so sexy right now.

barcelona is one sexy city. everything about it is stylish: the clothes, the restaurants and the architecture. i do not think i have ever seen a place where i literally want to own every item of clothing that everyone is wearing. and the shopping. oh, the shopping! (mom, stop reading here) i desperately tried to drag myself away from the boutiques, h&m, zara... particularly dangerous for a girl with no money, and more importantly, no space.

i was in barcelona for a total of four nights. it is such a cosmopolitan city, with more museums than i can count, people everywhere and incredibly unique architecture. to fully experience barcelona, you would need two weeks! apart from the day i spent in bed with food poisoning, i got a good feel for the city. dad and i learned a bit of the history with a few walking tours, explored the ruins of a roman city excavated underground, walked the 300 stairs up to the top of gaudi's sagrada familia and had a yummy dinner at a restaurant that picasso used to frequent. i felt really bad when i got sick, because dad was forced to actually entertain himself!

gaudi's architecture is unlike anything i have ever seen. at first glance, the parks and buildings seem out of place in the city. almost like a disneyland theme park in the middle of a ritzy neighbourhood. however, with a closer look, you realize that his forms are all based on nature, and the world as he saw it around him. all of a sudden, they do not look foreign or odd, but they are incredibly in tune with the land. park guell is a must see, as is la pedrera and casa batllo.

now that dad is gone, i feel an unexpected emptiness. and it wasn´t only my morning coffee waiting for my on my bedside table when i woke up! at first i thought it was that i had no one to nag, no one to remind to zip up his backpack, no one to remind to wear sunscreen, and no one to get annoyed with when he didn´t follow directions. over the ten days we spent together, we developed a comfortable routine (i will not lie, it did not involve a ton of conversation... as those of you who know my dad will attest to). but, i had someone to plan with, someone to discuss a painting with, and someone to laugh about the cruddy restaurant in casablanca with. the other day, i saw a painting in the picasso museum, and immediately had something in mind that i wanted to mention to dad, that i knew only he would appreciate. anyway, i will quickly get used to being alone again, but it will be a transition.

carolynn came through barcelona from france, and it was lovely because we got to spend a few days together. not that dad isn´t great, but he just doesn´t understand shopping the way carolynn does! care and i went to the beach, ate mouth-watering food, and experienced some of the nightlife.

all in all, a return visit to barcelona will definitely be in the cards for sometime in the future. any city this classy, stylish and sexy is high on my list. but first i will have to make a few million to afford my new wardrobe.