Our first full day in Barcelona the weather was beautiful. I walked around with my coat on which was a mistake even though most of the locals had on parkas. Being that it was Sunday the majority of businesses were closed. We took the metro to the area where Las Ramblas is but we need to eat first. We found a restaurant called. La Mamasita. I had a hamburger with grinned up goat cheese on top and some kind of ketchup sauce on the side and really skinny ‘Chips’ it was delicious. Lunch takes a few hours in Spain. Then we went to a very touristy place called Las Ramblas. It is filled with real people posing at statues to make money, kiosk, gift shops are filled with bartering and at the end is a statue of Christopher Columbus.
In the picture below the man wouldn’t let me take a picture unless I gave him some Euros. He wanted me to go up beside him so the “floating head” could give me a kiss and at the same time provide entertainment for the gathered audience.It was really awkward when I
went up beside because I had no clue what was going on and then Allison gladly went up for the sake of a picture.From the end of Las Ramblas the beach was only 5 minutes away! So naturally we walked along the Mediterranean Sea which is beautiful. People made sand sculptures to earn money as well.
On the way back to Colin’s, he and Chris need to get food to ‘take away’ or to-go since they were going to a Barcelona football game. They chose McDonald’s with McBeers, I’m happy to say I have no idea what it taste like. Sam, Allison and I chose to get more substantial food. When we got back to Colin’s one of his house mates took us to Starbucks (only coffee place open at 8PM on Sunday) and then we went to another restaurant. It was almost 9PM when we got to La Botiga and were the only people in there for about 20 minutes before locals came in. We ate out twice since we couldn’t go to a super market. I had a delicious risotto type dish with a homemade dinner roll and we shared a pitcher of sangria.
NOTE: Water doesn’t seem to be free anywhere in Spain. At restaurants you can purchase water in a glass bottle or water bottle, usually and it cost more than a glass of wine or a pint of beer. I learned quickly to keep a bottle of water with me in my bag anywhere I went.
Once again I apologize for the month and a half hiatus. Between traveling and getting coursework essays complete blogging just wasn’t happening. Now that I have a month off for Easter Holiday expect updates about twice a week.This month will consist of blogs from Barcelona, London, and welcoming Spring =)
Getting to Barcelona we (Allison, Sam, and Chris all people from the States) took just about every form of transportation. We left the house at 10:30 AM. Went to town took the high speed train from Canterbury West to London St. Pancras. Its about an hour train ride. Once we arrived in London we had about an hour to kill so we got some lunch. While eating we realized that none of us had contacted our banks informing them that we were leaving England. Luckily I had brought my UK calling card and we managed to all get in touch with our banks backhome by the time we arrived at the Luton airport. That was an hour and half train ride. Then a shuttle bus took us to the actual airport. We checked in 2 hours early, made it through security, and took a 25 minute walk to our gate which was very surprising considering the size of Luton Airport. Then we waited as the only 4 people in the gate area and entertained ourselves for the next hour. Once the gate was posted on the LCD screens we noticed people coming in basically a herd to the gate. Turns out that no one knows the gate until it is displayed, however the kind lady that checked us in gave us the gate number so we were there very early and managed to be one of the first people in line to board the plane. Ryanair does not have assigned seating so we got lucky that we were some of the first people in line and got seats together.
It was a two hour plane ride to Girona airport which is outside of Barcelona.We had to get a bus from the GironaAirport to Barcelona which took an hour and fifteen minutes. The bus ride was rather interesting being that were chanting men. About every 10-25 they would chant something about football (not American football). It was about 10PM when we arrived at the bus station in Barcelona and had some trouble finding where the taxis were parked but we found them. Sam had printed off Colin’s address (Chris’s roommate from school at home) who we were staying with. She was our only hope of getting from point A to point B with her little bit of Spanish. The taxi driver was really nice and a little perk was he played American music; I’ll talk more about that later. In Spain they drive on the right side of the road, literally, not the left. Forms of transportation that were utilized in 12 hours were, bus, train, taxi and airplane. The metro was used daily after that.
The first two weeks of March had its ups and downs.
