So what can you possibly do with a three day weekend in Spain?

BY JEREMY GASS
So what can you possibly do with a three day weekend in Spain?  Maybe you could drink coffee in the plaza and add an entry to your journal whilst posting some pictures to Facebook...Wrong! The correct answer is travel to Barcelona!

It's ridiculously easy to travel to Barcelona from Salamanca, and that is saying a lot considering I was born without a sense of direction and have absolutely no formal education in the Spanish language. But I managed.  All you have to do is take a convenient a bus ride to the airport and find your boarding gate. There are only two at the Salamanca Matacan, so going astray is unfeasible.

Once you land the signs usher you to the city center via bus, or metro if you prefer. I felt like I was being guided by an unknown force to my destination. I suppose the intuitive signs helped, but I like to think that I am an expert traveler and happen to know exactly where I need to be to get to where I'm going.
After meeting with a friend staying at the well reviewed (Equity Point Gothic) hostel, we proceeded to get lost and stumbled upon the Parc de la Ciutadella. The gilded horses and lake were immaculate, but their enduring beauty was almost trumped by a recreation a wooly "Mamut" off towards the side. Numerous photos ensued, and I was happy to see many a tourist do the same. 

As far as the overall feel of the city, Barcelona was quite a departure from Salamanca. The major difference is that the language is primarily Catalan, which is strange mixture of Spanish and French. A supermarket there is called a "Supermercat". The center is quite commercial, but that is to be expected from such a bustling "touristy" city. But it has its charms nonetheless.  I enjoyed the labyrinth of narrow medieval alleys with the sun barely peaking through the tops of the structures. The modern architecture of Gaudi is also something to behold. Definitely check out the famous Park Guell to appreciate his work along with an astounding view.

My favorite sights of Barcelona were definitely the Salvador Dali Gallery and the Picasso Museum. Just a heads up, the Picasso Museum is free for on the first Sunday of every month and I just so happened to visit that day.  I gained a new appreciation for the abilities of Picasso as I marveled at his earlier works and sketches.  Anyway, I couldn't stop laughing that the awkward scenes that Dalí depicted. The whole experience was surreal. There was a sign that said restaurant, but after opening a sturdy wooden door I found nothing in there but man scrawling nonsense behind a kiosk. He said there was no restaurant in the room. Very funny Dalí.   

However, I truly treasured making my way to the coast and touching the Mediterranean Sea. It made me pine for the California coast, but it was a worthy substitute.

Yeah, I've been to Barcelona.