The Venice of Spain

This past weekend I took a trip outside of Barcelona to Girona, Spain.  Upon arriving in the new part of the city, we decided to go to the customer service desk and ask for a map.  Stupid us, they don't have maps of the city! Why would we even ask for a map? Oh, and you should have seen the look the woman gave me when I asked her (in spanish) how to get to the Cathedral. Her response to me was pointing with her finger to the left. Thanks for the help. Luckily, my traveling companions and I weren't completely void like the customer service lady and came upon the medieval part of Girona within ten minutes of walking. This is where the fun began.  We were welcomed into the old city by a group of street performers with faces painted white and lips a shade of blue, all dancing and leaping around to a tune you'd hear in Fantasia. After they handed out free candy (mine turned out to be a throat lozenge), we headed towards the medieval wall.  We were about to start scaling this giant wall when we finally found stairs leading up.  The view was sensational! The different colored rooftops set in front of steel gray mountains and a blue sky was absolutely breathtaking.  After walking along the wall, we ended up at La Catédral de Girona.  The audio tour made our visit even more interesting because we were given descriptions of memorials made for saints and features of the cathedral.  We walked through all 27 stations, listening closely to the all-knowing audio machine.  By the end of the tour, all four of our stomachs were growling so we rushed to find a restaurant. Mistake #1: Waiting too long to eat and settling for a less than mediocre restaurant. Somehow we managed to find the worst restaurant in Girona.  The paella was soupy, the wine was stale, and the chicken in the sandwich a tad too chewy for comfort. After laughing until we nearly choked on our "food," the group decided this called for a bar crawl. So, onward we went to another restaurant/ bar where we ordered a liter of sangria (Don't worry, Mom, we got bread with the alcohol too). I'd say things were looking better for us already. After another quick stop into a pastry shop, we returned to the train station. Our day in Girona was over, but the memories will live on. It really is a beautiful place to visit and I recommend checking out the charming city to anyone who can.

Sunday was another adventure, but within the city of Barca.  Colleen and I walked up (literally, the incline of the streets is insane) to Parc Güell.  Many other people had the same idea as us.  There were couples, families, friends, residents, visitors, vendors, and so on. The last time I was at Parc Güell, the atmosphere was completely different.  I loved just strolling around, sitting on the bench, observing and listening to live music.  Not only was the park a hit, but the little sandwich place we found near it was a winner too! Both of us savored our grilled sandwiches with cheese and veggies.  Plus, I really dug the cozy atmosphere with funky wall colors, chalkboard menu and mosaic coffee tables.

And so, there you have it. Now, week three has already begun and the homework load is increasing.  I think I'll survive though...we leave for Valencia on Wednesday morning! All the Liberal Arts & Business students in IES take this trip, which is included in our tuition.  I'm really excited to explore Southern Catalonia and don't mind the fact that during our bus ride we stop at a winery for a wine tasting. I'm crossing my fingers for good weather! Hasta luego!