The week was relatively warm, so one day I grabbed a drink similar to a “Yoo-Hoo”, sat on a bench in a park, and read my psychology book for a while in the sun.I think I’ll have to start doing this more often, especially with the way my psychology grade looks right now…
My nights that week were all very exciting.One night, I went with a group of people to an indie rock bar in a neighborhood in Barcelona that is known for its welcoming and original bar scene full of locals.While some people studying here stray away from this area for that exact reason, my friends and I embrace it.Each time we have bar-hopped there, we met interesting people and got great prices on drinks.Anyways, the indie bar was interesting, but the band was really bad.I like indie music, but this band only sang Spanish indie songs that were just awful.They also performed one of the worst covers of The Cure’s “Boys Don’t Cry” that I have ever heard.Another night, we went to another live music club in a different area of the city.This place was a lot more classy and calm.We bought a bottle of wine for the concert and it came in an ice bucket and a waiter to pour it for us.I felt so special.The musician was an Argentine guitarist who was excellent.He played for about 2 full hours and kept us entertained the whole time.One of his songs was exceptional, and I tried to find it on youtube, but my search was fruitless.One of the other nights we went to one of the most fun bars I have ever been to.It is a giant warehouse that is full of tables (Hofbrahaus style), foosball, and pool tables.At this bar you can order “towers” of beer.It is a giant container of beer that comes with its own tap.There are students from all over the world at this bar, and it always makes for a good time.
On Saturday afternoon, my friend Emily and I ventured to a beautiful garden/park on the northern city limits.Parc Laberint is a garden with a confusing hedgemaze, a pond, a waterfall, many statues, and an extensive romantic garden which was extremely peaceful. I couldn’t help but feel I was in the Tri-wizard Tournament from the Harry Potter series. At the entrance to the parc, there was even a giant trophy-like cup that was similar to what I imagined the Tri-Wizard cup to look like.I had a blast walking around the gardens and taking pictures.It was exhausting though, so I took a nap next to a hermit hut that reminded me of the Shire.After the nap, we stopped to get a small bite to eat.Next to the food stand was a playground.Of course I had to go play on it!Spanish playgrounds are so much cooler than American ones!Maybe is the safety rules and restrictions that are set up in the States.As a 21 year old, I had so much fun playing on the playground; I would have been overwhelmed with excitement if I went there as a child.I am definitely going to back to the park to take more pictures because unfortunately I don’t have any to share.But I’m getting ahead of myself…
Sunday I hopped on a train to the city of Sitges, which is a small city about 45 minutes south of Barcelona.Travis, Eric, and I were going to Sitges for our second Carnaval fiesta.I knew it was going to be an interesting night; Carnival and the fact that Sitges is the homosexual capital of Spain is a dangerous combination.I had bought a cheap mask and a glittery hat, but I wasn’t dressing up as anything too fancy.Travis painted his whole face silver and wore a batman mask.It looked awesome.We got there and explored the city a little bit.We walked down to the beach and watched the sunset from the seaside church.It was really beautiful with green palm trees and golden beaches and the blue sea.After dinner we found a place to watch the parade.After witnessing the elaborate floats and costumes of Nice’s Carnival parade, I guess you could say I was a little bit spoiled.The parade was good, but it was not as extravagant or as fun as Nice.There were less clothes on the people in the parade, though.It was still a good time
After the parade, the streets were absolutely crazy.It was like one giant club, people were everywhere and loud music was blaring from every bar.To make a long story short, when we left one of the bars, I know I had my camera on a string around my wrist because I was spinning it.Then, as we meandered through the crowd while we looked for the train station, I went to take a picture of something and noticed my camera was gone.I have no idea how it disappeared, but I assume somebody cut the string without me realizing it.So of course I was pretty distraught.I had taken over 150 pictures throughout the day, some of which were very funny.
Not to mention I would now have to buy a new camera in Europe which mean shelling out more cash than I already was. (Good thing I had a 1,000 dollar bill!)Then we realized we had no idea where the train station was.So I had just lost my camera and now we were lost in a foreign city.At least we weren’t alone.We ran into others who were lost as well.Eventually we could see the train station, but could not get to it because the police had blocked all the roads and bridges leading to the station except for one road.It took us a half hour to get on that road and get in line for the train.This was the 5:30 am train back to Barcelona and hundreds of people packed into the train like sardines after a long night of celebrating Carnival.It was a long, exhausting trip back.I didn’t get back to my homestay until almost 8 am.That afternoon, I dreamed that I still had my camera.It was brutal.
I had two field trips to museums in Barcelona the following week.On Wednesday March 9th, I went to the “Sun Factory” with my Sustainability class.It is an interesting building near the beach that used to be home to the gas company.Since the gas company moved into a much bigger, better, and more beautiful building, the old building has become a museum dedicated to explaining ways to be more sustainable, and in particular how to fully utilize the sun.It was interesting, but a little bit boring.The following day I went to the Olympic Museum with my Sport and Society class.I really enjoyed this museum. It had thousands of artifacts from the 1992 Olympics that were held in Barcelona.They had memorabilia from sports I had never even heard of before!
