Maybe one day

Maybe one day I'll look back and laugh. However, today is not that day. I have long been anticipating this day. The day when I would leave BCN and head to the city people have raved about: Prague. I knew I had a long day of traveling ahead of me, but there was a light at the end of the tunnel: Kath, Jo, and Colleen, all waiting for me in the land of Czechs.

I felt pretty darn confident when walking out of my apartment in Barcelona for the last time and catching the metro to Pl. Catalunya where I would hop on an Aerobus. Everything was going well until my flight out of BCN kept being delayed and then delayed again. They said it was because of the big storm in Madrid, where I would find my connecting flight to Prague. They said the flight would only take an hour. WRONG. So when I finally arrived in Madrid, I scrambled to find T1 where I would check-in for my next flight. After 7 moving-walkways, 1 bus ride, and some slight jogging, I found the Wizz Air check-in. As I approached, the single man standing behind the counter eyed me suspiciously.

"¿Que?," he asked with a lovely frown on his face.
"Pues, yo necesito coger mi vuelto a las 3:05"
"Ai, no. La puerta está cerrada."
"¿Cómo? ¿Está cerrada ahora? Pero, es 2:35."
"Si y estás tarde. Lo siento."

Lo siento my ass. Pardon the language, but at that moment it took all my strength not to break down in tears. After about three plus hours of talking to airport personnel, I got myself another flight to Prague. For tomorrow morning. That leaves me in Madrid for the night, just hanging out, in my hotel on the highway, eating chips and a Twix for dinner. If it weren't for the Skype calls I was able to make to my parents and Johanna, I would've been doomed. Not only did I need to get in contact with them, but they calmed me down. I can tell you one thing: I will be in Prague tomorrow, happy as can be. As for now, I have a book and the Spanish Disney channel to entertain me. So maybe one day I'll look back and laugh.  Maybe one day I'll find the humor in all of this. Maybe.

La despedida

Here it is. The post I have long dreaded; the one that turned my stomach this morning and makes things feel all too final. All day, hell, all week and even before that I have thought about my last Barcelona post. As I roamed the city today, for one last time, I had to stop myself when I felt tears welling. I kept my sunglasses on and put one foot in front of the other, not having any destination in mind, just walking. I shoved my ipod deep down into my purse and simply listened to the noises around me. I walked past my school, under the Arc de Triomf, toward Parc Ciutadella where I found a sunny spot in the grass. I stared up at the incredibly blue sky and started to reach for my camera, then hesitated. No pictures. I would remember this image on my own: the clouds that looked like puffs from an old man's pipe, the palms of trees swaying in the light breeze, and the blindingly bright sun.  Next, I headed to the Borne and Gothic areas, up La Rambla, and into La Boqueria market for my last chocolate treat. I made my way through the always crowded Rambla up to Plaza Catalunya where I stopped to write my last postcards from Spain. It reminded me of a day during my first week here - I sat by the fountains in Pl. Catalunya and felt completely overwhelmed by the great city that Barcelona is. Now, I see Barcelona in a completely different light. I see it as a place where I expanded my view of the world; where I practiced and stumbled over my Spanish; where I played in the sun and felt the chill of the Mediterranean Sea; where I gained a new appreciation for food; where I made a home for myself; and most importantly, where I grew up. 


Sometimes I forget about how nervous I was to study abroad for a semester. I feared leaving behind everything that was familiar and venturing to an entirely new place. And now, I can't imagine if I had not gone through this experience. It would not have been the same without my Barcelona family: Anjali and Mercedes. I mean it when I say that I lucked out with my homestay placement. Not only is Mercedes a truly sweet woman who constantly reminded us how much she enjoyed our company, but she is a phenomenal chef. La cena was our time. During our last dinner, we chatted away in spanish on a variety of topics, coming to a slight pause when our departure was mentioned. I will forever miss these dinners and the prelude of photo-taking by Anjali every night, without fail. 406 Balmes became my home away from home. Plaza Catalunya became a spot on my regular path to school. Barrio Gotico became my walking ground. La Rambla became my enemy, for its crowds, and my love for its vibrance. El Borne became my go-to venue for food and drinks. Barcelona became my city. So, to say goodbye is difficult. 


There's not much more to say because there's too much to say. That may not make much sense, but to me it is perfectly sensible. The four months I spent here cannot be summed up. They cannot be told in just one story because it is a chain of stories, of places, and of people. 


As I end this adventure, I begin a new one tomorrow...a trip to three countries with three of my favorite people in the world. ¡Venga! Because the biggest adventure is the one I'll be taking on May 16th, back home to the States. 

Hasta luego, Barcelona. Te echaré de menos.

Last week lineup

So this is what finals week feels like...sitting inside, working on my Media and Politics study guide while it's 68 degrees and sunny. Every now and then, I glance up from my Mac and look out the window, tempted to grab my towel and rush up to the rooftop. However, I'm halfway through my review and insist on finishing it (after a blogging break, of course).

