Friday
Friday.
Friday, Friday, Friday....
Possibly one of the happiest days at work :)
For starters, you get to wear free dress... and who wouldn't want to rock up in jeans?
But most importantly, we get to finish early... which means partaaay time in Barcelona!!
As soon as we're done for the day, there's no dawdling for me. I make sure I'm first in line at that Picasso Museum before hundreds of people beat me to it.
And this Friday, I've got it all planned out: I'm going to the famous "Poble Espanyol".
What's this, you ask? Well dear reader, let me explain...
Poble Espanyol is a small, historic village constructed for the 1929 World Fair. It showcases some of Spain's finest architecture, with famous bridges, statues, cottages and monasteries from cities such as Asturias, Granada, Sevilla and Malaga all rolled into one village. In fact, if you were tight on time, you could probably visit this village and feel like you had experienced all of Spain in a single day!
And so this is where I'm heading after work today.
Care to join?
Sweeet, a thumbs up from you. Got a feeling this will be awesome!
Alright, so here's the plan:
1) Take the train to Espanya Station
2) Try not to take tooooo many photos at the Montjuic Fountain.
3) Walk up the Hill to Poble Espanyol.
Happy with the plan?
Ok, let's go!!
Before long, you and I are running through the train station, fighting our way through the crowds as we surface onto Plaça de Espanya...
Oh wow.
My jaw drops to the ground.
This is incredible. This... this entire square is incredible! I hardly know where to begin.
It's filled with colourful street vendors and tourists taking photos. Standing in the centre of it all is the famous Montjuic Fountain, with water streaming from sides like delicate ribbons.
After taking a collection of photos in front of the fountain, you and I keep walking up the steep steps to the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya... a regal building overseeing all of Espanya.
And how could we not take a photo?
Eventually, you drag me away from the museum, and we keep heading up the hill to Poble Espanyol. From the outside, it doesn't appear more than a simple theme park.
As soon as we enter inside, I hold my breath...
This place is literally a dream come true for any historian! I'm standing in a big open square, filled with tiny Spanish cafes and medieval balconies decorated with flowers.
I walk into one of the chocolate cafes and load myself with as many chocolate orange truffles as I can. Some lovely little souvenirs for my family back at home, let me tell you!!!
With wide eyes, we keep wandering around the village... I feel like a child being shown around a new playhouse for the first time!! There's a small wine cellar and a fan-making workshop in "Asturias", and further up down the path, there are the colourful pots hung on the white-washed walls in "Cordoba"...
Eventually, we find a small clothing shop that sells handmade flamenco costumes, wraps and scarves. I chat a while to a lady, Sandra, who apparently makes the flamenco costumes for Tablao de Carmen. After speaking to her for a while, she helps me pick out a shimmering black scarf with crimson needlework. I'm normally not one for souvenirs, nor scarves for that matter, but this will be a beautiful thing to remember this place by.
After winding through the maze of houses and tiny workshops, we find ourselves at the hilltop Monastery. Here, they have amazing views of Barcelona... definitely an amazing place to have a picnic and watch the sun set!!
Around 8pm, the lanterns come to life, and the streets are lit by tiny, flickering flames. Around this time, a new bunch of people come bustling through the doors to see the nightly flamenco show.
Ah, this place is amazing, don't you think? I will definitely have to return with you some time to see the flamenco, hopefully very soon!
With one final look at the square, we leave through the big, wooden doors, vowing to one day return.
