love in Barcelona

if there ever was a right way, and time, to use that phrase, now would be as good an occasion as any. A breath of fresh air. Barcelona was that for me, it felt that way. I had been traveling alone for the past 6 days through Italy, after a week in the Netherlands where I had had the comfort of family interleaved between my travel time. I explored the city during the day, only to come back home to familiarity. But Italy was different, significantly.

when I had planned (exaggeration) this trip a couple of months ago, I had to choose between a week in Italy, or an escapade through eastern Europe, covering the major towns of Prague, Budapest, and Vienna. I wanted to do something unconventional, a little off the ordinary, a tad bit local. I imagined pacing my way through the streets of Napoli and Florence on a Vespa, the Italian equivalent of our beloved Activa, and that was it. The choice was made. 

I stepped out of the airport on a Saturday morning, to find myself in a damp, crowded environment. The signs, information boards, and people were foreign. Or rather I was foreign, everything else, Italian. I got onto a bus that would take me home; hostel actually. Home would also become a blurry concept, as I would soon discover. It became evident on that ride that this was not a conventional tourist place, or at least not something I'd immediately give-in to, on a solo-venture. I perhaps can't point to one big thing, or a even a lot of small things, but the thought of being alone suddenly sunk in. 

I reached the hostel, physically in one piece. But mentally, my imagination was fragmented in different directions. The beauty (or the lack of it?) of this journey was that I had no plans, or even a broader sense of what I was going to do on each day. I made conversation with the receptionist, which was heaven in hindsight. Each word that you get to speak to someone other than yourself on journeys like these is a blessing. She drew out the map and pointed me, and the mind, to things that I should cover during my stay in the city that had just won the Seria A, the national football league, for the first time since the age of Maradona. A celebratory mood, and it rubbed off on me.

Maradona murals, everywhere

streets decorated, to celebrate

It was raining, as it had been for the past week through Europe, through the cities I stepped foot on. I eventually became comfortable in my own shoes that day, for that day. Night passed, and I was in a 2h train journey to Sorrento, the coast of Italy. It was these silences, these transitionary periods where I was not walking, or seeing something new, that were the hardest. True, the train took me through the fields of Italy, but sitting stationary, idly, made me weak in the knees. The train eventually stopped, and I moved. The sun shone bright and high, another form of heaven, a blessing glaring right at me, and I smiled. I signed up with a touring group outside the platform, and was paired with four friends celebrating their 50th birthday. We drove up to Positano, and Amalfi, the pride of the Italian sea, and they filled my silences with anecdotes from their past, and I had heard, and spoken words, just about enough, to keep me sane through another day.

sunshine, the reason, for that bright smile

it was my birthday the following day, and after stumbling upon a beautiful place that was an amalgamation of a cafe, an old Roman bookstore, and a pub, at midnight, I decide to make my way to Rome in the morning. I could not spend another day in Napoli, not because the city didn't have more to offer, but rather because mentally I felt the need to keep moving. I was unable to walk through the same streets, and just be. Rome was not built in a day, and therefore had so much to offer. First I had a hearty birthday meal at Saravanaa Bhavan (the real reason I came to Rome, of course). I wanted to see the Colosseum, and after I did, I made myself comfortable on one of the 7 hills surrounding the city, and I tried to take it all in. I was missing a friend, a companion, but in that moment, when I had turned 26, I took pride in undertaking this journey, alone. Happy Birthday to me, I sang, and the mountains echoed.

birthday eve, Napoli

The next three days were similar — hard, with shades of beautiful. Hard. Mornings were the most intriguing in a lot of ways. I almost inadvertently ended up in a train; to Florence on the first day, to Cinque Terre on the next, and back to Florence on the third. You're right in wondering why I moved around this much, but traveling alone to a place that was decided on a whim two months ago, came with it's own unique challenges. I realized I was not in the mood to explore more of history, and to add to that, Florence didn't come with the billing of a big city. It was in these trains where I checked flights to Manchester (to watch my beloved play), back to the States, and even to India. Where would I feel the most at home, I wondered? The will to go on alone, through the TransItalia network was the lowest during these hours. Perhaps I should have made more calls and spoken to people, but the mind worked in mysterious ways, and I only asked questions, and more. I had tickets to Barcelona, and Spain, for the final leg of this trip, but I was seriously considering canceling that and heading back. Where? I didn't know. I made one call though, and the voice on the other end suggested that I give Barcelona a chance, a fair one. I perhaps had nothing to lose, and I'm glad I didn't, because I was in Barcelona on Thursday night, after 6 days in Italy. A breath of fresh air.

The original plan, that was made two months ago, was to spend three nights in Barcelona, two in Seville, and two in Malaga. If the experience of the last six days had taught me anything, it was that none of this was certain. Where I would be the next morning was the only thing that mattered. And that Thursday night, in Barcelona, I knew for sure that I would be in the same city the next morning. I immediately felt a connection. The time was 10PM, the streets were wide, cyclists and skateboarders whizzed past me, and I overheard pedestrians. It felt familiar, it felt like home. I was home. 