Monday, monday, monday. You know how Mondays are pretty much the worst day of the week? Well, I had two papers and two exams due this past Monday, which made for a late Sunday night. I couldn't have been antsier during my last class where I basically just had to show up and turn in my final assignments.  The bright side was that I got to see my ever-so handsome and witty teacher, Xavi, one last time. And guess what? He hugged me! My schoolgirl crush peaked at that moment. Filled with elation, I joined Anjali for a last tapas meal at La Boqueria market where we enjoyed patatas bravas and chorizo with our Estrellas. We then made our way home and I took a siesta so I could be revived for my first and last Loco Lunes at Apollo. The club was better than expected, especially when Maddie and I were asked to come to the VIP section. We danced our butts off and left a little bit sweatier than when we entered. However, there was a great loss that night: Maddie's camera. And it was her camera that just so happened to be the one that held all the super cool photos of us dancing on stage next to the hipster DJ, the vast and crowded floor of people rockin' to the music, and our smiling faces on our last night out. At least I captured these gems...

Tuesday was a beach day. Maddie and I were in need of some sun and wanted to sweat out any liquids left in our bodies from the previous night. On our way to the beach, we stopped at one of the many markets to grab some provisions: water and chips. And these weren't just any chips. With some encouragement, Maddie purchased a bag of cheeseburger flavored Lays. Now, stay with me on this. THEY WERE GREAT! It was like a teeny little cheeseburger in your mouth - ketchup, pickles, and all. Go ahead, judge us, but these things were delicious. I suggest you run to you your local grocery market now to stock up since they're limited edition. After a solid 4 hours in the sun, we packed up and headed home. Lucky us because a thunderstorm began just 5 minutes after I walked into my apartment. The rain continued into the nighttime, when FCBarça played their ultimate rival, Real Madrid, to see who would go onto the championship. Barça defended their home turf with a final 1-1 score, which was then combined with their 2-0 score from last week's game in Madrid. Ya know what that means...we're headed to the championship baby! 

Wednesday or, Hump Day, as I like to call it. I was 'up and at it' early to meet two of my friends, Christina and Nicole for a coffee date. We met at the ever popular Plaza Catalunya and sauntered up Rambla Catalunya to a cafe I had been a few times before with the lovely Deniz. We sat there, like true Barcelonians, sipping on our cafés con leche, while happily chatting away. Even after finishing our coffee and croissants, we continued sharing stories and feelings about our families, returning to the U.S., and being seniors. It was a great last coffee date with the girls and I hope to keep in touch with them once we return back to our accustomed lives. 

So here I sit, writing about Russian politics, wishing I was outside. One more final and I will be done with study abroad and done with my Junior Year (sigh). 

Six Things

Despite it being my finals week, I was able to get myself out of the apartment for my last weekend in Barcelona. Lately, I haven't been able to help but feel sentimental for a city I still live in. Everything I have grown accustomed to in Barcelona is about to end. Six days. That's it. However, the light at the end of the tunnel is that I go from Barcelona to Prague where my sister, Johanna, and Colleen will be waiting. And yet, I can't shake the inkling of sadness that pops up, reminding me exactly how much I am going to miss beautiful Barcelona. So, here are six things that I love about BCN. One for each day.

{ A refreshing Damm Lemon cerveza }

{ The view from my little window I look out everyday }

{ Mercedes' cooking }

{ My metro stop }

{ Afternoons in the park }

{The beach}

Bella Italia

Throughout my travels in Italy, I would ponder over what to write on my blog. A sentence, a memory, or an image would pop into my mind and I'd try to file it away. However, here I sit; wondering what moments to write out so that I can later look back once my memory has failed me.

Colleen and I began our trip in charming Venice. Everything seemed to be going smoothly until we couldn't find our hostel. "It said cross the bridge, turn right, walk 3 minutes, and look for a red door. Right?" Finally, after walking for way more than 3 minutes, we found our hostel check-in point. We then found out our apartment was located in the city center, close to Piazza San Marco. Perfect! However, that meant about a 30-45 minute walk with our heavy backpacks. Sure, we had the option of taking a water bus, but who needs public transportation anyway? Our apartment ended up being way better than expected with the added bonus of having a pianist at the hotel next door, which we could hear if we cracked open the windows. I'm not embarrassed to admit we tucked ourselves into bed early both Friday and Saturday nights, falling asleep to the sounds of the piano. For me, Venice was an alluring city with winsome views around every corner. I loved the canals, the bridges, and the fact that even if you get lost you are never too far from where you want to be.

I could have stayed in Venice for a little while longer, but was in no way unhappy about hopping on a train to Florence. The train ride just added to my love for Italy. Sitting by the window, listening to my ipod and staring at the scenery wooshing by; I felt like I could have been in a movie. Our arrival in Florence meant more walking to find our hostel. Then the exploring began! Between piazzas and churches, we stopped for food and some shopping. The most damage was done at the leather market near Piazza Lorenzo... the bags, jackets, notebooks, accessories, and shoes were all exquisitely crafted and "felt like butta" (as my mother would say). Colleen and I enjoyed visiting Santa Croce, the Duomo (and climbing Brunellesci's dome), Ponte Vecchio, the Uffizi Gallery, and many other sites along the way. Sitting along the Fiume River, as the sun started going down, was one of the most relaxing things we did. However, one of my favorite moments was when we wandered back to Piazza S. Croce where there was an open market. We bought a cheesy bread roll, two beers and just sat along with all the other people savoring the great weather.

