Life ... as it is: Spanish Funfare -> Barcelona!

27th - 30th March 2008. 4 days, 3 nights:

Now, we have all heard about how beautiful Barcelona is, how it is dotted every 1 cm with Zara shops and how coffee tastes so much better sipping it in the quaint little coffee shops by the side walks. We have also read about its amazing paella and a whole lot about Las Ramblas, its main shopping street that holds within it the wonder of mankind's very creativity and the explosive awe that tourists display when they see the Sagrada Familia.

To unearth the magic about Barcelona, 2 medical students (who are really nosy journalists in real life) jet setted off to the Spanish city that is so highly worshiped that everyone who once upon a time studied in the UK had been to. (If you didn't then you are a loser).

Upon arrival, Student 1 and 2 immediately gave a toast to Mr. Antonio Gaudi, the architect of this picturesque town. For without Mr. Gaudi, Barcelona will look like KL.

They then set off to explore and hit well famed Sagrada Familia.

Front facade

Back facade

Side

***

Excerpt from Student 1's travel diary:

"Templo Expiatorio de la Sagrada Familia; "Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family" is its official name. Construction began in 1882 and continues til this day, scheduled to finish in 2026.

1882 to 2026!??!?!

OI. SLEEPING ISIT. HOW MANY THOUSAND YEARS YOU WANT TO BUILD?!

But I'll forgive you. Since the Spanish government does not put money into its building, the poor temple construction workers are paid by private donations and also money that is charged to the tourists that enter it. Everyone will tell you to take the lift up to its roof , even the uncle sweeping the street, because it is worth every cent of the 2 euros that they charge.

So we did just that.

Expecting to come out into a wide roof with ample space for posing and cam whoring, we came out to this small, human packed, narrow, claustrophobic 'viewing' area where photo taking is completely impossible.

What the...."

***

But ever with the nose for adventure, the 2 medical students did not falter in hope. After randomly walking into different corridors, they chanced upon the best part of the 'roof'.

The stairs down.

Spiral staircase that literally leads down down and down with no ending in sight, they braved it all the same, cam whoring along the way.

So narrow the stairs can. I fatter a bit confirm cannot fit liao.

***

Excerpt from Student's 1 Diary continued...
"I also do not understand what is the fetish regarding fruits.

Well, maybe not fruits. But see all the coloured thingy's up there? Close up:

I bet Wikipedia or Answers.com has an amazing solution to my question - like maybe Gaudi fancied fruits or something, but being the ultimate medical student who only studies from Davidson's Principles and Practice of Medicine and not from random websites, I have no idea how to work Wikipedia."

***

Looks like our 2 medical students are not very smart.

" Moving on, we came to another fantastic discovery.......

Drum Roll..........

Another staircase!!

And a spiral one too!!!"

Jumping straight to the centre guarantees instant arrival at ground floor. A broken leg comes for free.

Leaf of a page from Student 2's Travel Diary:

"With only railings on ONE SIDE, and against the wall (not in the middle which is the dangerous part), fat people are really prejudiced against in the Sagrada Familia. I suppose people in 1882 were stick thin and could slide down the railings in no time."

And so, after touching down on firm ground once more, they drew their conclusion regarding this place.

" Not bad a visit. The interior could be really nice because of Gaudi's concepts but scaffoldings and construction paraphernalia marred every corner and made it look fugly. "

Gaudi's concept of reenacting trees inside the temple.

Pfffft.

I'd recommend you to come back in 2026 when it is complete.

Rating:

3/5 stars.

Contented that they have covered every nook and cranny of Sagrada Familia, the 2 medical students consulted their map.

Student 1 from Singapore : " I saw in the book this tourist angmoh next to me holding. Very pretty pictures about this Hospital. Look, it is here!(on the map) Let's Go. "

Student 2 from Malaysia : "SURE BOH. What is it? A HOSPITAL??!?! Why do we wana go and see a hospital? -_-

Student 1 :" The pictures in the book is very nice!!!!!!!!!!!!! "
*Starts slitting his wrists.*

Student 2 then searches her inner self and decides that with deeply rooted medicinal learnings, Hospital De Sant Pau was probably worth a visit to mutter, snigger and compare it with the magnificent multi-billion dollar Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

The New Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh

Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau (Catalan for Hospital of the Holy Cross and Saint Paul)

Diary page of student 1:

"Are you sure this is a hospital??

The hospital square. AMAZING CAN?

And the different departments. All the buildings look like they'd come out from a fairytale book.

Here I am pretending to be part of the hospital.

Of course, how can one forget to look for where the Medical School is??"

So after much exploring the grounds, trying to be doctors and entering the wards (which didn't work with obvious reasons) and a lot of complaining about how RIE loses out by miles to Hospital De Sant Pau, Student 2 from Singapore decided this is where he wants to do his elective.

Student 1 from Malaysia who is in the year above has already pre booked all her elective plans to NYC and Barbados.

So much cooler.

So, their verdict for Hospital De Sant Pau :

"Being totally, like, un-un-unbiased, we think this deserves 4/5 stars. It is the so so pretty that working as a doctor here makes you feel like a movie star."

Rating:

4/5 stars

The last stop for the day is Park Güell.

Student 2: Now, this is what I call - the imagination of a child run free.

The entrance

And the famous dragon that is the icon of Park Guell

Of course, being the very informed medical students, our journalists-in-disguise remembered that in America's Next Top Model Cycle 7, both finalists, Caridee and Melrose walked the catwalk here impersonating ghost brides.