The weekend had terrible weather.I think it rained every day.I stayed in Barcelona and relaxed.Eric and I bought an “Articket”.It is an entrance ticket to 7 museums in Barcelona, including “La Pedrera” and the Picasso Museum.It cost 21 euros, which comes out to only 3 euros per museum!We visited MACBA, which is the Museum of Contemporary Art.I’m not a fan of contemporary art, but I keep going to art museums hoping one of them will change my mind.We went on a tour (in English) hoping to understand some of the works of “art” in the museum, but to be honest it just confused me more.I simply don’t see the complexities in some of the mundane and simplistic paintings and sculptures.Some works of art were interesting, but most just made absolutely no sense and seemed to require no artistic skill whatsoever.That night, Penn State basketball played Michigan State in the Big Ten semi-final game.I had met a whole group of MSU students earlier in the week who were in Barcelona for the weekend.They convinced the owner of an English pub to play the game.It was me vs. 21 Michigan State fans.I cheered on our Nittany Lions to a victory!I should congratulate the team for making the NCAA tournament for the first time in a while. Unfortunately, I was not able to see the game vs Temple because it coincided with football (soccer) games, so the football games took precedence in all of the bars.Sunday night we found a small bar to watch the FC Barcelona game in.Watching the games with locals is so intense and their passion is contagious.I can’t wait to go to a Bar�a game on April 10th!It is going to be unbelievable.First I need to buy a Messi jersey!
So if you were wondering why I don’t have many pictures from the two weeks covered in this entry, it is because somebody else somewhere is looking through the pictures on my camera.I eventually did buy a new camera, which is actually better than the one that was stolen.It cost a lot of money, but I had to buy one to document the craziness that was Las Fallas.I will be posting an entry about Las Fallas and another about my trip to Ireland as soon as I have time.
A week or so ago, my ISC (Italian Student Companion), Silvio, had about ten of his friends over for dinner. I am happy to report that I was actually able to carry a conversation with them and understand the general ideas of what they were talking to each other about. We even played the Italian version of the game, Mafia. This was quite a challenge, but a great and fun experience!
Changing topics completely, last weekend I went to Barcelona.I arrived late on a Thursday night and took a train from the airport into the city center. By the time I got into the city center, the metro had stopped running (after midnight) so I had to take a taxi to my hostel.My hostel had a 91% review on HostelWorld.com, but I was immensely disappointed.I did not realize that the hostel only had a common bathroom in the hallway of every floor.I am so used to staying in hostels that have a bathroom in each room that this took a bit of getting used to.
On Friday, I took a free walking tour to see the architecture of one of Barcelona’s most famous architects – Gaudi.His buildings made me feel like I was in Whoville and a world of Dr. Seuss, but they were really cool from the outside.It cost upwards of 18 euros to go in, so I decided that the views from the outside were good enough for me.We also saw a church that he designed over around 85 years ago that is still being built.It is a very complex church and they say it will not be done for at least another 25-30 years!That one complex building!
One of the houses Gaudi desgined
Another one of the houses Gaudi desgined
One of the three facades of Gaudi’s church – the Sagrada Famiglia. Only two are finished. This is the Nativity Facade.
The Passion Facade. The Glory Facade just started construction.
After my walking tour, I took a hop on-hop off bus tour to see all of Barcelona.Barcelona is such a spread out city that the bus company had two different lines.It took me 6 hours to complete both lines, but I was happy I did it.
On Saturday, it poured the whole day.By this point, I had become a pro on navigating Barcelona’s metro and decided to go to the Picasso Museum.The Picasso Museum was a homage to Picasso’s older, lesser known works.All I knew about Picasso before this was that he painted “Scream,” but was very intrigued by his life story.He moved around a lot and changed his artistic style about once or twice a year.
After the Picasso Museum, I decided to go to a restaurant to have typical Catalonian food – tapas.They are basically a bunch of small samples, so you order two or three and try a bit of everything.I had ham & cheese croquets and something very similar to sesame chicken.It was really, really good.
Then, even though it was raining, I embarked on my voyage to find Barceloneta Beach.By this point my map was useless because it was raining so hard, so I decided to follow the signs to the beach – big mistake.I wound up 3 kilometers out of my way and had to backtrack to see it.I was happy when I finally got there, though.It looked like a scene out of 2012, the waves were about four feet high (pretty high for the Mediterranean Sea and I saw the cliché surfboarder walking away from the sea.It was a beautiful beach, though.