Tuesday brought a new setting: ROMA. We just so happened to run into Mrs. Ring there...funny coincidence. About twenty minutes after finding each other we hit up a nearby wine bar. Standard. The rest of the evening was relaxed with mild walking and a pleasant dinner by our hotel (note: not a hostel). Although I had previously visited Rome, I relished in getting to tour the city a second time. On Wednesday, we visited the Vatican and happened to get there when the Pope, himself was speaking to the people. Now I can say I've seen the Pope in person twice! [Nerd alert.] On our way back to our hotel, we crossed through many piazzas, including Piazza Navona. Thursday could have easily become a blur of site-seeing, however I miraculously remember every detail. The majority of our day was spent touring the Roman Forum, Palentine Hill, and Colosseum. Afterwards, we headed off to our next stop, which was planned to be a surprise for Mrs.Ring. The Cappuccin Crypt, which decoratively displays the bones of Cappuccin monks between the years of 1528 and 1870. Surprise! Thank goodness she fond it to be fascinating instead of just plain creepy. We ended our grand tour with the Pantheon and Trevi Fountain. After all of that site-seeing we were starved so we took a tip from Rick (Rick Steves Italy guidebook 2008 ed.) and found Osteria da Mario, a family-run restaurant with delicious pasta. We made quick friends with our waiter, Nico and the co-owner, Franceso. When we asked if he was Mario or knew Mario he just shook up head, pointed up to heaven and said "Ah, no...Mario, Mario." Woops, wrong question. He didn't seem to mind and was friendly enough to sip on some limoncello with us too!

Friday we were off again! To the town of Salerno on the Amalfi Coast. My experience in Salerno can be summed up very quickly: trashy clothing, lack of sites, mediocre gelato, and Bernardo. Now, the last thing, rather person, may confuse you. To keep it short, Bernardo was our waiter and one of my many Italian crushes. Sure, he was probably no older then 17 (fine, 16) but I fell for his boyish grin, attempt at speaking english, and complete lack of shame in calling his mom "Mama" in front of us. One night in Salerno and our bags were packed again.

This is where things got good... We had a car take us to Palazzo Sasso in Ravello, which is the most beautiful place I have ever been. The winding cliff roads had the most spectacular views of the hillside, sparkling water, and plentiful lemon trees that Ravello is known for. Our time at Palazzo Sasso was beyond anything I could have imagined...we could choose what sheets we wanted (cotton, linen, or satin - satin, obviously),  had head pillows provided for laying by the pool, complementary champagne, and fluffy white bathrobes. The bathrobes became a staple outfit when in our room and we even played with the idea of walking down to the terrace wearing them. I can only hope that one day I return to Ravello and certainly Palazzo Sasso. Monday brought clouds and a case of the blues when we had to leave our heaven on earth. We ended our stay on the coast in Sorrento for one night. We weren't able to explore much of Sorrento due to rain, but the view from our hotel wasn't too shabby.

Tuesday, we made our way to Naples where I split off from the Ring ladies to catch my flight back to Barcelona. A part of me was sad to return to Barcelona because I loved Italy so much. However, now I'm back and only have one week left here. There isn't a good way to express exactly how I'm feeling about leaving, but if I could pause time, I would.

Sunny Kind of Mood

You know how people say the weather affects one's mood? Well, I'm a true believer in this saying and this past weekend just reassured it for me. Lately the weather has been fantastic! Ignoring the fact that I have 3 papers, 2 oral presentations, and menial homework due this week; I spent my weekend in "el aire libre." Friday started off on a good note when I ran into Maddie on my way to meet Anjali to get Bo de B for lunch. It didn't take much convincing for Maddie to join us (no surprise there). It was a bit of a buzz kill we when arrived at Bo de B and the guys already waiting outside informed us they weren't opening until 1:30pm. Are they insane?!? How dare they make us wait even longer than usual! If you know anything about Bo de B, you know that a line begins forming on the sidewalk about 30 minutes prior to opening. In order to keep our 2nd place in line, we waited patiently and chatted with fellow Bo de B lovers to pass the time. The bocadillo and patatas bravas were definitely worth the wait, but who's kidding, when aren't they? After gorging myself, Anjali and I headed to the beach. Perfect! Now I could show off my expanded stomach to the world! Nevertheless, I relished in the Spanish Sun and was content people-watching for hours. Barcelona's beach happens to be a nude one so it's not uncommon to see...well, everything. 

