I just love Barcelona. “This may very well be my seventh visit in town”, I proudly proclaim in front of my AirBnB host Xavi; Xavi who for hanging up his washing takes me up on his rooftop terrace with magnificent views over the city of Gaudí. Amazing. “I never knew you could be this close to Sagrada Familia …” – “… and wall to wall with the Barcelona Picasso Museum!” Now Xavi is laughing too, and we both take a moment to watch the pastel-coloured sky above us. Happiness fills me, much as the vibe of Barcelona reaches me once more. Coming to Barcelona really feels like coming home these days.
I have arrived. Literally. Barcelona is THE European city for creative travel, what with BarcelonaCreativa.Info catering to all types of creative activities for travellers in the city of Gaudí.
From watching the Human “Castellers” to cooking, dancing and learning more about Barcelona fashion: Many are the opportunities for us “temporary citizens” to become involved with the local Barcelona artists & craftspeople. The city literally breathes creativity at every turn, even – or especially – concerning food, as my recent #foodlover trip with Devour Barcelona Food Tours has shown.
Arriving to the sunset magic of beautiful Barcelona city, with La Sagrada Familia as an ever-prominent building site on the horizon …
… we take to the bars almost immediately, “devouring Barcelona” and its many delightful tapas on offer.!
The beautiful Barcelona Born District welcomes us to lots more comfy bars, art & creativity on display.
Besides all the (creative) #foodlover explorations, I am here to make my very own mosaic in the style of Gaudí. Watch out for what you can do in a matter of just one afternoon!
Angelika Heinbach, who originally hails from Germany, has succeeded in making a “mosaic name” for herself that reaches all the way to … Gaudí’s famous Casa Batlló. Thanks to her inventive company & team, Mosaiccos Barcelona, she has crafted a larger-than-life size dragon mosaic on the occasion of Sant Jordi Festival there earlier this year, involving hundreds of people in a collaborative mosaic effort. As my friend Marc and I make our way to her creative mosaic workshop in the heart of the Barcelona Born district, we are again greeted by a larger-than-life size replica of a sea horse out on the street. “This must be it”, I am thinking, smiling. “Grüß Dich, liebe Angelika …!” One of Angelika’s many virtues is that you can address here in just about any language, including of course our shared mother tongue German. But then of course, creativity itself has a language of its own: Off we go looking for inspiration around her pretty little shop, full of colourful mosaic creations.
Finding Angelika Heinbach’s Mosaiccos in the heart of downtown Barcelona is easy, really …
… including the fact that her shop is a creative art space at the same time, where inspiration to create on your own is never far.
Angelika’s team is just finishing off some Gaudí mosaic creations that pervious workshop participants have made.
After a little thinking, I find myself inspired to turn my own business logo, a New Zealand paua shell carving, into a mosaic work of art. We start by drawing it on the wooden board used to create the mosaic.
The creative workspace …
… is always animated by Angelika’s smile and her many resourceful demonstrations.!
My dear friend Marc is making a logo of his own, l’Alberg Costa Brava …
… and after only a few hours, whose passing I haven’t even realised, my colourful mosaic made up of beautiful turquoise glass stones, is finished!
Real pride shines from within: Marc showing off his finished creation.
“Now, do you want to go and visit Gaudí’s famous Sagrada Familia? You have to, you know! Let me help you in organising tickets for you …!”
Angelika, Marc and I have really become friends during this one creative afternoon together. Not only has Angelika shared her life story and that of Mosaiccos Barcelona with us: The stages of our workshop have also prompted me to run over all my conclusions I have written in “The Creative Traveler’s Handbook“, a book about creative travel I have just finished writing. I am overcome with happiness. And now, Angelika has just finished making a reservation for visiting Gaudí’s famous Sagrada Familia for us.
Sometimes in life, when everything is in the flow, when everything is “just right”, all you have to do is follow its course. Everything else will just show itself. So it has been this time, on our creative #foodlover #artlover visit to the city of Barcelona.
Looking up the world-famous towers of “La Sagrada Familia” in Barcelona leaves us spellbound …
… as much as watching the beautiful, elaborate yet at the same time incredibly simplistic interior church decorations.
The coloured glass windows are easily my favourite in the whole of Sagrada Familia …
… as are the light-flooded, interior spaces of Gaudí’s masterpiece in general.
The following morning, Marc and I say goodbye to our friend Angelika, complete mosaic creations in hand, ever so proud and happy for this creative #foodlover #artlover visit of Barcelona !
Check out even more creative photography of my visit to Barcelona here:
Disclaimer: We have been invited by Angelika Hainbach & the team of Mosaiccos to join this creative mosaic workshop in the city of Barcelona. All opinions are my own.