As I write this, I am sitting in my dark, cold room. We have no access to heat in our home-stay, other than the heat lamps that are located near the ceilings, just slightly to the right of our beds. Although they are quite necessary, it’s a bit difficult to stay warm when your heat light goes out. This is what my quaint room looks like (the heat lamp is not visible here, but located above the top shelf).
Last week was my first week of classes, all in which I believe are going to be fairly enjoyable. I would sit here and tell you about how interesting each are, but I know you don’t want to hear about Folclorisimo or each class that lasted for an hour and thirty-five minutes. With all jokes aside, I absolutely love my professors and could not be happier with the classes I have chosen (Advanced Spanish, Language, Culture and Communication: The Spanish Perspective, Mediterranean History & Heritage, Music of Spain, and an Internship Seminar). I will say, however, that my favorite class is the Language, Culture & Communication: The Spanish Perspective class, where we learn about International news and discuss how dismantled the Spanish Government is. Additionally, my least favorite class (and no, it is not the Mediterranean & History class– although I HATE history) is Music of Spain. Not only is it taught in Spanish, but a majority of it is history, which makes the material even harder to follow.
Homestay: There hasn’t been a night that our dinner has been less-than-perfect. From paella, to soup, to shrimp, pasta, salad, pork and chicken, I am in HEAVEN. If I didn’t know better, I would make the false assumption that our mom was a former chef. And now that I mention this, she would be a good contestant on Top Chef and would –without a doubt– succeed in any culinary challenge. She is just THAT good.
^ Paella.
This past weekend my friends and I made a trip to the infamous Parc Guell. I am STILL speechless. I had heard many good things about this garden complex, but never imagined the architecture to be as surreal as it was.
It has been my favorite spot yet to sight-see, and I would recommend anyone that comes to Barcelona to visit. The park is located in the Gr�cia district of Barcelona, and was built by Antonio Gaudi. And if anyone is familiar with the show, America’s Next Top Model, the final show of Episode 7 was taped here:
The park also has a windy cobblestone pathway that takes you to the highest point of the park and overlooks the city:
We also visited La Sagrada Familia, also built by Antonio Gaudi (not a surprise considering the city of Barcleona is full of architecture designed by the artistic mastermind himself). Unfortunately this structure is still under construction. La Sagrada Familia is a large Roman Catholic church, and when Gaudi passed in 1926, less than a quarter of the project was completed. It’s expected to be finished in 2026– However, according to a tour guide, the church will never be finished because the people who are in charge of the construction are making profit off of the entrance fee, and once they are finished with construction tourists will be able to enter for free (not sure if I believe this).
Internship: Last week was the first week of my internship. Apartment Barcelona has a few office locations, and the office I work in is fairly small. Everyone is nice, and the entire office speaks fluent Spanish, except another girl and I–comical, but more degrading…one day! I am in charge of the Social Media, including anything from Twitter, Pinterest, Blogging for the company’s website, FourSquare, etc. There are two other interns that work different days than I, and we are all in charge of putting together a video for the website (I will post this once it is available). The video is going to be an introduction to the city of Barcelona to attract tourists from all over. Should be exciting!
Madrid: This weekend is my friend’s birthday, so we have planned a trip to Madrid. Not exactly sure where we are going to go (possibly the royal palace which I have visited before–beautiful), and possibly some parks and monuments. We are going by bus (cheapest alternative, and will get back around 6 a.m. on Monday). I have work at 9 a.m. Monday morning, but that’s not stopping me. Oh, what we do to travel!
Until next time–Hasta Luego!
Becky
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Loading map...
I’m really jealous of your homestay cooking. It sounds amazing!
I move into my homestay on wednesday, so I hope its going to be as good as yours!
Which place did you like most that you’ve visited so far?
Best,
Jason
The food sounds amazing! That is definitely one of the biggest benefits of homestays – authentic, home-cooked meals, especially in a country like Spain with such a rich culinary tradition. Your internship sounds like it will be really exciting and great experience … plus it will help you improve your language skills. I look forward to seeing the video you help create once it is finished!