First Few Days in Barcelona

Hola!

My name is Ashley McGrath, and I am completing an internship in Barcelona, Spain in Summer 2022 through Barcelona SAE!  I am also receiving one credit through the Barcelona School for International Studies (SIS). My home university is the University of Kentucky, where I am studying Agricultural Biomedical Technology on the pre-med path.

These pictures show some of the amazing things that I have seen only having been in Barcelona for a few days! There is the Casa Batlló, a home redesigned in 1904 by Antoni Gaudí, the famous Catalan architect. Its exterior is obviously very beautiful and unique with its protruding balconies and array of colorful tiles. I did not even plan to see the building that day – I just so happened to stumble upon it when exiting the metro station. I have not been inside of the house yet, or on the roof, but that is a goal of mine before my internship ends! My biggest interest in Casa Batlló are the statues on top of the roof. A fun fact I heard about these statues is that they inspired George Lucas when designing the Storm Troopers’ helmets in Star Wars! That is something that I definitely need to see for myself.

 I have also included photos of Gaudí’s Park Güell. This park was assigned to Antoni Gaudí by Eusebi Güell, the former owner of the land and home on the property. The area includes many architectural wonders as well as beautiful flower gardens. I would describe the homes and buildings on the property as looking like gingerbread houses. They are covered in brown tile with hints of dotted color around the windows. The roofs are lighter, making it look like fallen snow! Looking back at the photos I took, you can see the many references to Christianity. The crosses on top of multiple buildings tower over everything else in sight. I did not get to enter the homes or buildings in the park yet, but I will go back as soon as possible to do so! I know that by the way they look on the outside, they are sure to impress when visiting their interior. Peeking through the windows of the buildings, I could only see the bright blue interior walls with narrow winding staircases.

This is only the beginning of my trip; I know the city of Barcelona will continue to amaze me with wonderful pieces of art!