Ciutadella vs Montjuic

After exploring the Ciutadella Park, located in the Exaimple, and the Botanical gardens, found in Montjuic, it is easy to notice the differences between the two spaces. Both of the green spaces offer a refreshing break to the city of Barcelona and provide an enjoying and relaxing environment. The Ciutadella Park incorporates the surrounding context well and allows for a smooth transition between the city and the park. Located in alignment with the Arc de Triumph and the city grid, the plan of the park is vitally important. It is obvious that the layout of the park was formed into a rigid and particular system to ensure uniformity with the rest of the city.

My visit to the Botanical Gardens of Montjuic was a completely different experience. First of all, the journey to this space was very different than the journey to the Ciutadella Park. Montjuic is an organic and natural experience with windy streets and narrow paths that lead up into the elevation changes of the mountain. While the Botanical Garden are organized into a plan, the journey throughout the space is very flexible and organic. Unlike the rigid and strict grid system of Ciutadella Park, the Botanical Gardens allow for a free flowing path throughout the greenery. Since the Botanical Gardens are located on Montjuic, the scenery from the space is incredible, providing views of the entire city from the highest point of the gardens. 

While the two spaces were completely different to each other, both areas adapt well to the surrounding context. The Ciutadella Park, located within the grid system of the city, takes on a orderly system plan. On the contrary, the Botanical Gardens are free and flexible, relating to the natural and organic experience of Montjuic. 

Southern Spain: Trip 1.0

After returning from our trip to Southern Spain, its is amazing to see the differences between various parts of the country. To me, the city that differed the most compared to Barcelona was Toledo. The city was a great experience with beautiful scenery and impressive architecture. I truly enjoy the scenic journey to the top of the mountain while walking up the old stone stairs. The small quaint city had much to offer, including churches, mountains, and even homemade swords. However, compared to Barcelona; Toledo seemed to be a city from an older time. Barcelona is a modern city that provides many sources of entertainment and constant new places to explore. While Toledo was full of gorgeous sites to see and home of the impressive Catedral de Toledo, the vibe of the overall city was quite “small town”.

It is interesting to see a city that appears to not have changed much since its older times. While searching for a place to eat lunch, it was much different than in Barcelona where we are usually overwhelmed by choices. In Toledo, it was between a few selections of smaller restaurants. Toledo did not offer any of the big commercial stores found in Barcelona but instead had a variety of smaller individual shops. WIth all of these observations made, I am not trying to provide a negative outlook on Toledo. I was simply amazed and intrigued by the drastic difference between the cities. I was stunned by the size and beauty of the Cathedral and enjoyed traveling throughout the mountain and the windy streets. I enjoyed the simplicity and history of the city and consider my time in Toledo to be a significant part of my trip.