Lorena's Epiphany

Spain Travel Journal: Barcelona 04 (part three)

August 17, 2009 at 2:52 pm Leave a comment

/.The Edible Cow./

The line to “La Vaca Paca” was so long tonight, I just had to give it a try. It’s the first of its kind here in Barcelona, and the one I spotted was right on Passeig de Gracia (upscale neighborhood similar to Newbury Street).

For €10.80, you get an open buffet with a drink and dessert – very similar to most restaurants’ lunch menus. La Vaca Paca is much less organized with fewer choices. Still, it’s a very hot spot for travelers and backpackers. The place was completely crammed for dinner.

I hopped in line with tray in hand, but kept getting pushed by the wait staff loading and unloading food. They were so grumpy! On the buffet menu were plates of meat, chicken and vegetables with different sauces. What I found totally random was the selection of sushi (which I didn’t trust to eat) and pizza. Nonetheless, people we stocking up on as much food as the could.

Even with my rumbling stomach, I could hardly finish my one plate. I managed to eat 3 refills of frozen yoghurt though. That was the best part of my meal there.

/.Old and Alone./

Tonight was the first night I felt really lonely on my own. I almost started a conversation with the old man sitting next to me! I felt so sad for him as I watched him carefully slice his pizza into bite-sizes. He neatly finished his meal and served himself a scoop of frozen yoghurt. Did his wife pass away? Where were his kids now?

No man at that age should be eating on his own. Maybe he was wondering why I was sitting alone too..

/.Gracia by Night./

The Gracia neighborhood is very posh and is the part of Barcelona that reminds me most of NYC. The contrast between the north and south of Barcelona is like night and day. The south is more urban with small specialty shops and twisting alleys (with the exception of the main roads like calle pelai, calle de los corts catalans, san antonin and the ramblas). They are also more sketchy at night. Karen lives close to the Raval neighborhood, but has never really felt at danger though. Madrid is most similar to this part of Barcelona.

The north, on the other hand, is clean and modern. The streets are perfectly perpendicular and lined with international designer stores like Chanel and Gucci. It certainly has less of the Spanish character than the south. The Gaudi buildings in Gracia are a refreshing reminder of where you are – just in case you start to picture yourself on fifth avenue.

Almost every bench along passeig de Gracia tonight was filled with a couple cuddling. Guess this is the romance lane of Barcelona.

One of Gaudi’s buildings here – Casa Mila – is very trippy. The concept behind the curves represents the sea and waves. The foliage balconies represent the seaweed. I had to touch it to make sure it was real. There are shops inside it, but the curves surrounding them are intact. Gaudi has to have been on weed to create these designs. If not, then definitely on ‘shrooms.

I made my way back to the Raval neighborhood to meet up with Karen and her friends.

/.Freebie Day./

According to the Mayan calendar, July 25 is the one day of the whole year that simply.. doesn’t count! Their calendar only has 364 days and today is just extra.

This special day, referred to as “The Day Out of Time”, is celebrated around the world. It is the day to cancel debts, to pardon and forgive, and to celebrate life through art and culture.

Tonight, we celebrated it by attending a performance held by AUR. AUR is a recently launched artist community in Barcelona that hopes to connect local artists to collaborate on various art projects together. Say you have a script that needs actors, or a book that needs illustrating – you can find that talent while socializing over drinks and music.

The show tonight was being held in an abandoned grocery store on calle cera. Little had been done to update the look of the store. The product shelves were still up, holding now instead of cans and boxes, paintings and art books. The concept is very interesting.

The performance we watched starts with a robotic guy rhythmically sticking pads (feminine ones used on panties, yes) on his bald head. It was totally bizarre, and none of us really got much of it. Guess that’s the message encompassing the whole day. Next year, I would like to celebrate “The Day Out of Time” wherever I end up.

Entry filed under: Floating. Tags: architecture, artists, balconies, Barcelona, buffet, casa mila, designer stores, elders, food, gaudi, grocery store, july 25, la vaca paca, mayan calendar, Passeig de Gracia, performance, romance lane, seaweed, shopping, The Day Out of Time, Travel, trippy, urban, waves.