We began our day on the 16th with a guided tour through the Barcelona Modernism Museum. The museum was great and it was focused on furniture pieces and art that takes up space. We learned that this was due to the need for everyday items and furniture to be intricate and detailed. They also had an amazing assortment of stained glass and statues. Although the museum was small, it was fun walking around and taking in all of the work. It was cool seeing how art transformed lighting and other fixtures while still carrying the identities of modernism.
Later in the day we went to Castellers de Barcelona to see and learn about casteller people stacking! We started by watching a video about the historical context of castellers. The most interesting thing that I learned was how it symbolized the catalonian identity of lifting each other up, with the strongest on the bottom, to the small children that climb to the top of the tower. We then went outside to see some in person. Some of these were 4 to 5 people high! They reached a lot higher than I thought they would, and I was shocked to see how fast they create a tower. It only took them about 3 minutes to full create a 5 level casteller! I would have joined in but it looked very daunting, and I had no idea how the small children climb up so fast without fear or hesitation! If I were to have joined I would definitely stay towards the bottom of the tower, with the people who support the base. I couldn’t imagine climbing up or holding that much weight on my shoulders!