Barcelona Harbor and the Power of Spontaneity

By Sara Herrmann, August 2010

There are times, especially in the depths of winter, when I go for weeks without seeing Lake Erie. But one of the beauties of living in Westfield is that you know, at a moment’s notice, you can be there.

This “moment’s notice” comes often for me and my husband. Barcelona Harbor is a comfortable walk and a quick drive from our village home. We can’t see the lake from our backyard, but we’ve become very adept at reading the cues, the unmistakable blush of the sun through the leaves, that marks a great sunset. As we sit on our back porch and watch the sun descend and the shadows lengthen, we have been known on many occasions to drop everything, and hop in the car to catch the sunset.

Part of the charm of Barcelona is that it is both distinctive and generic at the same time – it has a genuine feel all its own, but when you walk the beach and look out over the expanse of Lake Erie, you could be anywhere in the world. Friends of our brought their young daughters to Barcelona a few years back and the daughters thought for sure they were in Florida, and I can understand their confusion.

And as beautiful as Barcelona is in the summer months, it is equally beautiful in the winter. The ice that encases the break wall and the spray that shoots in the air from the crashing waves is breathtaking. The pier has a serene, almost haunted feel that has a comfort all its own. The power of the lake is humbling.

Regardless of the season, Barcelona is a special place well worth a spontaneous visit any time.