Rad Barcelona

It's funny how people (myself included) talk about how cheap and easy traveling around Europe is, because nobody mentions the practicalities involved in travel and typically tend to synthesize the idea to a $30 Ryanair flight that takes only two hours to cross a few countries.

Well, what's left out is that Ryanair flies primarily into very remote airports to which travel time and cost quickly compound and that cheap flight's original appeal is drastically altered.

Nevertheless, a vacation (from our vacation-like life) was much needed, so Brock and I spent his birthday taking the metro at 5:30am from La Madeleine to Porte Maillot to catch the hour bus ride to Beauvais airport, flew 90 minutes to Barcelona's Girona airport, bused another hour into the city, took a metro a few stops to our hotel, and finally began our vacation at 1:00 in the afternoon with a couple of empanadillas and a cat nap.

Barcelona was refreshing! The moment we stepped off the bus we took off our coats to enjoy the warm air and sea breeze.

Although there is no need to compare the two, I couldn't help but consider the many contrasts between Barcelona and Paris because Brock and I are still trying to figure out where we might drift to next and Barcelona is on the short list. While walking around I wanted to try to come up with a few words that would summarize my feelings about the two cities. To me, Barcelona is alternative, bohemian, colorful, and rad while Paris is classy, sophisticated, and dreamy.

I also narrowed down some of my observations in order to make comparisons between these two unique and fabulous cities.

DOGS

Paris is a high fashion city, and while dogs aren't as common in Paris as in most places, those one might see are typicically as fashionable as their owners. Parisians love their small designer dogs. I see almost nothing but Yorkies, Bichans, Cavelier King Charles, and Maltipoos, all tiny and perfect looking straight-from-the-groomer pups. The only exceptions seem to be my mutt Majerle and the inbred dogs that keep the homeless people warm.

But in Barcelona, Majerle would have fit in perfectly. The vast majority of dogs I saw looked like they had some German Shepherd in their blood. I saw a few little Yorkies, but most dogs were clearly happy medium-sized mixed breeds cruising around beautiful Barcelona. I have to imagine that the dog owners are more concerned with adopting healthy rescue dogs in Barcelona than purchasing expensive (albeit adorable) fashion accessories like the Parisians.

ARCHITECTURE

The buildings of Paris are very uniform. They are elaborate and wonderful, but they tend to look pretty similar, thereby creating the quintessential Parisian charm. In Barcelona there is more chaos and color. I took too many pictures of random buildings in an attempt to capture the Barcelonian look, but I'm not sure it exists.

In Paris, balconies are not very common. The buildings that have patios rarely allot sufficient room to hold more than a chair or two, let alone a small table. Some parts of town have far more patios than others, but in most cases the miniature balcony is purely decorative and may house only a couple of herb pots. I wish they were more common because who would not want to sit outside on a terrace all day with a cafe au lait watching the lovely scenery below on any Parisian street?

Barcelona was filled with balconies. A building void of rows of balconies was a rarity. And people made great use of their balconies, either for people-watching or allowing their laundry to be freshened with the cool sea air. The laundry added to the color and character of the streets, but the balconies themselves made the buildings look inviting and alluring.

BREAD

I hate to offend the French, proud of their perfect flour that can only be found in the soil of this country, but the bread was far superior in Barcelona to anything I have had in France, ever. The bread was denser, moister, and more flavorful and substantial.

The other night, I heard my neighbors at midnight seeing off their company in the elevator situated between our apartments, so I popped out to say hello, and ask to use their printer for our boarding passes. My neighbors are a fascinating and well-traveled couple, so we always enjoy chatting with them. In hospitable French custom, they invited us in for a glass of wine and a lesson on the complexity of Bordeaux wine which stems from the boredom of the French palate when it comes to simple wines. As the conversation drifted to Paris food markets, Brock asked where in the neighborhood we might find the best baguettes, as we have tried many places. They informed us, malheureusement, that most boulangeries no longer make their own bread daily, but have it brought in from factories outside of Paris. This explains why so many breads we have tried tasted the same, and it makes me feel less critical for saying that Spanish bread is better. Perhaps the Spanish have yet to outsource their daily bread.

FOOD

French food is simple, hearty, and tasty. The French believe in letting the food speak for itself, perhaps with minor accompaniments such as sauces or mustard, but for the most part, the French meal consists of a high quality piece of rare meat seared on both sides, served with organic vegetables and potatoes, some local French cheese, and red wine.

In Spain, we found the food exotic and exciting with surprising tastes added to simple food staples. We feasted on tapas all day and night, finding that the dishes varied drastically from one place to another. We tried a few different types of meatballs, patatas bravas, Spanish tortillas, empanadillas, sangrias, and all sorts of cheeses and breads with tomato. Everything we tried had new and pleasurable flavors and spices. I love French food, but I must admit I would rather have Spanish tapas any day!

FASHION

In Paris, Brock and I tend to feel pretty underdressed. Parisians dress well and they dress similarly. They wear a lot of black: black coats, tights, knee-high boots, skirts... believe me, when I wear brown or even gray, I stand out in the crowd. Parisians do not throw on some comfy sweats and a college sweatshirt to go to the grocery store; they nearly never leave their apartments without looking like they are on their way to a cocktail party. They look beautiful, just not always comfortable. In Barcelona there was no obvious style. People were wearing every style of clothes imaginable. People looked more comfortable and unique. I did not feel underdressed or inappropriately dressed ever (under-tattooed perhaps!). I think living near a beach contributes to people's freer attitudes towards attire.

$$

I also quickly noticed that Barcelona is significantly cheaper than Paris. We couldn't believe the kinds of meals we were getting for a few Euros. Everything in Paris is very expensive. Barcelona also feels a bit seedy at times, whereas Paris feels very safe, even at 3:30 in the morning when I have to take Majerle out for a bathroom break, wearing my PJs. I suppose this feeling of security comes at a price.

ENFIN

Leaving Barcelona was alright, because leaving meant going back to life in Paris and because I know we will be back. We may even live there for a few months down the road. And it only took a few minutes upon arrival in Paris to remember that it doesn't matter what we loved about Barcelona, we love this city too.