Part of the beach & the W Hotel in the background

Saturday was another day spent on the beach with friends. However, the evening brought new and excitings things - the FCBarca vs. UD Almeria game! Anjali, Colleen, and I formed a plan earlier that day to go early to the game in order to scalp our tickets. After walking about 15 minutes to find an ATM near the football stadium and being hassled by countless scalpers, we got our tickets. Once we were in, there was the small issue of sitting together. Anjali may have had to jump over a barrier to get to our section, but in the end we were all together watching the game. The atmosphere and liveliness of the crowd was a new experience for me... the entire stadium chanting "Messi, Messi, Messi" while bowing down; the children sitting in front of me yelling at the players "¡Venga, Pique!" "¡Ai! Chuta, chuta!"; and of course the swift movements of the Barca players who dominated the field. Definitely a fun experience I'll always remember.

Best seats in the stadium...

Now it's almost mid-week and I'm attempting to balance my massive load of schoolwork, prepping for my Italy trip, and hanging out with friends before their program ends (this pertains to you, Deniz, Mo, and Colleen). Wish me luck!

Just Another Jueves

7:30am and my first alarm goes off. As I reached for my ringing phone, I realized exactly how heavily I had been sleeping. My head stayed glued to my pillow until 7:45, when I finally threw up the sheets. Thursday. As I went through my morning routine I contemplated how I would spend my afternoon because the sad fact is I don't have many more of them left in Barcelona. Urban Studies class at 9:00 and Media & Politics at 10:45, done by 12:15. Then what? Come home and hang out? Nap? Go for a run? 

Once I got out of class for the day I knew I didn't want to go home, but I did need to get some work done. Sitting at a table in IES didn't seem appealing though. And so, I walked out of the building to the nearest café, got myself a coffee and took a seat. After slowly sipping on my coffee, I rifled through my bag and reached for a book. It just so happens that I've felt deeply deprived of reading lately. By reading, I mean reading a good book for pleasure, not that reading for school junk. The little bookshelf in my bedroom has numerous travel books, but only 2 regular ones. My choices were Eclipse from the Twilight series, or Chelsea Handler's Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea. So as you can see, my options were limited. I admit, I've already read all the Twilight books (that was a phase). Option #2 it was! So as I sat in Farggi cafe, I read another chapter of her witty and slightly inappropriate "memoir." That's when I realized - I was doing one of the things on my goals list! No fidgeting, no cell phone use, and no uncomfortableness. I was in a cafe all by myself, enjoying a book. At that moment I smiled then quickly realized how creepy I must have looked and buried my face in my book. 

I let myself leave Farggi after finishing two pages of a paper I have due next week. When I returned home, I sat in my bed on Facebook, Gmail, etc. Without realizing it, I dozed off with the window wide open above my head and the warm sun streaming in. One hour later I woke up and felt like a new person! Not really, but I did feel pretty great. 

Sevilla y Portugal

Studying abroad gives you many freedoms you don't have back at home. One of these freedoms is skipping classes for two days to travel. Colleen and I had found the earliest flight possible to Sevilla Thursday morning so that we had enough time to see the city. Sightseeing in Sevilla had to be condensed into one day because on Friday we were off to Lagos, Portugal until Sunday evening. It was a pre-planned beach weekend through 'We Love Spain'. This weekend had long been anticipated ever since we made our money deposit over a month ago. So after a 5:55am flight, where I may have overshot the amount of time we needed for check-in and security (oops); we landed in Sevilla and started our day. First: coffee and a small breakfast. Too bad the place we chose had mediocre coffee and no breakfast foods except one lonely muffin. Once we dropped our backpacks off at the hostel, we walked around the city. Until 8:00pm. This would have been ok if we had thought ahead and put on sunscreen, but no, we did not. Thus, we burnt like lobsters and are now coping with embarrassing tan-lines. Despite the burn, I loved my time spent in Sevilla, roaming the streets and sitting by the river. 

Plaza España

Reales Alcázares Gardens

Guadalquivir River

Cabo São Vicente 

Friday was when we took off for Lagos, Portugal.  This town is perfect for the 60 year-old tacky tourist who wants to lay by the water and shop for cheap beach doodads. Ok, that's a little harsh however true it may be. I loved the beaches in Lagos! But, the actual towns were...eh. It definitely helped that the people who I was with were a hoot and we had lots of laughs throughout the entire weekend. Saturday night, when our "microwaveable pizzas" turned out doughy and soupy, we just laughed and went for the chips, which happened to smell like feet. Lesson learned: 1) Don't be a fatass and reach for the largest bag of chips with no brand name and 2) Don't stock up on 5 microwaveable pizzas with directions in Portuguese. All in all, the sangria and magic tricks made up for the food. Our last day in Portugal, we visited "The End of the World," which is called Cabo São Vicente and located on the Algarve coast. From these cliffs, people looked out to the ocean and believed that it was the end of the world before the New World was discovered. The views here are incredible and I could even stand on the very edge of the cliff without passing out! 

Portugal has a very different feel from Spain. I like Portugal. I love Spain. Without a doubt, Sevilla is one of my favorite cities I've visited and almost ties up with Barcelona as my #1 Spanish city. Almost. Whenever I return to Barcelona, after a weekend of traveling, I can't help but feel a certain happiness. 

