Barcelona

We arrived in Barcelona on the AVE around 3, found our hotel, and wandered down to the beach. There's a monument to Columbus here, a statue of him on a five-story pedestal with an ornately decorated base - it's quite similar to the one in Madrid, and I believe there's one like it in New York city's Columbus circle as well - curious, how secular monuments become traditional, like the saints or buddahs.

The beach here is a classic swimming beach, long, with golden sand and a fairly steep drop-off, and packed tight with bathers in various states of display. The water is filled with copper-colored flakes, like glitter, and sparkles under the sun like confetti.

We came back up through the gothic quarter, a vestigial maze-like neighborhood of tiny alley-sized streets, dark and ancient but modernized with metal rolling doors, some painted with vivid graffiti, that shut after working hours. At night, like Madrid, the lighting lends an artificial aspect to the scene, like a movie set or stage where you get to watch and interact.

Today, on to Gaudi's masterpiece, la sagrada familia. Take care, all.
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