It has been a while since the last Workation Diary. But there happened a bit. That is why I was not able to write this blog earlier. I am sorry 🙂
To give an overview: I had a lot of work to do since I started a new project, have a semi intensive, but for me a very high intensive Spanish language course and was in Istanbul for a week. I had also the chance to do more sideseeing in Barcelona. The highlight of the past weeks was the Tibidabo church.
Tibidabo Church and Mountain
Let’s start with a bit of profiling: Tibidabo is a 512-meter-high mountain in Barcelona, Spain, known for both its scenic beauty and cultural attractions. As the highest point of the Serra de Collserola, it offers breathtaking views of the city of Barcelona and the surrounding coastline.
One of the main attractions on Tibidabo is the Parc d’Atraccions Tibidabo, a historic amusement park that opened in 1901, making it one of the oldest parks still in operation in the world. The park offers a variety of attractions, including carousels, roller coasters and the famous Ferris wheel, which also offers spectacular views of the city.
Next to the amusement park is the impressive Basilica del Sagrat Cor, built between 1902 and 1961. This neo-Gothic church is known for its stunning architecture and the large statue of Jesus that sits atop the tower. The basilica is both a place of worship and a tourist destination appreciated for its panoramic views and religious artwork. The church an dthe statue can be seen from the whole city.
The Basilica is built in the neo-Gothic style, a popular architectural trend in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Europe. The church consists of two parts: the lower crypt and the upper nave. The crypt, an elongated space with various chapels, was completed between 1903 and 1911. The upper nave, a large cruciform structure, was built between 1915 and 1951 and is crowned by a dome.
The Basilica of Sagrat Cor is rich in sculptures and religious works of art, which can be found both in the interior and on the exterior facade. Particularly noteworthy is the bronze statue of Jesus Christ, 7.5 meters high, which stands on the top of the dome of the church. It was designed by sculptor Josep Miret Llopart and shows Jesus with open arms blessing the city of Barcelona.
The basilica can be toured, with visitors able to explore both the crypt and the upper nave. In addition, there is an elevator that takes visitors up to an observation deck near the statue of Jesus, where they can enjoy an impressive panoramic view of Barcelona and the surrounding countryside.
The Boring Side of the Workation: Work, Work, Work
Not because the work is actually boring (in fact it isn’t), but it consumes the major time of the day. After a long working day you usually do not know what to do with the remaining hours. Sure, you can go out for a drink, take a walk at the beach or just walk through Barri Gotico’s streets and lanes. But even this gets boring after a while. On top of that, now where the tourist season begins, Barcelona is fully crowded and it does not much fun to be there.
One thing what makes me really sad is that I was not able to test the Co-Working spaces here. I have tried some cafés and concept stores/places for remote work. But was unfortunately not able to test the many Co-Working spots here. Now, where I have only three weeks left in Barcelona, it simply does not make much sense to subscribe and daily tickets are too expensive.
The reason for that is simple: I had very low work load in March and April so I hesitated.
Spanish Language Course
If you plan to stay anywhere for longer time where you do not know the language then you should definetely visit a language course. This has benefits from multiple points of view: first of all, you learn a new language. This does not only expands your horizon, lets you communicate with other people, but also delays your cognitive aging. Studies have shown that learning a new language can delay the onset of age-related cognitive impairments, such as dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. The brain remains healthy and efficient longer when it is regularly challenged with new information, such as a new language.Apart of that, you get to know new people. Each of them have their own reasons why they sit in the same class as you do. You will make new friends this way very quick and easy.
The Highlight of the past weeks: Being a Week in Istanbul
If you did not know, than you will now: my origins are from Turkey 🙂 For a privat reason, which I do not want to outline in detail here, I was in Istanbul for a week. The country has an great potential with it’s amazing culture, nature, the people, food and the biggest metropole of the globe – Istanbul. Unfortunately, the crisis of the past years has changed Turkey a lot. But still, whenever I come the first time to the Bosphorous, I fall in love.
Apart of that, it was a different experience to pick up the luggage from the “Barcelona” spot and not Frankfurt as usual 🙂 Further, flying back to Barcelona instead of Frankfurt was also different.
Conclusion
My days here in Barcelona come slowly to an end. I have still 3 weeks left and will visit Madrid before I go back to Germany. If the situation allows it, I would like to visit one or the other place. You should therefore still check this blog in the upcoming weeks. I promise, it will be more exciting than the past 🙂