The past two weeks have been great. Upon returning from my holiday travels, I was greeted at the airport by one of my best friends from home, Rebecca. She unfortunately had to leave us last Friday to return to "Chi-beria," but we had a great time while she was here. On the 5th, we indulged our inner child and went into Barcelona to welcome the Three Kings for the Epiphany on the 6th. SO.MANY.CHILDREN - and I thought trying to get a good view at festivals was bad. I guess that's what you get for attending a festival that in Spain is essentially the equivalent of Christmas Eve for children in the States - on the eve of the Epiphany, children set out food and drinks for the Three Kings and their camels (how can Rudolph even compare!?) before going to sleep in anticipation for what gifts the Kings will bring them on the 6th. Why can't we have this in the US? I'm all for extending the Holiday Season; after all, it's the "Most Wonderful Time of the Year"!
Last weekend, Rebecca and I traveled to the scenic area of Montjuïc. The views of the city from here were stunning, especially looking down Plaça d'Espanya from the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC). We also realized that Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona Pavilion was in the same neighborhood ("The Barcelona Pavilion is in Barcelona!?"), so the two aspiring architects just had to pay a visit. Working our way up the hill, we came across the '92 Olympic grounds denoted by the Torre Calatrava. Admittedly this is the sunniest Olympic venue I've seen (the two I saw in Munich and Berlin were just eerie...goes to show how much of a difference the weather makes), and it was an overall gorgeous day to be out and about it Barcelona.
A visit to Barcelona would not be complete without a trip to the Bunkers del Carmel, and that's exactly where we went on Rebecca's last night in town. A trip at any time of the day to this panoramic viewpoint above the city is to-die-for. Being surrounded by friends at some of the most scenic places in Barcelona has made me realize how I have taken the beauty of this city for granted. Saying goodbye to Rebecca and others as they make their way home is making me look towards May with dread - I'm really going to miss this place when it's my turn to step on that plane. BUT, there's no better time to live than in the present, and unfortunately this project for my design charrette won't finish itself!