Barcelona: Heat and Light
Three days in Barcelona. We said au revoir to Paris and flew south, landing in a city that greeted us with heat and light. Spain was new to us, summer still lingering while coats had already appeared in Paris. It felt like stepping from one season into another.
We settled into the neighborhood of Eixample, the street grid opened in wide angles and every corner offered a new balcony. My eyes kept rising to wrought iron and flourishes of plaster that looked like icing on a cake. We tucked into Hotel Praktik Vinoteca, a tiny room with cool air and a welcome glass of chilled cava. The bubbles danced and set the tone for our stay.
We spent our days letting the city teach us its rhythm. Morning came with the sound of cups on saucers and the lift of voices from the street. We ran as we love to do when we travel, chasing through the turns of the Gothic Quarter, self-propelled and wide awake, well mostly. At night the air turned electric. Plazas filled with neighbors, conversations weaving between tables, friends leaning into intimate details. Tapas arrived like small celebrations, each bite a story the city was proud to tell. To share it all with my parents and with Miles felt special and true. Writing it now, I want to go back. Travel stretches the heart in the best way.
♥ Barcelona Favorites ♥
Sagrada Família
You feel it before you understand it. We came up from the metro stairs and I looked straight up to find the tallest point in the sky. Concepted in 1882 and shaped by Antoni Gaudí, the basilica rises like a forest of stone and sculpted facades. Stained glass throws color across the floor and the air seems to glow. I could not begin to map its complexity, only stand in the hush and take it in.
The Gothic Quarter
Running turned the old streets into a living labyrinth. Every medieval street echoed with footsteps, voices, and atmosphere from another time. Later we brought my parents back to wander the same path, past artisans and lively restaurants, and over to the Pont del Carrer del Bisbe, the little bridge everyone photographs and for good reason.
Abanico Boutique
Every flamenco dancer keeps an essential accessory close, the hand fan. It was at the top of my list in Barcelona. We wandered into a sweet boutique on Carrer del Bisbe, shelves bright with abanicos and incredible handmade hats from Florence. Fans in wood, fabric, and lace, in every color of the rainbow. Polka dots caught my eye and I found a neatly boxed Malvi fan made in Valencia, a city whose fan making roots reach back to the seventeenth century. The shopkeeper shared the language of the fan, a quiet code carried by the wrist.
• Left hand held before the face: I am searching for knowledge.
• Let it slip over the cheek: I love you.
• Shown closed: Do you love me?
• Fanning oneself slowly: I am married.
Le Swing Vintage
Barcelona was full of vintage, yet Le Swing Vintage stopped me in my tracks. A gallery of eras, from a 1920s purse to Céline, Gucci, and Chloé, curated with limitless imagination. Bright mod prints led me to a 1970s Yves Saint Laurent coat and a wish for a second suitcase. I left with a new rhythm for the studio and a sky full of stars to reach for.
Until we meet again, adéu.
– Michelle
Photos: "¡Vamos!" by Benjamin Miles | Camera: FujiFilm X100V
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