The Beach
After this, I decided to walk and catch a metro back to my hostel.After an hour rest, I went to the only bar in Barcelona that was showing the Penn State v. Michigan State game for the Big Ten Semifinals.I think I managed to find the only empty bar in Barcelona, but a combination of a Penn State win and some nostalgic food like quesadillas and chicken tenders was enough to make my day.
Sunday was an absolutely gorgeous day.I loved it!I woke up early in the morning to walk the “La Rambla”, a very famous tourist promenade where artists and cafes line the streets.I decided to grab a seat and order “Churros and Chocolate” and people watch.They were so good.
La Rambla
Chocolate & Churros
After that, I took another walking tour of Barcelona.This one was a tour of Barcelona’s historical center.It was beautiful and reminded me a lot of Rome.I gained some insight into the history of Barcelona that was absolutely fascinating like the fact that Barcelona used to be occupied by the Romans when it was a walled city (hence why it reminded me of historical Rome).Also, I learned that the people of Barcelona actually consider themselves to be Catalonian, not Spanish.They speak Catalonian and Spanish and are constantly protesting the Spanish government for their independence.I also got to see where the King of Catalonia greeted Christopher Columbus after discovering the New World.The final piece of trivia I learned was that Barcelona could have built the Eifel Tower instead of Paris, but the government thought it was too weird looking and built an arch instead – big mistake!
The steps that Christopher Columbus was welcomed back on
After the walking tour, I took the metro to Park Gϋell – another one of Gaudi’s projects.It was declared a World Heritage Site a few years ago, so I figured a trip to Barcelona would not be complete without seeing it.Getting there was a difficult task.After taking the metro, it was a kilometer walk to a series of eight escalators to take you to the top of a mountain.At the top of this mountain, you had to walk down hill about a half of a kilometer to get to the park.By this point, I was exhausted.It was so worth it, though.I saw the longest bench I have ever seen and a bunch of other cool looking houses, sculptures, and architecture!
View from the Park
I think Dr. Seuss used to live here…..
An overhang at the park.
The other park entrance.
On my way back to the hostel to grab my bag, I found a Dunkin Coffee (they don’t call them Dunkin Donuts over there) and splurged on the biggest ice coffee I have ever had.In Italy, I can only get an espresso – they really do not have American coffee.It was probably the best cup of coffee I’ve ever had (probably because I haven’t had one in so long).I topped it off with a ham & cheese panini and a chocolate frosted donut with sprinkles – the icing on the cake.
After grabbing my bag at my hostel, I went to the airport and came back to Rome.In my next blog post (very soon, probably later today), I’ll bring you up to date with everything I did this week and weekend, post a few pictures from the past month, and post the bucket list I made of things I need to do while I’m in Rome.
I am currently on a plane to Barcelona, Spain & can’t wait to get there! I’ve heard great things about it and many people have told me that it cannot be described in words. We will see if I can do that in my next blog post, but I wanted to update you on what I’ve been up to over the past week.
I spent all of last weekend doing “Rome as a Tourist” and got a lot accomplished. I downloaded a few audio tours from Rick Steves on iTunes for free. I put them on my iPod and listened to them as I navigated some of Rome’s most famous attractions.
On Saturday, I went to Vatican City – namely St. Peters Square and St. Peters Basilica. I was there when I was 12, but was completely taken aback by the grandeur of the Basilica. I walked inside and felt like I was an ant compared to everything else. The church itself was huge – 400 meters long, but what struck me even more was the size of the sculptures inside of it. The statues that were “babies” were taller than 6 feet! Everything about the church was amazing, my jaw hung open the whole time I was inside! Rick Steves even joked about the size of St. Peters Basilica by saying that birds don’t even realize they’re inside when they fly around. I may not understand anything about art, but I could definitely appreciate the beauty of everything inside of St. Peters. It was certainly a great experience!
After St. Peters I went to the Trevi Fountain and did the typical tourist stuff. After taking what seemed like 100 pictures, I ventured down the steps to throw a coin in the fountain. They say that if you put your back to the fountain and throw a coin over your shoulder you are guaranteed to return to Rome one day. I did it when I was 12 and now I’m studying there. Coincidence? I think not. After I finished with the Trevi Fountain, everything was closed so I headed back to my apartment to rest up for Sunday.
