My Christmas Coliving Experience in Barcelona with Inèdit Barcelona By Saatvik Gupta

Greetings to everyone, my name is Saatvik Gupta and I am taking this wonderful opportunity bestowed upon me by Inèdit Barcelona to share with you my   experience and to give my fellow readers a taste of what it really feels like of staying in Barcelona post lockdown part two.

So, to give you a brief idea, the government of Catalonia imposed a second wave of lockdown in the whole region of Catalonia beginning from late October which ended in the last week of November and during this time they passed a directive ordering immediate closure of all bars, restaurants, fitness and cultural centres. But all that is a thing of the past and now everything is back to normal and with the festivities just around the corner, I can pretty much assure you that Barcelona is the place to be during Christmas.

The Catalan capital has a lot in store for those who enjoy the festivities and Christmas traditions at this time of the year. Usually in the days leading up to Christmas, you will find people going out for shopping, spending time with their nearest and dearest and often going out to have a cup of coffee or two at the countless cafes in Barcelona. This is the best time of the year to visit the awe-inspiring churches of Barcelona and what better place than ‘La Sagrada Familia” itself. This architectural masterpiece built by Gaudi is a must visit place at this time of the year. Here is a picture of Sagrada Familia at night before Christmas…

The whole city has been engulfed with vibrant and lively colours and almost every road has been decorated and illuminated by several lights which makes it even more special as if you were entering into a carnival which to me is the ultimate icing on the cake. But brace yourself as this is just the beginning, the thing I enjoy the most is visiting the special Christmas markets where you are gobsmacked by the variety of sweet and colourful things the vendors have in store for you. But the thing I like the most is window-shopping outside bakeries 😂 yeah well, I am satisfied just looking at the pleasantries they have to offer but I would recommend you to try them unlike me. Here is a picture of the street near my place which is usually closed by the government officials so that people can walk a bit freely and at a socially secured distance as a consequence of COVID…

In addition to the lively and teeming Christmas markets and vibrant street decorations, this is the best time of the year for people to try the mouth-watering seasonal dishes and the local cuisines which you can easily find at almost every street.

The things I enjoy apart from the festivities at this time of the year are the beautiful sunsets the city has to offer. As I mentioned in my previous blog, the city is surrounded by numerous exquisite hiking spots and believe me when I say that there is nothing better than doing a good hike and enjoying the sunset on the weekend in Barcelona. Here is a picture of the sunset I witnessed from Montjuic on my way back from training in the week leading up to Christmas…

However, the thing I enjoy doing the most throughout the year is to train myself whether it is a strength training session in the gym or an acrobatics session on the grass, always working towards self-development one day at a time and during this festive time of the year, I feel even more determined and motivated to surpass my fitness goals knowing the damage that might come in the form of Christmas Dinner😂 but believe me, I have come a long way ever since I started this journey almost 3 years ago and I’m absolutely sure that was the best decision I made.  I’m not afraid to try new things and that is what lead me to pursue a new challenge in the form of acrobatics. Acrobatics was like the moon to me when I started and for someone who has broken his hands countless times as a kid, it takes my breath away every single time, so why do I do it, pure adrenalin and there might be a screw or two loose in my head😜 Jokes apart, I think we should try new challenges every now and then because it will ultimately help us come out of our comfort zone and that in my opinion is the place where you achieve maximum self-development and a wise man once said “An investment in self-development pays the highest dividends.”

 

Here is a picture of the time I trained near the Olympic Stadium on Muntjuic in Barcelona…

It’s been almost 18 months since I left my city to come to Barcelona and there are moments when I miss my family but there is something about this city which makes you feel happy and joyful all the time. Literally everyone I have met in this city is so kind and welcoming especially Inedit and their wonderful staff which is like a second family to me and for someone like me who has never even left his city let alone a country before coming to Barcelona, these times of the year sure do cure the heartache of not seeing my family for a very long time.

Finally the year is coming to an end and there is festive cheer all around Barcelona and everyone is enjoying from whatever liberties are on offer, getting their festive spirits high, going on their annual rounds for Christmas shopping, buying gifts for their loved ones and rightfully so, given the fact that all of us have to witness a horrific and surreal year pass us by, I think this is the least people can do to enhance their morale and spend time with their families which is the most important thing at the end of the day.

 

Until next time…