Barcelona

Museums

The Textiles Museum

            “The Dressing the Body” exhibition explored how garments have been used to accentuate different body parts over the centuries.  The exhibition incorporated garments dating back to the 1700s.  It is amazing to see how women’s clothing has changed over the years, and the museum has a very impressive set up that allows visitors to easily see the transformation.  The collection included Charles Fredrick Worth gowns, these pieces are rewarding and exciting to see. 

                                                      Charles Fredrick Worth Dress

The Chocolate Museum

            The chocolate museum is a fun destination to explore the history of chocolate and see interesting chocolate art.  Chocolate entered Europe through the port in Barcelona.  The museum showcases fabulous creations made by many artists.  Chocolate has been used to make historic buildings such as the Sagrada Familia and entertainment pieces such as the house featured in Up.  The trip to this museum can be inspiring and discovering how anything can be made out of chocolate is interesting to see.  

 

The Up House in Chocolate

 

Sagrada Familia in Chocolate 

Picasso Museum

            The Picasso Museum incorporated many of Picassos famous paintings as well as sketches he made as a boy, and work from different periods of his life.  It is amazing to see art work that was constructed when Picasso was a young boy.  When he was 13 years old he had outdone his teachers and more experienced painters.  Picasso was able to create movement in his paintings and really capture his subject.  As he got older, his artwork changed.  His abstract stage is very colorful and bizarre.  Seeing this museum can be very insightful and is a great way to see this famous painter’s work.

The Mango Factory

            Mango’s headquarters is located in Barcelona.  The design center is huge, and it is amazing to see the different components needed for operation.  By touring the factory, one can see different designers working and that the sewing rooms are intense.  Mango hires models for their design center that represents each size, and all of the clothes, shoes, accessories are tried on before they are sent off for mass production.  The environment is very artsy, a tactic used by the owner to encourage creativity.  The company is very team oriented, and seems to be a great company to work for. 

Retail Locations

Outlets

            There are outlets near the Mango Design Center.  These outlets are set up in a Spanish style setting and offer a variety of labels.  Some of the brands offered include: Burberry, Ralph Lauren, Nike, and Levi.  The variety is not great but the discount prices attract many shoppers and tourists.   

Shopping Centers 

            Barcelona also has an old arena that has been transformed into a shopping center.  This was an interesting place to shop because of the circular traffic flow.  The stores within the mall include apparel shops, cosmetics, entertainment, etc.  The major department store in Barcelona is El Corte Inglés.  This department store offers everything from groceries, to electronics, to clothes and home ware.  The brands range from affordable to designer, and the store does not separate the two.  The store also has a smaller store which only sells affordable women’s wear.  It is interesting to see how the Spanish have set up these stores.  El Corte Inglés is a one stop shopping experience and very popular with the people and tourists. 

Shopping Arena

 

Las Ramblas

            Las Ramblas is a major street located in Barcelona.  This street houses street vendors, souvenir shops, florists, a fabulous food market and much much more.  Taking a stroll down this street will give tourists a sense of the culture.  At the end of the street, one can find the Port of Barcelona and the Mediterranean Sea.  It is a beautiful scene with sailboats surrounding the docks.  On the weekends one can find antique venders by the sea. 

Mediterranean Sea

 

Churches

The Sagrada Familia

            The Sagrada Familia constructed by Guadi is a remarkable church located in Barcelona.  The architecture is brilliant and is still under construction.  The church’s architecture is beautiful and deviates from the typical structure of a church.  Comparing the Sagrada Familia to the gothic style churches mostly seen from this time period is astonishing.  Guadi broke past tradition and created a magnificent place for worship.

Inside the Sagrada Familia

Conclusion

            The People of Barcelona break past tradition and express their personality in an individualistic and colorful way.  Convention and normality is ignored and is illustrated by the architecture and the art that exists here.  The city is one of color, and the color combinations deviate from what is expected; color is incorporated into every surrounding.  The fusion of colors gives a distinct look and represents identification.