one thing i’ve learned about life and travel is that it’s almost essential to get lost. forget the map. please just put the map down and start wandering. wander down side streets. wander on your path in life. whether it be physically lost or even mentally lost… get lost. its ok if you have no idea where you’re going or how you are going to get there.
all that matters is you’re going.
peter came to visit me in Ireland over christmas.
we decided we wanted a little bit more sun, so on a whim we bought tickets to Barcelona and spent our holiday there. it was a miraculous and magical week spent. maybe i was biased because the love of my life was finally next to me. maybe i was biased because i had been craving the sun for months. but this place taught me so much about getting lost. our first night there, peter had an entire plan on how we were going to get from the airport to our apartment downtown. except i randomly decided to get on a random train that would take us somewhere we didn’t actually know where and we were surrounded by spanish speaking people. needless to say peter was a bit annoyed at my random, spur of the moment decision. but for some reason i was completely relaxed. i just had a feeling we’d know when to get off. we got off and wandered around for quite awhile before we finally made it to our airbnb, but my goodness did we see some beautiful things on the way! to this day he won’t tell you it was a good idea, but i secretly think it was meant to be.
for the next two days we simply wandered side streets. we were lucky enough that our apartment was right in the middle of the gothic quarter. this allowed us to wander down a labyrinth of alleyways and side streets. but it was two of our best days there. we happened upon some breathtaking architecture, some by gaudi and some not. we ate our meals in hole in the wall cafes, enjoyed 5euro bottles of wine at little wine stores, and tasted true spanish tapa cuisine at little tapa restaurants we found simply by turning a corner. it was amazing what we found when we decided to chance it. one of my favorite moments was when we were wandering the alleyways, and we heard beautiful music. it traveled through the side streets so clearly it took us a little bit to find where it was coming from. we turned a corner and all of a sudden it opened up into this beautiful square right in front of a hidden church. sitting there, amongst the pigeons, was a man playing his guitar and singing. singing some of the most genuinely lovely music i’ve heard in awhile. we sat down and lingered. enjoying the warmth of the square, the softness of his voice and the calming sounds of the pigeons relaxing. it was overall a beautiful couple of days of losing ourselves.
the next day we rented a bike and biked along the beach. here too, we didn’t use a map. we just drove. we found beautiful street art, ate fresh coconut from a local selling it by the sea, peter got drenched by sea water and loved every minute of it, and we happened upon a beautiful park actually hidden by plants and doorways. curiosity taking the best of us, as it should do time and again, we wandered inside and were actually in awe of the plant life. i bet it’s even more breathtaking in the spring when the flowers are in bloom. there were plants coming from the ceiling too! it would never have happened and never been found if we had followed a map and planned our entire day.
the next two days we rented a vespa and drove up mountains. we visited mount tibidabo (and yes i quoted friends the entire way up, peter almost left me behind a few times!), montjuic, and montserrat. we visited castles at sunset, ferris wheels, cathedrals, hidden parks and gardens, waterfalls, a bunker. every view we saw from every angle was breathtaking. we were blessed with nice weather for the most part, and enjoyed soaking up the sunshine and taking in views of the city from all angles. the sunsets were empowering and once again awoke in me the desire to become a painter.
of course we had to go to sagrada familia. we walked in and there was choral music playing in the background. there were so many people there, and yet the minute you walked in the doors it was completely silent except for the music. not to mention the breathtaking display on the outside of the building itself. but the stained glass windows were my favorite part. maybe because they were rainbows. or glass. but once again i felt a musing inside me to paint. to be a part of it. i wanted to get lost in the windows. they inspired hope. dreams. wishes. magic and miracles. everything in this cathedral had a place and a purpose. the inspiration, the determination and the artistry of it left me breathless and was incredibly humbling. its amazing to me that people put so much effort into a place to come and celebrate the god they believe in. this is what art is. putting your entire life into something so dramatic that it is impossible not to be moved if you see it. art like this makes a difference.
we spent christmas in front of a palace, watching their magic fountain show. it was complete with lights, christmas carols in all languages, and hot cocoa. it was incredible actually. there were so many people swarming the square it was hard to believe anyone in Barcelona was celebrating christmas anywhere else. for the most part, being away for christmas was a bit strange. other than the christmas market, you would have hardly known it was christmas in Barcelona. however, this evening, when everyone in the city came together to cram into the square to witness this magical evening… it felt like christmas. it reminded me how often people come together to not only celebrate tragedies, but to celebrate joy and love. we cuddled up on the steps and simply took in the magic that was Barcelona at christmas time. we then finished the night in our favorite little tapa restaurant, actually another hole in the wall cafe. their tapas were truly decadent and their wine was inexpensive but had amazing quality taste. by the time we left a few days later, they knew us by name 🙂
overall, it was an amazing week. not only did i have the love of my life by my side, but we got lost. we lingered. we enjoyed. we savored. we held hands and enjoyed the simple things in life. we allowed the world to stop whilst it was moving so quickly.
they say travel makes you a better person. i’ve been away for quite a few months and i would definitely have to say so. learning about another culture. another people. seeing how people live. survive. the things they treasure. the things they don’t. it’s been such an enriching experience to realize you are not the only person on this earth with desires. despair. hope. or love. we are all inherently the same, while also incredibly different. it’s humbling. and inspiring.
especially the tapas. i would have to say these cultures know how to do food much better than we americans. take your time to eat dinner. peter and i spent hours on dinner over tapas, wine and conversation.
the next time you go to dinner with your loved one, order only appetizers. sit and eat them. slowly. linger over them and enjoy the different palettes that enlighten your senses.
enjoy life
and dont be afraid to get lost
A Spoonful of Sugar 
Leave a comment