My Second Weekend

My second weekend was not quite as spectacular as the first, but I suppose I can’t expect warm, sunny weather every weekend. It showered intermittently on Saturday and rained almost constantly on Sunday, with thunder and lightening at times. I took advantage of the occasional dry periods on Saturday to visit the street market, which I did not find very spectacular, but I figured it was something I should experience. Afterward, I went to the archeology museum in town, which is small but has a permanent exhibit featuring the life of Antoni Gaudí. Gaudí – the famous Catalan architect of the late nineteenth century – might have made his mark in Barcelona, but he was born and grew up in Reus, and the city is proud to claim him, indicating the church where he was baptized and the statue depicting him in his youth as attractions for tourists. Unfortunately, the exhibits in the archeology museum were all in Catalan, so I gleaned limited information, but there was a multi-media display with an English version, and I was fascinated with what I learned. Without the electronic distractions common in the lives of youth today, Gaudí spent his youth observing nature, which would later influence his works of art. In fact, it was breathtaking to see pictures of the structures he designed juxtaposed to pictures of natural landscapes! I am not speaking of rolling hills or sandy beaches; I refer to rocky mountains, cavernous caves, sandy dunes, and gnarly trees! This is the nature that his works resemble! And to this end, Gaudí made some interesting observations that impressed me – quotes which I paraphrase here:

Man is often not observant of the natural world – for how long did flying creatures exist before man developed the airplane!

When man uses his observations of nature to invent something new, he is conspiring with the Creator.

After visiting the museum, I walked the Modernist (architectural) Trail in town. Scattered through the city streets are buildings designed by modernist architects influenced by Gaudí. These structures were generally built at the request of wealthy residents, and most remain private residences today, with shops occupying the bottom levels and the homes up above. They are striking to observe on the outside, so I’m sure the indoors are equally stunning, but tours of the insides are not available.

On Sunday, it rained almost the entire day. My outings included a run around town in the morning and mass at midday. The mass was in Saint John’s church, adjacent to the residence hall. It is quite a juxtaposition – the old stone church next to the cement skyrise. The inside of the church was as impressive as the outside, with passionate statues, vibrant stained glass, and modest pews. The mass was in Catalan, so unfortunately, I didn’t understand anything but “Amen” and “Alleluia.” I joked with Miquel, one of the field workers, the next week in Castilian Spanish how I didn’t understand anything because it was in Catalan, and he said that when he has traveled, he’s had the same experience. But luckily, Catholic masses follow the same routine everywhere in the world, so we know generally where we are in the mass based on whether we are sitting, standing, kneeling, or shaking hands.

To view more pictures of the Modernist Trail in Reus, visit my Shutterfly website, and go to the link labeled "My Second Weekend."