My Chaco Tan: June 2012

Hello all! I am so behind, it's inexcusable. But, I cannot move forward with this blog until I describe one of my favorite things that we have done so far...the Fat Tire Bike Tour of Barcelona! The Monday before our first official day of class was a national Spanish holiday, so Kelli and I were desperate to go on the fun bike tour that we had heard was fabulous! The tour began in the plaza where the government buildings for both Spain and Catalonia are located. Barcelona is the heart of Catalonia, and historically, the Catalan people have wanted their own identity. Truthfully, these people would always refer to themselves as Catalan first, Spanish second. Throughout history, they have been repressed and abused, so today there is a definite determination to keep the Catalan culture alive in Barcelona. We learned so much history on our trip- those tour guides are really knowledgeable! We got to see the Gothic, old parts of Barcelona, where the Roman walls once stood, the Barcelona Cathedral, and of course, the famous Sagrada Familia designed by the Spanish architect Gaudí. The story behind the gigantic cathedral is intricate and thoughtful. Gaudí predicted that it would take 200 years until its completion! The goal is to finish the cathedral by 2026, and Kelli and I agreed that we will DEFINITELY come back to see it! There will be twelve towers total when the cathedral is finished, one for each of Jesus' twelve disciples. There are three different sections of the cathedral, one each for Jesus' life, death, and Resurrection. Each section possesses different architectural techniques and is made from different materials. The final tower will be in the center of the other towers, and it will stand around 170 meters tall, which is twice as tall as the existing towers! It will be visible all over Barcelona, and I personally cannot wait to see it! For lunch, our tour stopped at a beachside restaurant called Ona, famous for its Sangria, though Kelli and I opted for some refreshing smoothies before completing our tour. Enjoy the pictures!