on clear traditionalism, Gaudi employs a Gothic ground plan for the cathedral, linked by a system of naves and exterior spaces. This element coupled with the building’s undoubtedly vertical development, including eighteen pointed towers of an imposing height, hint at the complexity of Gaudi’s design. 

Although the cathedral falls within the “Modernisme” period, it is clear that Gaudi carried the Art Nouveau style far beyond its usual application. This is especially true in regards to the cathedral’s surface decoration, in which Gaudi demonstrates his accumulative sensitivity with the complex use of allegory and his excessive use of symbolism. 

Characteristic of Gaudí's naturalistic style, the sculptures located on and around the nativity facade are ornately arranged and decorated with scenes and images from nature. Each are a symbol in their own manner. For instance, the three porticos are separated by two large columns, and at the base of each lies a  tortoise or a turtle—representative of the land and the other, of the sea. Furthermore, the two chameleons on either side of the façade are symbolic of change. In addition, the nativity façade is divided into three porticos, each of which represents a theological virtue: Hope, Faith and Charity.

Gaudi’s belief that La Sagrada Familia would epitomize the entirety of his architectural career was a valid one. The cathedral itself is evidence of his capacity to ultimately surpass technical and geometrical transcendent conceptions. Although he died before the cathedral was completed, La Sagrada Familia is very much the culmination of the monumental style and the final synthesis of everything architectural. Indeed, the church shows very clearly the stages of maturation that took place during Gaudi’s life.

Cultural Activity: La Pedrera

Built between 1906 and 1910, Casa Milá, or “La Pedrera” was Gaudi’s last significant work before starting with the construction of La Sagrada Familia. Up close, 

the complex appears more like a real sculpture than an actual building with its natural stone and harmonious curved effects. It is the unusual nature of the building’s massive stone facades that led this architectural structure to be nicknamed La Padrera, or “stone quarry”. Indeed, the façade features an impressive wave-like stone with huge windows and forged iron balconies, representative of leaves or foliage. This is a prime example of Gaudi’s ability to divulge in the nature of the material, by portraying iron as soft regardless of its overt solidity. 

On the terrace, Gaudi shows himself to be a practical, yet creative artist. For instance, the chimneys placed on the roof not only heat the building, but are comprised with sculptures reminiscent of warriors. Some of them are decorated with irregular mosaics known as “trenadís” due to the use of small pieces of broken glass. Together, all these elements create a forest of figures that evoke a sense of wonder due to its variety and modernist forms.

Due to the owners´ refusal to place a sculpture of the virgin surrounded by angels, Gaudí did not finish this project. Although, the building does not display as much religious symbolism as Gaudi would have liked, it is evident that La Padrera remains very much how he envisioned it to be. That is above all, a prime reflection of nature. 

Field Trip III: Santa Maria del Mar & The Guilds

Santa Maria del Mar is a Gothic style church built near the coast of the city, with a purity and unity of style highly unusual in large medieval buildings. Made by the working class, for the working class, the church contains little adornment other than the stain glass windows which are meant to give an impression of light and spaciousness. In many ways, it symbolizes the humility of the working class. 

Surrounding Santa Maria del Mar, are the Guilds, or the spine around which all productive work was organized. Powerful and resilient, the guilds oversaw the relations between apprentice and master, often enforcing high standards of work by making sure that difficult skills were fully acquired. Considered both economic and political institutions, the guilds also had ample connections with the church. These organizations lasted over six-hundred years until abstract capital began to overwhelm family business and factory production began to dominate handwork. 

During this period, apartments often consisted of a workshop on the bottom floor, the owner on the first floor, and the skilled worker on the next floor up, and so on. Servants often lived on the top floor of the building. Hence, the small windows and narrow staircases. The lower floors (belonging to a higher class of people) tended to be much more spacious with large windows. Despite the class difference however, all those living in the building would often eat together at the same table. Moreover, doorways tended to be large in order to fit horses and carriages through them. 

Field Trip II: The Jewish Quarter

For our second field trip, our class explored the Jewish Quarter of Barcelona, often referred to as the "Call Quarter". During the 13th century, this area was the center of Jewish life. The main synagogue of Barcelona is not only the oldest in Spain but in all of Europe. The dismantling of Jewish culture in Barcelona brought about the growing decline of the city's synagogues and eventually many were forgotten. 

The Jewish temple we visited was later re-discovered after many studies and thus, steps were taken to ensure its restoration. Later excavations also revealed the remains of Roman walls underneath the synagogue floor, which are displayed below a glass surface. 

Field Trip I: Museu d'Historia de Barcelona ; Temple D'August

• La Seu Cathedral - Our group met on the steps of the La Seu Cathedral in the center of the Gothic district. The gothic cathedral began construction in the 13th century, under King Jaume II, but was not fully completed until the early 20th century. 

• Museu d’Historia – Next, we went to the history museum of Barcelona to engage in what the city was like when it was first settled here by the Romans. Known at that time as Barcino, the city’s shoreline was much higher up than it is now. Over time, however, the coast built out to what it is today. The old Roman city contained small spaces, narrow streets, and even a sewage system made up of stones in a tunnel formation. Furthermore, the buildings’ roofs were strategically designed to funnel rainwater into fountains in the center of the courtyards in order to use this water productively and to avoid flooding. The museum also displayed remnants of the old city below the glass flooring, including storage spaces for food and Roman baths for hand-washing and dying clothes.

• Temple d'August – When the Romans took over new territory, the often incorporated their gods with those of the people they conquered. Thus, they worshiped many gods. Many of which, later became saints. Built in the 1^st Century BCE, the temple features three standing columns with Corinthian capitals. Originally a pagan temple, it remains one of the best preserved Roman relics of the city. 

Gothic District: "The Heart of Barcelona"

La Seu Cathedral (Back)

Temple d'August

Roman Relics: Versace