One of the most spiritual things you can do when you travel is walk. I love to visit a church, and monasteries are beautiful, but the simplest connection – the feeling of being with everyone in the midst of the usual? That’s my favorite. And I’ve found that it’s easiest to discover when you’re out and about.
If you’re someone who travels to feed your soul, read on! These are some of my favorite moments of connection from walking around Barcelona.
The Streets Call You at First
I’ve always enjoyed active vacations. Hiking, swimming, tours, you name it – if it involved moving the body, I was going.
But Barcelona is a beach town. Something about the way the Mediterranean lazily laps the shore makes you want to take every day slowly. The seagulls are never in a rush, the weather is always nice, and even the people include a nap time in their business hours.
The streets beckon you, gentle and convincing. So you walk.
The Feeling of a Busy Day
My street was quietly busy. Spanish buildings are all connected together, with businesses on the ground floor tucked in between restaurants, bakeries, and more. Apartments take up the space above. Everything is everywhere in a beautiful chaos, not like in the States where we’re used to shopping centers.
So when you’re running errands, you pass every other person who’s out and about.
I would walk to the grocery store, passing the little Japanese restaurant that I could see from our balcony. It was one of my favorite places to go when there wasn’t food at home.
While I walked, the kids were headed to school. Shop owners would come out with buckets full of soapy water and wash the cobblestone in front of the doors. The whole street would smell of lemon, little bubbles escaping on the wind.
Everyone would be at work by nine. The culture doesn’t do hustle though, so by 10, everyone was back on the street getting coffee.
You couldn’t help but sense how in sync the street was. We were all doing completely different things; different levels of urgency, different purposes, and yet… There was harmony.
After a while I decided to just always be out there. Walking was more fun than watching TV. It got to the point that even when I’d walk for hours, I wouldn’t think about how my feet were sore because the beauty was so mesmerizing.
Regular days.
Gracia
Gracia was one of the nearby neighborhoods. It’s gorgeous, filled with old, classically decorated buildings, orange trees and families. I’d usually be there in the afternoon when the kids were flowing out of school from their secret doorways.
That just-got-out-of-class (or off work) energy would be in the air. Even though I always had homework waiting at home, the laughter would infect me and suddenly I would feel like I had just turned in the last assignment of the semester. Freedom.
My favorite movie theater was up there, 45 minutes from my apartment. It was the perfect scenic route. People would be out eating a little meal, so peaceful and relaxed. I’d wonder what they were thinking as I went on my way.
That particular walk made it easier to finish school. Blissful days enjoying quiet Barcelona alleys just helps you remember why you’re there.
Starbucks
There would be times where I needed my dose of home. New cultures are such a blessing to experience, but it doesn’t erase your love for home. So if I needed to hear an American accent, I’d walk to the Starbucks around the corner.
It’s really our third space when we’re abroad.
There would always be a group of tourists or brand new study abroad students chatting, along with all the people who just love talking to Americans.
I’d walk in and the feeling of home would greet me: iced coffee, big portions, and loud laughter.
Realizing we all think the same would be enough to ease my heart.
The funny part was that for those of us who’d been in Spain a while, none of us wanted our European friends to catch us doing something so red white and blue. We’d look around just a bit, not too obvious, hoping no one we knew was walking by. A guilty pleasure shared among us.
It’s one of those lighthearted moments that gives you new gratitude for home.
And you don’t even need to order.
In the end…
I felt more connection with the Spanish people while walking than sightseeing. Visiting all the monuments is a lot of fun, but being present during the everyday stuff adds that extra special feeling. Some loves you can only experience when you join the crowd.
When in Rome, you know?
Thanks for reading! Tell me what city you’d like to walk through in the comments.
Next, read about the beautiful things you realize when you travel.
I love you!
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