Nothing Like Family

Even before my arrival in Barcelona I had begged my parents to come visit. Of course they wanted to visit their daughter in Europe, but the logistics of it all were a little complicated. After much time spent talking on Skype and looking into all the possibilities, a decision was made. My mom and Aunt Patricia would come visit me in Barcelona. Yippee! Let's not skip over the fact that I had really wanted my dad to visit. I could just see him holding a tiny tapa and rolling his eyes at the "meal"; using his elementary school spanish; and enjoying all the beautiful art and sites Barcelona has to offer. Instead, he took one for the team and stayed home with my unruly 16-year old brother, while my mom and aunt traveled across the blue sea to see me!

{Sisters by the Arc du Triomf}

Finally, the day arrived when my mama and aunt landed down in Barcatown. Being with my family and giving them hugs after a couple months of separation was an amazing feeling. A little piece of home had made it's way over to Spain. It was my obligation and desire to be their personal tour-guide for the week. Tuesday was their first full day of getting to know the city so I took them into the Barrio Gotico, up Passeig de Grácia, saw la Manzana de Discordia, and walked through Gaudi's Casa Mila. Casa Mila is an exceptionally unique and beautiful building, especially on the inside. My favorite part was the rooftop, which had strange looking sculptures and a wavy floor with different levels.  However, I can't say the same for my aunt...she's deathly afraid of heights and after a millisecond of being on the rooftop, she couldn't stand and had to beg the guard to let her back down the "one-way" staircase. After that experience, my mom and I knew better than to bring Aunt Patricia to anything high off the ground, which is why she didn't join us for the elevator ride up to the Nativity Façade bridge of the Sagrada Familia. Thank goodness because even my mom's knees went weak. I on the other hand, loved the view of Barcelona and the close-up look at the construction still going on. Tuesday night was a party at Mercedes' house! Anjali and her boyfriend, Malcolm, joined all of us over at the apartment for a meal prepared by chef Mercedes. We had a great time even with the language barrier. Hand gestures, translations, and wine helped the flow of conversation. 

{Last day in BCN at Mt. Tibidabo}

Between Casa Mila and the Sagrada Familia, we also saw Parc Guell, the beach, El Catédral, el Palau de Música Catalana, the Magic Fountain, Catédral de Santa Maria del Mar, and Mount Tibidabo. I was lucky enough to go to a spanish guitar performance at the Palau de Música, which was the best way to see the ornate architecture of the building. On Friday, all of us laid down in the grass in Parc Ciutadella and took an hour long nap. It was a busy week, but worth the blisters and sleep deprivation. We ate delicious food at Sagardi, Cervesaria Catalana, Caputxes, Gelaaati!, and many other spots. Mom and Aunt Patricia became fans of cava, sangria de cava, and all the cheap wine Spain has to offer. One thing's for sure: the Spanish people know how to eat and drink. A meal here is definitely a cultural experience and a necessary one if you really want to get to know Catalunya. Being a tourist for a week made me appreciate Barcelona even more. It's weird to think I only have 2 more weekends left here. Where has the time gone?!

{Me, Mercedes, & Mom}

{Mom & I in front of Sagrada Familia}

Las Fallas

My Fallas experience in Valencia was like none other I've ever had.  The amount of people, the fire-crackers, the excitement, and of course the lighting of the fallas made for a wild event. The sheer size of these "ninots" or, tableaus are absolutely incredible. When I first came upon one of them; I was completely taken aback by its "3D-ness," if you will. There is a whole history of how this festival began, but I have failed to remember it.

I arrived in Valencia around 5:00pm  as things were just starting to pick up, and took part in the festivities until 2:30am. The late hour didn't phase me because the city felt so alive. Watching the fires only gave me more energy, which was subdued by being pushed around waiting to get on one of the buses. Did I mention that I had also been slightly hosed down my the firemen who were keeping the fire under control? With my damp hair and dirty clothing, I finally made my way onto a bus. At about 7:00am, our bus pulled into Pl. Catalunya, back in Barcelona. Still smelling of ash, I arrived home and dove into my bed to sleep a few more hours.

For me, pictures seem to sum things up better than words ever could...

Planning Away

Making plans. There's a lot of that over here, in Europa. Plans to meet people for lunch, plans for a day trip, plans for a weekend trip, and plans for bigger trips like my Italy trip with Colleen. For my Spring Break I plan to visit Venice, Florence, Rome, and the Amalfi Coast. That takes a lot of planning. Well, today I got a start on things! After being caught in a torrential downpour with Deniz, I arrived home and  sat down at my desk. Sitting at the desk means serious business because the majority of my time is spent sitting on my bed. I had previously booked my flight to Venice so today I booked my return flight out of Naples, back to Barcelona. I also booked a hostel for Colleen and I during our stay in romantic Venice. One city has been taken care of and now all we have left is...Florence, Rome, and Amalfi...hmm. I refuse to overwhelm myself and will just take this planning stuff one day at a time. Poco a poco, ¿si?

