Barcelona, Spain – October 2019
This past October, over Columbus Day weekend, I visited the lively city of Barcelona, Spain. I say lively, because we were forced to stay an extra week because of protests going on right outside our apartment. For most of this trip, we went to rehearsals at the opera house, and ate dinner at some fabulous restaurants. The protests began on Sunday, two days after we arrived, in small amounts. People would yell in the streets and hold up signs. As the days went by, the protests became more dangerous and disruptive. People were throwing smoke bombs, eggs, flour, large metal objects, etc. at the police, which made things very tense. The big day, the general strike was set for Friday. When the day arrived, millions of people arrived from all over Spain to protest and strike against the Spanish government. The protests were massive, covering most of downtown Barcelona. Although we had to spend a few extra days, this experience was truly special, as we got to witness a country coming together over a common cause. Even though things got violent on occasion, things were not terrible, and my mom and I were not in immediate danger. If you ever have a chance to visit Barcelona, be sure to check the news first, and pack some extra clothing so you won’t be buying more!
Redhead En Route 