On Sunday, my first stop was the Pantheon – another building that made my jaw drop. It doesn’t look like much from the outside, but once you get inside your eyes immediately gravitate to the huge hole in the ceiling. It is amazing that the Romans built it almost 2000 years ago without any machinery. I had another audio tour by Rick Steves for this which was nice as I was able to gain insight into the history of the building. It was once a place to worship Pagan gods, but was converted to a Catholic church after Catholicism became the official religion of the Roman Empire. Another fun fact I learned is that Victor Emmanuale (the person who united Italy & the first king of Italy) and his son have their tombs inside the Pantheon. It is also Rapheal’s final resting place.
After the Pantheon, I went to a place called the Capuchin Crypt. It was an eerie place. Located beneath a church, it is the bones of 300 Friars arranged in a way that makes it a work of art. It was very, very weird. At the end of the crypt, there was a sign that said “What you are now, we once were. What we are now, you will be.”
My final stop was the Spanish Steps. I honestly have no idea why they are famous, but felt like I had to at least climb them once as a student in Rome – what a workout! I was exhausted when I got to the top and dreaded going down. Now, I can check that of of my bucket list.
I decided to get organized on Sunday night and make a list of everything I want to do before I leave Rome in May. Now I have a list of things to do over a page long – I will post it when I get back to Rome.
I had a relatively normal week of classes. We went on a field study for my architecture class to see a piazza designed by Michelangelo. My time in Rome has definitely taught me to look at art in a different way. I’m beginning to appreciate the small details of everything.
In Italian, we had to give two oral presentations. The first was during a field study around Roma Storico (Historical Rome) where we had to present two different places of interest. Afterwards, our teacher rewarded us by buying the class Ciocolato Caldo (thick hot chocolate) – it was amazing! Our second presentation was on anything we wanted. My group talked about a film we saw the first week of class, La Finestra di Fronte. It went pretty well – we think.
Before I conclude my blog, I would like to reflect on something I have noticed from a lot of Italian people – specifically older ones. They are highly critical of their country and their people in general. My Italian teacher said the quality of life in Spain is much higher than in Italy because Italians are never organized and nothing ever gets done. Coming from America where I bleed red, white, and blue, I am not used to this type of criticism from people about their home country. I personally love Italy and would love to work over here at some point in the future – I have only been here for 6 weeks though.
I will update soon about my experiences in Barcelona as well as a few pictures from my “Rome as a Tourist” weekend.
Continuing my travels through Western Europe, 5 friends and I traveled to Barcelona for some fun in the sun last weekend. Escaping cold and dreary Milan, we left Thursday night and spent 3 nights and 2 days in this warm, beautiful Spanish city.
Other than the warm and beautiful weather, the first thing you notice upon arriving in Barcelona is its unique blending of cultures, architecture, and languages. Located on the Iberian Peninsula and having been under control of the Moors, the Spanish Monarchy, and the authoritarian regime of General Franco, this city has noticeable Arab, European, and totalitarian influences. Divided into districts, with the most famous and picturesque one being the Gothic District, Barcelona visually displays its eventful and storied past to each visitor.
The second thing that is immediately evident is the vast influence that Antoni Gaudi had on the layout, design, and architecture of the city. Known for his very different and interesting building designs, his influence on Barcelona is so profound that entire tours devoted solely to his works in the city are available. Obsessed with angles, curves, and unique geometrical shapes such as hyperboloids and paraboloids, his works in the city include the famous Sangrada Famila, Park Guell, Casa Mila, and Casa Calvet.
On Friday, our first day in the city, we awoke to a bright and sunny 60 degree day. I have to say that I was a bit jealous of the IES: Barcelona students since I was able to wear nothing but a t-shirt all day. We started our day by walking down Las Ramblas, the street in Barcelona famous for its shops and markets. We took this street down to the harbor and walked around on the beach before eating lunch. After lunch, we walked to the northern part of the city to the famous Sangrada Familia.
Having seen a multitude of pictures and drawings of this iconic cathedral, I had a good understanding of its general design, but just like the Duomo in Milan, you can’t truly appreciate neither the beauty nor the intricacy of its design without seeing it in person. Although I was a bit disappointed that it was currently under construction, it was still an awesome sight. Even though the architecture and unique design of the outside of this church would be enough to make it a must-see monument in Barcelona and all of Europe, its interior design was even more breathtaking. Containing endless series of columns, hundreds of stained glass windows, and brilliantly designed holes in the ceiling that light the entire structure, this cathedral was incredible. After visiting this site, the high regard that the entire city has for Gaudi was quite understandable
On Saturday, I awoke early in the morning so that I could see as much of the city as possible before nightfall. During the morning I walked around the Gothic district and visited the Cathedral, the Basilica de Santa Maria de la Mar, and numerous small shops in the area. After lunch, my friends and I visited another Gaudi creation, Park Guell. While this beautiful park at first looks like it was designed by Dr. Seuss, due to the weird shape of every staircase, bench, and plaza, as well as buildings that appear to have frosted roofs, as you walk through this place you begin to understand the brilliance of its creation. Without straight edge or corner in sight, Gaudi created a unique haven overlooking the city that causes each visitor to question their view of the world. This park is also located on a giant hill that provides an incredible overlook of Barcelona.