{Guide books, planners, and pencils, oh my!}

Sun-day

After a full day of rain, the sun came out to play! With a light sweater and scarf, I was set for an afternoon outside with Maddie. The two of us met up in the Gracia neighborhood to explore and find some food. Reverse the order - our priority was the food. After looking at several menus, we stopped at Suiss where we ordered gofres (waffles) y te chai. We nibbled on our food and sipped down the warm tea while sitting at a table by the window. Perfect for people watching! Once we paid, we walked back out into the sun and down more side streets to come upon a block party! Or, what looked like a block party. An alleyway was closed off, grills were going, people were standing around talking and eating. Maddie and I wanted to crash, but knew we'd stick out like sore thumbs as American trespassers. Our walking made us crave something salty because the waffles only satisfied our sweet tooth. Well, we realized that it was later than we had thought due to day light savings so our best bet was to head back to Passeig de Gracia where restaurants would still be serving food. We were in luck! Tapa Tapa had a table open on the terrace and it was right in the sun. Just what we wanted! We did the european thing, which is to sit on the same side of the table in order to people watch better. As we enjoyed our claras and patatas frijeres, we basked in the Spanish sun just as the spaniards would. It was a great Sunday in the sun and I can only hope there are many more to come!

Walking in the Rain

"Let's just go walking in the rain." -- Billie Holiday

There is something about a rainy day. Waking up to the pitter-patter of rain on my window, walking through a mass of umbrellas, and changing out of my drenched jeans into yoga pants. My day started with the noises of Mercedes cooking for a party she is catering this evening. I heard a pot clang and flipped over, opened my eyes and peered out the window - rain. Pouring down rain. With lots of people away this weekend, I had decided today would be a "me" day. At noon, I threw on clothes, grabbed my umbrella, and into the rain I went. I was able to do everything I wanted to do today, except sit in a cafe because that seemed to be where everyone decided to go to escape the rain. I also returned a purchase I decided was too extravagant. However, I ended up making another purchase, but this one was a bargain: a sweater from Zara for 3.99€! Bag in one hand, umbrella in the other, I walked along the streets of Barcelona. It didn't matter where I wandered to, but I wanted to walk. Some may think that walking in the rain alone is completely depressing, but it's not. Although the city was grey, dreary, and soaked; I found it to be serene. It was peaceful watching the people huddle under store awnings and share umbrellas. After three hours of roaming around, the itching of my wet jeans against my skin began to kick in. That's when I decided it was time to head home. I've always found such bliss in changing out of sopping wet clothes into cozy sweats. I think the rest of my rainy day will be spent inside, curled up in bed, listening to Mercedes in the kitchen.

Una hamburguesa, por favor

Hamburguesa. I had yet to encounter a Spanish hamburger other than the beef patties Mercedes has served us at dinner a couple times. Well, today was the day that all changed. After spanish class, Anjali and I met up to go try out Bacoa. Bacoa is the place to go in Barcelona for a good burger. It's tucked away on a street behind Santa Caterina Market in the Born area. Anjali and I were their first two customers for lunch today. Surprise, surprise. We both ordered the Burger con Manchego, which included lettuce, tomato, and caramelized onions. All squished between a home-cooked, sesame bun. After adding a touch of picante sauce and taking some necessary photos, I took a bite out of my burger. Delicious! Salivating! Flavorful! Finger-licking good! Anjali and I were two happy campers and so were our bellies.
Today was also the first time I walked through Santa Caterina Market, which I found to be beautiful and airy. This market feels more open and tidier than La Boqueria. I also spotted an adorable looking restaurant in Santa Caterina that I mentally jotted down as a place to take my mom and aunt when they visit. Hooray for visitors!

First bite

Last bite

Mads en Madrid

It all started at 6:00am when I finished stuffing my belongings into my backpack, in my dark room, as I tried not to wake Anjali. I was out the door at 6:25 and on the metro to Pl. Catalunya. From there, I walked down to Deniz's parents hotel off of La Rambla. 6:55am. Technically, I was ten minutes late, but I ended up being just on time. The six of us: Deniz, her brother Engin, her parents, Mo, and myself piled into what Europeans consider to be a minivan. With all of us in the car with about 3 inches of moving space, off we went!

Around noon, halfway through our road trip, we stopped in a town called Zaragoza. Signs pointed us in the direction of Basilica de Nuestra Señora de Pilar. This old, baroque style church was beautiful inside and out. The tiling of the roof was magnificent and gave a lighter effect to a more serious building. After we stopped at a café for a cup o' joe (and to use the bathroom), we got back on the road.

