Eclectic, Eccentric, Euphoric... Barcelona

Spooky, fantastical Sagrada Familia light production to kick off Mercè Festival

        As we climbed the stairs out of the metro en route to our hostel, we encountered a long, snaking line of tourists that wrapped around the whole block. After walking, watching and wondering for a few moments, we finally asked someone, "Porqué hay una fila?" to which an excited Spaniard announced, "La Sagrada Familia, tios!" We had surfaced into the realm of Barcelona, straight from the train station, right next to the most iconic monolith of the city, if not the entire region of Catalonia. The eerie spires of the masterpiece of the late, great architect Antoni Gaudí towered over us as we rounded the next corner.  

The gegants (giants) of La Mercè Festival

        Little did we know at the time that we had stumbled into Barcelona during the annual La Mercè Festival. This weekend-long party near the end of each September began in 1871 as Catalonia's celebration of the Roman Catholic feast day of Our Lady of Mercy (patron saint of Barcelona). Each night, a spectacular light display on the side of La Sagrada Familia kicks off the festivities. Then every plaza in the city is alight with live music and performances, ranging from African drumming to The Beatles tribute bands. Everyone seems to participate in some way, whether through acrobatics, theater, poetry, or some other kind of artistic expression.

Street vendor capturing young imaginations

Biggest bubble!

All done with spray paint sans brushes, in about 15 minutes flat

Fresh squeezed juices in a market

Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona: yarn bombing and panorama

Gaudí's famous Parc Güell

"Occupy and Resist"

        On another note: This city is so young! Just walk a few blocks and it will seem like the entire place is run by 20-30 somethings (as evidenced by this article on 2008 demographics). So many travelers we met had turned in their nomadic lifestyle for roots in Barcelona. The lure and energy of this city is palpable!

Next stop: Ibiza. Interestingly enough, a plane with Ryan Air is cheaper than a ferry. Who'da thunk it?
        I have tried and, so far, failed at finding any conclusive or reliable information on what form of transportation is more "green." As stated above, our reason for eventually going with a plane was the price. The flight was full, so that's one more-passengers-fewer-trips point for Ryan Air, but I know residents of the region take full advantage of the ferries that criss-cross the Balearic Sea (they get a pretty good discount).
        In terms of planes, ours was a relatively small passenger aircraft (the flight only took about an hour). But in terms of ferries, the Balearia boats are quite large. So which uses more fuel? Which is the Earth-friendliest option, in this case or generally? Thoughts?