After Park Guell, we decided to visit the western part of the city and make our way up to Montjuic, an impressive plateau with an ancient castle that provides another beautiful view of the city. On our way to this site, we passed the beautiful building of the National Museum of Catalan Art, an old retired bullfighting ring, the Olympic Stadium from the 1992 Summer Games, and several cool parks. 20 minutes on the metro, 30 minutes walking, and a 12 euro gondola later, we finally reached Montjuic. While the view was not as impressive as the one at Park Guell, it was still very interesting to see this historic fortress and the skyline of Barcelona once again.
Overall, I had a great time in Barcelona. It is a great choice for anyone looking to spend a short or extended weekend in a warm place and see some history. The unique past of Barcelona and its division into districts makes it a great place to experience traditional Spain as well as the more modern aspects the country. I would recommend this city to anyone traveling to or in Europe.
Interesting Notes:
1.) Most people in Barcelona speak English, but the actual native language is not Spanish, but a dialect called Catalan. While it is similar in structure to Spanish, the accent is different and some words are changed (i.e. road = Carre and not Calle)
2.) Restaurants don’t open until 9 P.M. at the earliest.
3.) Tapas, Spanish appetizers offered at nearly every restaurant, are entirely overrated and not nearly as good as the Italian “aperitivo.”
Travel Tips:
1.) Stay at Hostel 1 Barcelona. The staff is incredibly helpful, the atmosphere is fun, it is very clean, and it includes a full kitchen and hot showers.
2.) Be sure to visit the Gothic District. It is a really cool area with authentic Spanish crafts, shops, and cafes.
3.) There is almost no need to pay for a taxi or use the metro (except for getting to Park Guell or Montjuic) since almost the entire historical portion of town is located near the water.
I hate to admit it, but the last week or so I was very touristy.As much as I enjoy taking pictures of everything, I hate being looked at as a tourist since I am actually living in the city.But when IES (the study abroad company I am studying with) offered a two day bus tour of the city for €20, I couldn’t pass it up.So for Saturday and Sunday of last week I spent the days riding around town in a double-decker tourist bus.There were three different bus routes which went to different parts of the city, and every major monument, house, or museum had a bus stop right in front of it.So I was free to get off of the bus and walk around.
THE TOURIST BUS
On Saturday (January 22) I decided to take the bus to Montjuic, the mountain to the west of Barcelona.This mountain offered fantastic panorama views of the whole city of Barcelona and the port.It was a fantastic day of sightseeing.The only problem was that it was a little bit cold, and sitting on the exposed upper deck of the bus I encountered a lot of wind.Montjuic is also home to the Olympic Stadium that housed the opening and closing ceremonies in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.This Olympic Park was absolutely breathtaking.It was so massive, so open, and so majestic.It was truly something special.
After spending a lot of time walking around the Olympic Park, I took the bus to the gondola that would take me up to Montjuic Castle.Just when I thought the mountain couldn’t get any more beautiful, there is a castle at the top!The views from the gondola were spectacular.And the castle was very cool.To be fair, I would say it was more of a fort than a castle.It overlooked the Mediterranean on one side and the city on the other.From this spot, I saw one of the most amazing sunsets in my life.
On Sunday I took the bus tour to the northern part of the city which was a little bit less exciting, but still impressive. I didn’t take nearly as many pictures because most of the stops on this route were museums.I found a lot of places I will like to go to later in the semester, but they are very close to metro stations so I didn’t want to waste my last day of unlimited bus tourism.
So I set off to find the third bus route which would take me along the beaches.I get to the place where the bus stop is supposed to be, but I can’t find it anywhere.So I decided to walk along the bus route because the bus would have to pass me at some point, or I would find another one of the bus stops.After about an hour of walking I looked at the map again only to realize that the beach route is only open in the summer months.I just laughed and kept walking.I figured I had already walked for over an hour, so I might as well just keep walking.Armed with my camera and an eye for the extraordinary, I made my way through the neighborhoods and along the beaches taking picture after picture of anything that looked interesting.It was dark by the time I made my way to Port Forum, which is a giant open area that opens up to the Mediterranean Sea and provides interesting landscape architecture for the local skateboarders.I spent some good time watching the skateboarders and enjoying the view of the sea before I headed home on the metro.It was almost a 45 minute ride back.That was when I realized just how far I had walked.It was actually a lot of fun spending time with myself, sightseeing and adventuring on my own.
