Hot sidewalks, cold drinks. Long hair, short shorts.
Fans, frills and espadrilles.
Bold colors and clean lines.
Fluid movements and passionate pounces.
After four glorious days days in Barcelona I'm off to Mallorca, where the Spanish Royal Family spend their summer holidays and Claudia Schiffer, and an increasing number of German and English sun-seekers, come to unwind.
Beautiful Barcelona is a place I won't soon forget. Unlike Paris or London, the vibe is much more elusive but no less formidable. The city's emphasis on design is what really sets it apart. Everything is both more aesthetically pleasing and functional. In lieu of offensive steel garage doors blocking off storefronts after hours, Barca has pleasant, unassuming security gates. Collectively, the smallest details - from whimsical knot-shaped locks on public toilet stalls to split-three-ways poles in the centre of subway cars - make all the diffence.
Our hotel (OMM, right off the beautiful Paseo de Gracia, similar to Paris's Champs Elysees) was a shining example of this type of good design. Overall, it was sleek and stylish, packing a mean punch with its use of interesting materials and unexpected features.
Overlooking our room past the vine-laden balcony were large, interesting structures protruding from the grassy courtyard below. At dinner in the impressive eating area on the main floor, we realized those structures were mini skylights supplying much needed natural light to that section of the hotel. The hallways were also staggeringly different from anything I've seen back home. We were taken aback and then delighted by the pitch black hallways offset by pops of fluorescent lighting along the walls. For a second, we forgot we were in Spain as opposed to aboard Captain Picard's USS Stargazer...
My favorite feature of the hotel was its rooftop terrace and pool, complete with a sensational view of Gaudi's eccentric Casa Mila (better known as "La Pedrera"). The awe inspiring building, with its bold forms and undulating facade, is made entirely of natural stones. From our lounge chairs we were able to contemplate arguably the best part of the structure: the rooftop is made up of multiple chimneys that together resemble a sea of surrealistic sculptures.
Our last night there was spent sipping sangria and watching an exciting, passion-filled flamenco dancing spectacle at Palacio del Flamenco. I thoroughly enjoyed it and was glad to get a taste of authentic Spanish culture. The costumes were flashy and fabulous, and the feelings the performers emoted through their art was truly harrowing. As Ari eloquently put it, flamenco is like a one-of-a-kind mixture comprised of one part exorcism, one part mating ritual, and one part intimidation tactic. I absolutely loved it and am loving everything about this last leg of my trip.
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