On our last day in Barcelona, we ditched the tour bus and just walked around the city. Although the bus was helpful, there´s nothing like just exploring a place on your own. We took La Rambla all the way down to the port, which is an area Barcelona fixed up a while back. There´s a cool floating pedway that takes you from the end of La Rambla to the new port area.

We ended up walking along the seaside and back through the city all the way to Passeig d´Gracia where we saw Gaudi´s Casa Battló, another one of his modern designs. The shapes, colors and concepts were really incredible. Why are there so few of those types of buildings and why was the modernist trend so short lived? I wish they still built stuff like that. And although it´s a beautiful and extravagant structure, it truly implements some very innovative and practical elements.

Afterwards, we went to eat at Tapas 24, where the menu was entirely and solely in Catalan (luckily I had my “Spain for Dummies” book with me, which lists some menu items in Catalan), and where Adrian made up a song about my “fideos growing in a pot.”

Although we didn´t  have time in Barcelona to see the Picasso Museum, we did manage to squeeze in a visit to the Museo de l´Erotica (google it if you really want to get a taste). It was an ok museum, but nothing too great. It was, however, interesting to see how even a few hundred years back, cultures from Japanese to Indian to French, were all creating erotic art.

 

Mullets & MC Hammer pants in style in Barcelona

What is up with these really weird Barcelona fashion trends?!? First, there´s the mullet. Apparently, Barcelona youth have re-discovered the classic hairstyle that signifies “business in the front, fun in the back” and are trying to bring it back. No thank you!

And then there are these weird pants that are a mix between MC Hammer and Aladdin-style pants, with the crotch anywhere between mid-thigh to the ankle. They seem to be especially popular in jeans form.

I sure hope these trends don´t catch on!