I woke up relaxed the next morning, there was no urgency, no fear of the unknown. I found myself in the city's old historical center, as part of a free walking tour. That was the first time I saw one of the local coffee shops. It was tiny enough to contain and hear everyone's voice, and large enough to seat ten people. I fell in love, and made a mental note to come here before I left the city, if I ever did. This was a complete U-Turn. Until the previous day, I was looking for ways to cancel this trip, and find a way home, and fortune have it, I had found home, here in Barcelona. I knew I could spend the next week here. I took out the phone (new one), and extended my stay from three to six nights.

Placa Reial, Barcelona

The walking tour helped me get a background story for this new abode I had taken, after which I treated myself to an afternoon siesta. In the evening, I strolled through La Rambla, Barcelona's most famous street, before finding time to join the fellow travelers at my hostel for a Sangria night. The hostel, a home, had taken it upon themselves to break the ice, and make us meet. I spoke, I heard, we spoke, we heard, as friendships were formed, and troubles were long forgotten. It was no longer hard, it was finally a vacation. 

Acquaintances I had heard of, from a friend of mine, were traveling through Barcelona on that weekend. At this point, a stranger was a blessing in disguise, but running into an acquaintance was a feast. There was an instant familiarity brought by the Hindi language, coupled with a Punjabi overtone, as I made progress from Grazie, to Gracias, and finally to our beloved Shukriya. 

me, at Camp Nou, watching FCB play boring football

I would wake up late and find a way to a cafe adorned with locals, as them, and me, we all stuffed ourselves to a heavy brunch. This was followed by a recovery nap, and another walking tour on one of the days. I rented a bicycle on another. Plans were still being made last minute. But I would not call them plans. It was a feeling I was following. I didn't want to cover everything, but just what felt right, in the moment. I was okay just sitting in a place, and being. I no longer needed to keep moving, to keep walking. Still, there were days I walked around aimlessly, happily.

..and just like that it was 430PM on my last evening in Barcelona. I had a booking for a Flamenco show at 7, that night. I had just bought chocolates for friends and family, and didn't feel like going back to the hostel just yet. I looked on the phone, and found a beautiful cafe, similar to the one I had visited on my birthday eve, back in Napoli, Italy. A facade of a bookstore, and a quaint interior that sold drinks, coffee and juices, alike. It was a complete vibe check. I entered, ordered a strawberry-banana juice after finally landing my hands on an all-English menu among the Spanish ones. The layout was rectangular, with tables lined up horizontally and vertically along the floor, as people worked, and read, and spoke. There was a door that led to the balcony, where the Sun shined brightly from the sky above. 

I didn't immediately go and sit outside, I was not sure if it was part of the same cafe. A server arrived with my drink, and then he went outside to serve someone else. That's when I knew, I could be seated elsewhere, where I wanted to; outside, in the Sun. I took the all-English menu, the drink that I had been served, and the bag of chocolates, and made my way onto the balcony. There were a couple of women seated to my right, I could see from the side of my eyes, and moreover they were conversing in English. I overheard something about a childhood Biology memory, but my attention was quickly diverted to the other people there. Groups of two, four, and even one, all comfortable, including me. 

I ordered another drink, a lemonade, as I stared aimlessly into the sky, thinking almost nothing for a while. There was a moment when I went through my Instagram, to the days when I was younger, and somehow, somewhere I seeked some validation. Traveling alone, and being single, had robbed me of that layer of affection. It was 625PM now and I got up to leave. It was in that moment, that the two woman near me also got up, or so I felt. I went to the reception, and paid my dues. I was about to leave, when I heard Disculpe, excuse me, in Spanish, as I learned later. I was handed a piece of paper that read,  Feel free to text me, and was adorned by a phone number along with smiling emoji. It was one of the two women, who was seated by my side. It took me a minute to register what had happened, but when it did, I couldn't be happier. Sorry Flamenco show, not seeing you today.

I waited for them downstairs, and they did finally arrive, after what seemed like an eternity. I'm really flattered, but it's my last night in Barcelona, I told her. But I'd love to have a meal today if that's okay? We met at an Italian restaurant an hour later, a place she had chosen, as a local. We sat and spoke of our stories, and journeys, as time seemed to pause, as would have also been the case with a Flamenco show, who knows? 

She took me to the Montjuic Castle, her favorite place in the city. I was keen to know what she saw and felt before passing me that piece of paper.

You walked in and sat there. You had your drink, not one, but two. You seemed interesting, you seemed all relaxed. I liked that..

The trip began with me questioning the whole nature of traveling alone, and being alone, and if I had it in me to complete the last leg of the journey. But there I was, sitting alone in a cafe, of my liking, comfortable, relaxed. It was for everyone to see, and more importantly, for me to see, and feel. 

And as I looked down upon the city, from up the Montjuic Castle, I sang to me, and the mountains echoed..

view from Montjuic Castle

Thank you. Thank you for reaching and reading this far, it really means a lot. If you liked this, you might also like to read through the rest of my work, my life. I would also appreciate if you could share this with your friends and family. Lastly, please let me know if you have any feedback, would love to hear from you :)