Walking around the endless expanse of Barcelona, you’ll find all sorts of things that you don’t expect. Sometimes it’s a new restaurant, sometimes it’s a new monument, sometimes you talk with a drunk at a bar. Today, as we were wandering through Parc de la Ciutadella, we heard something that we’ve never heard before in the city: grating screeching.
Wandering whatever that was, we investigated and found ourselves at the opposite side of the gardens, right in front of the Barcelona Zoo. Thinking it would be a small little detour on our day of finding something new and original to do, we all bought a ticket and went in.
32 entire acres of space provide home for dozens of unique species of animals, that range from the mundane stick bug to the grandiose elephant. Speaking of animals, we found the source of the sound: endless peacocks. Screeching their absolute heart out pretending to be rhinos, llamas, or hyenas and invading their enclosures. The top attraction in the zoo, in our humble opinion, were the monkeys. Oh man the monkeys. There were monkeys of all different kinds, and they all had a different personality. One gray monkey slammed into the glass while we recorded it, gorillas were fighting with each other one on one for dominance, a chimpanzee was absolutely relaxing in a hammock, even a monkey streaming yellow directly on the glass.
Of course we found some fun for ourselves other than admiring the animals. We found a playground around halfway through, and after the small children left to look at the prairie dogs, we took over; riding the zip lines, destroying a see-saw (we think) and having a member of hours take a trip on a swing.
Sometimes it’s the gems you don’t expect that give you the most delight. Randomly finding a zoo in the middle of Barcelona can really change a perspective. Seeing a real jungle in a concrete one gives a nice break to the norm, and getting to be kids again was a better break to the intensity of everyday adult chaos.
@chloebb5 POV: You went to the Barcelona Zoo to see animals and found the playground
♬ Baianá (Sped Up Version)
Authors:
George Bagwell
George Bagwell is a Sophomore journalism major with a minor in history. He is from Charleston, South Carolina and enjoys birdwatching and shagging.
Chloe Brown
Chloe Brown is a Sophomore advertising major with a minor in creative writing and art studio. She is from Atlanta, Georgia and enjoys longboarding and cross stitching.
Alley James
Alley James is a graduated Senior visual communications with a minor in art studio photography. She is from Columbia, South Carolina and enjoys petting dogs, cooking, and traveling.
Shaye Thoroughman
Shaye Thoroughman is a Junior information science major with a minor in law & society. She is from Monmouth County, New Jersey and enjoys listening to music, caring for the environment, and attempting to travel the world.
Michael Gibson
Michael Gibson is a Senior advertising major from Monmouth County, New Jersey. When not copywriting and making scripts, Michael gives his time at a volunteer fire station, where he is training to be a firefighter.