Three more hours in the car and we arrived in Spain's capital. We dropped our belongings off at our hotel, then took the car to the rental returns at the train station. At the train station, we were welcomed by two large baby head sculptures...because that's normal. As we laughed, took a picture, and walked onwards, we  started taking note of the differences between Madrid and Barcelona. I couldn't help making a mental list of  the comparisons.
Madrid has wider streets than Barcelona.
Barcelona has more eclectic buildings.
Madrid has lots of tall, white buildings.
People in Madrid dress more American.
Barcelona has more parks than Madrid.
And on and on and on...
Finally, after looking at several menus posted in front of restaurants, we found one we all were happy with. To say we were hungry would have been an understatement. So when it came time to order, we got appetizers, salads, soups, wine, cava, and dessert. It was an indulgently delicious meal! Deniz's parents, especially her mother, added lots of entertainment at the table. We all may have had a slight buzz going. No complaints. After our 3-hour dinner (sheesh), us "kids" split from the Nurals to walk around the city a little.


Deniz, Engin, Mo, and I stumbled upon a Carnaval parade just as it was beginning. I had never seen anything like it! There was lots of dancing, outrageous costumes, fire, and lights. Masses and masses of people had gathered in the streets to watch and participate in this parade. We continued our night with a quick stop at our hotel to change, then off to experience Madrid's nightlife. The bars all looked the same as the ones we've seen here and in other parts of Europe so we bopped into one of the first few we spotted on a populated street not too far from our hotel. The next bar we went to was a little more...unusual. Our bartender was dressed as a smurf. Our drink was bigger than my head. And the crowd was a mix of people, some dressed up for Carnaval, some not. I will proudly say that I was half dressed up. Well, I was wearing a hat. Ok actually, the four of us passed around this hat to wear. The story of the hat is that at the first bar we made a bet as to who could take the hat off the wall and wear it out of the bar. I won. And I even say "gracias" while walking out. After we finished off our massive drink, we headed towards home and conveniently passed a pizza stand. How could we pass up a slice? As we walked into the Palace Hotel, up to our room, and into our king size bed, I couldn't have been happier. I could handle no hostel for the weekend.

Sunday was filled with sightseeing - El Prado, was our first stop. I had been anticipating visiting El Prado for some time now because it holds one of my favorite paintings: Las Meninas by Velazquez. We also saw Puerto del Sol, Parc de Retiro, and the city in general. Even though we had to say goodbye to Deniz's family because of their earlier flight out of Madrid, us girls continued our sightseeing. By 6:00pm we were absolutely wiped. We curled up into our bed and napped until 9:30pm where we had to flick on a light to force open our eyes. There was a moment or two of decision-making between staying in our fluffy bed or, throwing off the sheets and going out. We got out of bed and threw on different clothes and headed to the restaurant we had had our first delicious meal at, which was just two blocks away. The ambiance of this restaurant was a chic tavern, with wooden tables and flickering candles. While sipping on wine, we chatted and observed the people around us. At the table next to us seemed to be a couple on their first date. She was English and he was Spanish. Coincidentally, the girl overheard us and started asking where we were from. When Deniz told her she was from Cincinnati, the girls eyes got wide as she replied "Oh my god, me too!" Small world, right? Our night was not the most wild, but it was just what we wanted.

Puerto del Sol

Parc de Retiro

Plaza Mayor

Monday was another day spent getting to know Madrid before we took the ave train back to Barcelona. The high-speed train is a great way to travel although a little pricier. I was back at my home in Barca by 7:30pm and hungry for some of Mercedes' cooking by 9:00.

Sí o Sí?

Not only is Sí o Sí a scrumptious candy store here, in Barcelona, but it's also a thought that runs through my mind on a daily basis. Should I go for a third cup of wine? Yes or, YES? Should I try this funny looking piece of candy? Yes, or YES? Should I stop by La Boqueria for a midday snack? Well, duh. As you can see, most of my decision-making here has to do with food. This is why I like to hang with Maddie, because like me, she enjoys a good treat. 


Yesterday, the two of us had a more European celebration of Miami's Green Beer Day, which included two bottles of cava and some frankfurters. Great combo, right? We didn't stop there. We continued our celebration at a more GBD appropriate Irish bar called Dunne's. Our original motivation when going into Dunne's was to use their bathroom, however in Europe it's looked down upon to do this without buying something.  Hence two Heinekens. The girl serving us was friendly and smiled as Maddie explained what us Miami students know to be a day of drinking green beverages. She was even thoughtful enough to give us two green napkins for our drinks. What a gal! Our shenanigans continued to Sí o Sí, which upped my happiness level 1000x. It's no surprise that I have a sweet tooth. I walked out of the store with a grin and a 4€ bag of chocolate covered pistachios, chocolate covered walnuts, and some other variations of chocolate covered nuts. It was gone within 30 minutes. Then, I napped. Happy Green Beer Day to me! 

Earlier this afternoon, when Maddie and I decided to explore more of the Born neighborhood, we first made a stop at Gusto del Born, where we munched on mouth-watering pizza. After our tummies were full, we did some walking. Actually, we did a lot of walking. From El Born, we crossed over into Barri Gótic and moseyed down toward La Rambla where we ventured into El Raval. Although it was a chilly day here, I was very content wandering around, bopping in and out of stores, and occasionally coming to a full stop to stare into a restaurant. Perhaps we also happened to come upon another candy store and leave with another plastic bag of goodies. Sí, claro...¡Es mi vida en Barcelona!


