the euromullet

as promised...the picture of me with my hypothetical euromullet.

note: THIS ISN'T FOR REAL!

barcelona's beautiful parks

after only being in barcelona for about a month, i have come to the conclusion that this city's parks are way more engaging than anything in north america. the park furniture and playgrounds are just begging for interaction. as you can see from the pictures, adults can have just as much fun as kids....(or at least architecture students can).










on a sidenote, i actually think that the reason for the difference in quality of design between north america and europe has everything to do with the way individual rights are treated. here, the architect or designer doesn't run the risk of a lawsuit if someone is injured in a space they design. therefore, things like handrails are absent and more interactive components can be put in place. (can you believe how high i am on the swing?)

la merce

who likes balls?

apparently in spain eating food in the shape of balls is as trendy as the infamous euromullets. i think i dislike both equally. yuck.

(note to self) spanish life lesson #3: just because something is deemed 'healthy and fresh' doesn't mean it tastes good.

fire + sacrificing children = the merce festival

every september barcelona celebrates la merce (pronounced mer-say). to the foreign onlooker, the traditions may seem to be more along the lines of devil worship; however, to the catalonian, la merce is a time when the city honors its patron saint. taking the form of a three-day street party, this festival also gives barcelonians a chance to welcome autumn.

the most famous events that takes place during this festival are the building of human towers. known as 'castellers,' these groups of people form towers in front of nervous onlookers in placa saint jaume. every year, some of the towers collapse; luckily this year no one was injured seriously. personally, i think they are all crazy.

(note to self) spanish life lesson #1: it is okay to sacrifice your child as long as they are wearing a helmet.

ask any tourist to name their favorite part of the festival and they will probably say 'the fire parade.' following along with the catalonian tradition of firework celebrations, this parade commences after dark along via leitana. the main attractions, known as 'correfocs', are actually citizens dressed up as devilish figures pulling all sorts of dragons and other underworld figures that spit fire and dance the beat of drumming bands.

(note to self) spanish life lesson #2: fire really does burn your skin. ouch.

wandering kites