Monday and Tuesday I had classes.The classes that I am taking are: Intermediate Spanish 2, Sustainability in the Spanish Context, Contemporary Spanish Film, Human Development in Spain, and Sport and Society in Spain.Classes here are surprisingly difficult.The courseload isn’t too much different than what I get at Penn State, in fact maybe it is a little bit less.The problem is that some of the teachers are not 100% fluent in English so it is hard to understand what they are trying to say and to have the teachers understand you.Also two of the classes have teachers that think it is a good idea for the students to teach the class.I think this is a very difficult way for the students to learn the correct material.Oh well, I guess I’ll just have to make due.
VALENCIA, TORTOSA, AND TORRES WINERY
Early on Wednesday morning, I boarded a bus to go to Valencia for 2 nights and 3 days on the IES orientation field trip.Our first destination was the river town of Tortosa.It is located on the Ebre River and was home to Roman, Muslim, and Jewish peoples throughout its history.There is a large castle at the top, but once again, it is more like a fort than a castle.From the top of the castle is a fantastic view of the river, the city, and the mountains in the background.Also from the top of the castle you can see a view of the Cathedral, which is a large building but was never finished.A lot of people on the trip were complaining about the walk to the top and the cold, rainy weather, but in my opinion the view of the mountains and the architecture of the Cathedral were worth every minute.I wish tourists were allowed to go into the cathedral though.
After that we made our way to Valencia.The city of Valencia was very interesting.The architecture was different than Barcelona and there were so many parks.There used to be a river than ran through Valencia, but after a few major floods, they re-routed the river and turned the whole old riverbed into a very long park.It was really something to see.With all the bridges, I felt like I was back home in Pittsburgh, only instead of crossing over rivers, I was crossing over soccer (football) fields, baseball fields, flowery gardens, and beautiful park areas.
That night, the hotel gave us a buffet dinner with many types of food including paella, a Valencia staple.I’m not a fan of seafood, which is usually the main part of paella, so I was excited to see that the paella at this buffet consisted of chicken.After the buffet dinner, we explored Valencia’s nightlife and even got to try “Agua de Valencia” which is a cocktail consisting of vodka, gin, cava (champagne) and orange juice.It was really good but the bad weather scared the locals from venturing out at night so the nightlife was not as “hoppin'” as all the guidebooks say it is.
The next morning we got on a bus and toured the city by bus for about an hour, which I was thankful for because it was raining.After the bus tour, we did a walking tour of the city in the rain.It was miserable, but I didn’t care that much because I was anxious to see one of the most mysterious artifacts in all of history (or at least to Indiana Jones).The Cathedral of Valencia is home to the supposed Holy Grail.Of course, nobody is sure what cup was actually used at the Last Supper, but I would like to believe this is the chalice.It makes my adventure story better.Although unlike the final trap in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, the chalice is actually adorned in gold and jewels.
After the walking tour, we had a few hours to explore Valencia on our own.I made my way to the local market, which is HUGE.Valencia is known for its oranges, so I figured I had to try a fresh Valencia orange.I paid €0.25 for a gigantic orange which might have been the juiciest orange I have ever had, and subsequently the best orange I have ever had.I was feeling adventurous so I tried a local treat called “horchata de chufa”.It is a milk-like drink made of crushed tigernuts, water, and sugar.It was a little bit thicker and much sweeter than normal milk, but it was still very refreshing.Then a group of friends and I sat down in a chocolate shop and ordered “churros con chocolate”.Wow. Talk about a delicious treat.It is basically a bowl of melted chocolate and plate of churros to dip into the chocolate.And the hot chocolate here is very different from the hot chocolate in the states.Here, they melt chocolate, add a little bit of milk, and mix.Trust me, it is so much better than the watered down garbage they sell back home.I don’t know if I can go back to the old ways…
Then we headed to La Ciudad de Artes y Ciencias or “The City of Arts and Sciences” which is an entertainment complex in Valencia that includes an opera house, an IMAX theater, a science museum, and an outdoor art gallery.The architecture here is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.It almost looks like it came from another planet.It was beautiful, weird, and cool.One of the buildings in the complex is called “L’Oceonografic” which is the largest aquarium in Europe.We were lucky enough to visit the aquarium and even see a dolphin show.My favorite part of the aquarium was a tunnel that was underneath a shark tank.The sharks were so close to me that I could make out every feature of their magnificently graceful bodies.
