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