My Spanish Vacation.
On Wednesday, my parents and I got back from Barcelona, Spain, in what was one of the most unique and special vacations of my life. The entire experience was very eye-opening. During this trip, I conquered my fear of flying, went on a funicular for the first time, got a bad case of the stomach flu, ordered tapas in Spanish, and watched a flamenco dance performance right at my hotel. I came home a different person from the man I was when I left, just eleven days ago.
Before we even boarded the plane at LAX, I had already carefully researched the equipment and specifically selected the seat I was to occupy for the roughly eleven-hour journey to Zurich, Switzerland. From there, it was just a short puddle-jumper flight to Barcelona. For those of you who do not know, I used to have a fear of turbulence on planes. However, there were so many constant bumps on this flight that the fear basically broke itself. I am calling it the “hair of the dog” approach. You have no idea how enabling and empowering these flights were for me. By the time we were whizzing back to Los Angeles on one of the latest Airbus A350s, the fear was so long gone that when there eventually was some turbulence, I actually enjoyed it. It was like I was on a ride at Disneyland, without a care in the world.
Spain itself was enchanting. I loved everything about it, from its beautiful architecture, to its friendly people, to its delicious churros dipped in piping-hot chocolate. We stayed in two hotels: the first was called the Hotel Continental Palacete, which was sort of by the main thoroughfare titled La Rambla, and the second was called the Hotel Nouvel, which was situated in our favorite part of the city, named the Gothic Quarter. Walking down the streets of the Quarter was like going back in time. It is impossible to accurately describe this experience in words, which is why I have attached the picture below.
On one of our last full days in Spain, we decided to journey up to Montserrat. For those of you who do not know, the name Montserrat means “serrated mountains” in Catalan, which is one of the two languages that most Barcelona residents speak. The view from the monastery near the top of the mountain was outstanding. The environs were so peaceful and green that I envisioned, next time, staying at the local hotel simply to detox, get in touch with myself, and write to my heart’s content.
Towards the end of the trip, I contracted a nasty bit of stomach flu, which has now basically resolved. It was my first time getting this illness in a long while, so I was very unprepared for what to expect. What I did end up concluding is the following: when I look back on this special vacation in the years to come, I won’t remember feeling crappy a few of the days. Instead, I will only recall how privileged I was to be able to bond with my parents during this excursion, and how rewarding it was to be able to explore the remarkable city of Barcelona for the very first time.
A pedestrian’s perspective of the Gothic Quarter.