The next morning the group (there were 6 full buses of students) made our way to the Torres Winery where we were only allowed to sample one wine.I know I’m not speaking only for myself when I say that pretty much everybody felt ripped off.Then they took us on a tram and gave us a multi-media tour of the grounds where we learned how wine was made, barreled, and aged.
From the winery we stopped at a restaurant on the way back to Barcelona to enjoy a feast.I got to partake in a special activity done in Spain that involves eating a unique onion that has been cooked and charred in a fire pit.After peeling off the outer charred layers of the onion (remember from Shrek that onions have layers) the remaining inside layers of the onion is unscathed and is then smothered in a sauce and lowered into the mouth.The onion is almost stick-like, it’s not like a conventional orb shaped onion.Along with the onion ritual, we were able to drink wine out of a burrón, an interesting glass vessel.It is almost like a tea pot.You hold the burrón in the air and pull it away from your face, making a stream of wine from the spout of the burrón into your mouth.As if that wasn’t enough, the waiters brought us huge plates of meats and vegetables, and then glasses of champagnes.We ate like kings, but the meal was incredible sloppy.I know that whole meal must be hard to picture, so I’ll let Anthony Bourdain from the Travel Channel explain it a little better in this video(the meal starts at around the 3 minute mark):
BACK IN BARCELONA
After an exhausting but fun 3 days traveling around Spain, I decided to take the day and spend it exploring the city with friends.We decided to go to the Chocolate Museum.Yes, there is a museum solely dedicated to chocolate.When we purchased entrance tickets, we were thrilled to find out that the ticket is actually a bar of chocolate.So while learning about the history of chocolate and seeing some truly incredible chocolate sculptures, we could enjoy the savory 73% cocoa treat.
After the museum we ventured through the side streets of the city, visited small shops such as a venetian mask store, and even haggled with the foreigners who run the souvenir stores.It was a fun day topped off by a visit to a candy store. MMMM!
That night we went to a discotheque in Barcelona called Catwalk.We didn’t get into the club until 2:30 so I knew it was going to be a late night before I even got inside.It was very crowded inside, with a lot of flashing lights, fog, bubbles, and loud music.Luckily the metro runs all night on Saturdays so it was able to take me back to my homestay when I finally left the club at 5:30.I wanted to leave much earlier, but I didn’t want to head home alone, so I thought it would be best to just suck it up and dance to the techno/R&B mashup that the DJ was spinning.
THE FOOD
I was very nervous about the food situation before I landed in Barcelona, but in all honesty everything so far has been just fine.I’ve been exploring new foods, most of which are decent.I ran into a problem tonight when my house mother brought out a seafood paella for dinner, complete with shrimp, mussels, and clams.I managed to get down the shrimp and hide the shellfish, but it was a close call.The meat here is excellent and so is the bread.Nearly every day for lunch I buy a “bocadillo”, or sandwich, from a local restaurant.I do run into some problems when ordering food at restaurants and some things get lost in translation, but for the most part all the food has been really good.
THE LANGUAGE
As I said before, I knew a little bit of Spanish before coming here which has really been helpful.I find myself progressing slowly but surely in my grammar and vocabulary but still have some trouble orally forming sentences.I can understand the language fairly well in conversation, but in Barcelona there is the troublesome Catalan language that often gets in the way.There are actually four official languages in Spain, but Catalan and Castilian (Castilian is the type Spanish we learn in schools in the US)are the dominant two.Catalan is more closely related to the French language than it is to the Spanish language, so if locals speak to me in Catalan, I just look back at them dumbfounded. The locals are very proud of their Catalan and there is a push in local government to increase the use of Catalan in stores and throughout the city.Most of the children in Barcelona are actually taught in schools in the Catalan language.I find it to be a major distraction when trying to learn Castilian Spanish.While the language is a nuisance, the Catalan history is fascinating and I will be posting more about the history of Barcelona and the surrounding area in future posts as I find out more about it for myself.
Maybe in the long run things aren’t so bad without all the comforts and routines of the life I was accustomed to back in the States.Ranch and Dr. Pepper, two of my dietary staples, have seamlessly taken a backseat to vinaigrette and water.I have traded Chicken fingers and French fries for paella and bruschetta.I am experiencing something new every day and enjoying every second of my time in Europe.
But at the same time, some things are just too good to live without…
After that we made our way to Valencia.