Tomorrow brings another adventure -- Madrid! At 6:45am I will meet up with the Deniz, Mo & the rest of the Nural clan to begin what should be a 6-hour road-trip from Barcelona to Madrid. I'm somebody who enjoys a good car ride so you could say I'm pretty excited about this little escapade. An added bonus is that it's Carnival here and Madrid is supposed to be a fun place to celebrate. ¡Fiesta! 

March 1. Month 2.

¡Es marzo! ¿Que? Yes, it is indeed already the month where twigs turn to plants and people find reasons to drink during the day. Almost 2 months since I arrived in BCN and almost 2 months until I'm forced out. There's no good way to convey how I feel about it, but I can tell you that I'm beyond excited for the rest of my travels through Europe! Any-who...

Yesterday, my spanish class had the wonderful surprise of not really having class, rather a check-up as to how we were all adjusting to life in Barcelona. Our discussion leader asked us to remember back to the first week here, when we made a list of goals. The first lady we had as our orientation leader was out on maternity leave so this new IES staff member did not have our lists.  I started rattling my brain to remember my goals, then stopped myself. I knew what my goals were. They were the same goals that I had even before arriving in Barcelona.

1. Become fluent in Spanish

2. Learn about a different culture from my own

3. Travel in Europe

Typical, right? The thing is, those are what I call my interview-format goals. They're not my most personal desires as to what I hope to accomplish during my time here. Our discussion leader pointed out to us that having goals is an important thing. However, it's ok if they are modified or completely switched over time. Just by having goals, we give ourselves motivation. So, here is my real list of goals for this semester:

1. Become fluent in Spanish  Become almost fluent

2. Learn about many different cultures from my own

3. Travel, but realize it's impossible to see everything so appreciate the places I do see

4. Become more independent *

5. Be able to sit in a café with just a book and not fidget

6. Finish reading my copy of Orgullo y prejuicio 

7. Don't give into every bready-chocolatey food I lay my eyes on

Jardín Botanica en Barcelona

Catching Up

Ok, so lately I haven't been the best about keeping up with my blog. This week I was lazy more than anything else. And sick. The combination of the two is what did me in. Anywhooo...

Friday was the first day where I woke up and felt well enough to stay out of bed for more than 3 consecutive hours. Hooray! So that afternoon I met up with some girls in my program and we went down to Barceloneta to find a place to eat, then to test out a new bar/ bistro. The meal was nothing to blog about because 1) I had already eaten and 2) it was nothing special. 

With hardly any difficulty, we found Milk Bar.  Milk is definitely a place to talk about because of it's cozy, yet chic atmosphere and fun-named cocktails. We shuffled into a table with a booth -now that I think about it, all the tables had booth seating - and reached for the cocktail menu. You can try anything from a simple Cosmopolitan to something called a Boozy Rouge Beri. Or, perhaps you are craving a Cucaracha or, Bling Bling.  Choices, choices. Well, I started off with a Boozy Rouge Beri, which lived up to it's name. 

After our cocktails were all sipped down, we started off to see the Magic Fountain. I had just heard of this so called Magic Fountain earlier that day so my expectations weren't too high, yet I was curious so see why this fountain was so magical. Around 8:30, we got to the boulevard leading up to the fountain. That's when I started getting really excited. I could see this magnificent gush of water in the distance lit up by different colors. This light show happens once it starts to get warmer in Barcelona and goes for about 15 minutes every 30 minutes. It was like something out of Disney's Fantasia. Who knew water and lights could be so entertaining? Oh yeah, and how could I forget about the music playing!  It sounded like it was from an Italian opera, or maybe it was just a recording of a really fat Italian man singing, but I loved it. The music was the perfect touch for an amazing light show. 

    

      

Saturday was another day in Barcelona spent walking around a lot. I met up with Colleen and two friends of hers from CIEE. We went to lunch at Cervesaria Catalana, which is one of my favorite tapas places in Barcelona. Anjali and I went there about two weeks ago and loved our meal. Going back there yesterday was such a treat for me and I enjoyed my meal just as much! Colleen and her friends became Cervesaria Catalana fans as well, all coming to the consensus that this was a place to bring the parents when they visited. After our late lunch, we headed to Casa Amatller, which is one of three famous houses referred to as the "Mazana de la Discordia"(Block of Discord). Antoni Amatller was a chocolatier who had this house built for his family. Its modernist facade is captivating and draws a large tourist crowd, while standing next to Gaudi's Casa Batlló. I have yet to inside Casa Batlló because of the ridiculously high price of entry (16.50 €). My urban studies teacher gave us a great hint though, if you visit the home store behind Casa Batlló, you can get a great view of the back of the house without paying a dime. Thanks, Isabel! 

So, now you know most of what I've been up to. Today is going to be filled with lots of homework unfortunately. For some reason IES thinks that we're students and should be doing projects, studying for tests, and completely homework assignments. Weird. I guess I'll make do...as long as I find a place nearby that's open and selling croissants!

¡Hasta luego!