This is your Barcelona, too...

So, the title may give the subject of this post away--my trip to Barcelona last week! I had so much fun and we were relatively lucky with the weather overall, making Barcelona a great trip. I must say that everyone had told me that I would LOVE Barcelona, so I went in with extremely high expectations. I did love Barcelona, but it was definitely not what I imagined and not my favorite city that I visited. However, it did create some of my best memories of being abroad and that obviously counts for something.

Let the play-by-play begin!

So Katie, Lindsay, and I went up Thursday morning/afternoon and once we got there, we headed to the harbor for a little walk and then to the market to pick up some food for dinner that night in the hostel. Hannah joined us just in time for dinner and we ended up staying in because we had woken up so early for travel.

The next day we woke up bright and early for a tour. We found a great company that gave free tours around the city, minus the tip we gave the tour guide. Friday we did the Gothic (Old) City tour. We started in Plaza Real and then worked our way to Plaza de Pi and then to the Old Jewish Quarter. There we saw the old synagogue with the Hebrew engraved into the stones. We then went to Plaza Sant Jaume which is where the government buildings for both Catalunia and Barcelona are located. In this tumultuous time for Spain, there was one protester there, but our tour guide said there have been a lot in recent months. We then made our way to the cathedral which was different than any other one I have seen because it was like an outdoor patio--different, but way cool. We wandered to Plaza Felip Neri, the location of many movies, and then walked over to the old Archdecon's house which has a beautiful patio. We then saw part of the old Roman wall and saw that part of the city, including Plaza del Rey where King Ferdinand was stabbed while greeting Christopher Columbus. We ended this tour at Santa Maria del Mar, a beautiful church from the Gothic period. Here is a picture of one of Picasso's murals:

We then met up with Kate, and our group was complete. We went back to the market (Hannah and Kate hadn't been yet) and got lunch and sat outside to enjoy our meat, cheese, and chocolate. Obviously, I loved the market for the glorious amount of food it provided for me, but it was also fun to talk about food and ask questions about it in Spanish. It was crazy packed both times we went, but it was so much fun (plus the food was incredible!).

We then went back to the hostel for a short siesta before heading up to Montjuic (I still don't know how to pronounce that). We took the "fun funicular" up and then walked through a sculpture garden to end up at the Joan Miro Museum. All five of us were allowed one thing that we really wanted to see, and this was mine. I definitely kinda forced a few people into it, but it ended up being spectacular. I didn't know a lot about Miro before, so I was able to learn so much and thus appreciate him that much more. Art snob sidebar (blame my father): it is interesting to me that his late work is much more well known than his earlier work. I realize that a lot of his earlier work is experimenting with the ideas of others, and his later work really is his own style, but I felt that the early work was a much better representation of him and the world that he was living in at the moment. I can say now that I like Miro a lot more than I did before I went to the museum and that is distinctly because I was able to see his earlier works.

Anywho, after the Museum we tried to get up to the Castle on Montjuic, but we confused so we just walked to the Olympic Stadium. Fun fact: they built that stadium for the 1936 Olympics, but Barcelona did not win the bid because of the Spanish Civil War. Thus, when they did win the bid for the 1992 Olympics, there was one last thing they had to build! Hannah and I came up with this picture idea and we made everyone go along with it, keep in mind Katie doesn't like the Olympics so we believe the girl in the middle in the back row was trying to sabotage our great idea. Take a look for yourself:

We then tried to see the Magic Fountain at Plaza Espanol, but the hostel told us the wrong time and we were getting cold and hungry. We decided to cook again in the hostel, but the stove wasn't working so we made little sandwiches and did what Americans do best--order pizza! That night we went to a bar/club with the hostel and met a bunch of great people that were staying at the same hostel. Unfortunately, it started raining which kind of put a damper on the whole night, so a few of us went home and got ready for the next tour!

The next morning we woke up and made our way to the next free tour, the subject this time: Gaudi. We didn't go into any of the houses because it costs money and we were on the FREE tour, but it was perfect because you got a really good idea of the architecture from the outside. Plus, let's be realistic, the facade is the coolest part. Anyway, we first had a look at the Palau Guell, with its 15 awesome chimneys all decorated like they belonged in a child's imagination. We then took a subway ride to the two private houses that Gaudi was commissioned for on Passeig de Gracia--Casa Batllo and Casa Mila (La Pedrera). Casa Batllo was simply a fairytale with its bright colors, and swirling tile. La Pedrera was a masterpiece in a much different way. Definitely not "pretty," La Pedrera had a much stronger social commentary and a few silent digs at the philandering owner throughout the balcony architecture.

And then, Sagrada Familia. Obviously, it was incredible. The Nativity and Passion Facades are completely different from each other and both are unlike anything I've ever seen. And the inside--well, that is just even more gorgeous. Since it is being built in so many different time periods, the building itself reflects this and sometimes I found myself reminding myself that this was to be a church. It wasn't necessarily pretty, but it was the most incredible, awe-inspiring piece of architecture I have seen in awhile. Here is a picture of the five of us outside the Nativity Facade:


And then to finish out our tourist time in Barcelona and our Day of Gaudi, we went to Park Guell, which just slightly nudges out the Miro Museum for my favorite thing in Barcelona. Full of sun, people, music, and unadulterated happiness, Guell was exactly what I imagined it to be. We ate lunch here and took a siesta in the sun, enjoying our surroundings and the amazing view provided for us. We were also utterly exhausted, so it was great to be in a tourist location relaxing and trying to blend in with the locals. After Guell, we ventured back to the hostel for a more serious siesta (and finding out that our flight wouldn't be canceled due to the volcano!), dinner, and another night out on the town of Barcelona. I can easily say that we all went home Sunday exhausted and happy with the trip we had just finished.

Barcelona also marked the end of our traveling in Spain. With the exception of the beach tomorrow, the next time I leave Granada will be to go to Torremolinos for 3 days before I head back to the States. Tomorrow is the 2.5 week mark, which means a lot of stuff going on here and my readiness to go home becoming more and more apparent. This coming week is our last week of classes and then the following is finals, so it will be pretty nonstop from here until the end. Just this week alone I have a final, a final presentation, and a flamenco show! I'm excited for these last two weeks here, but I am also getting very excited to come. British Airways is possibly going on strike while I am coming home, but I should be in the clear in regards to my flights not being canceled. In fact, since I can move my flights for free because of the strike, I am going to try to move my flight up a day so that I don't have to spend a day alone in Spain and I can get home quicker (surprise!). Nothing is official yet, but it would be a nice surprise. But right now, I am just going to enjoy the little time I have left here and soak up every possible thing that I can because soon enough, this will no longer be home.

I'll try to write a quick note in sometime before I leave Granada, if not I'll definitely do one while I'm at the beach! I can't believe this is one of my last posts!

Hasta luego!

El Capital

So, I was able to find some time in between my two back-to-back trips to fill you in so as to not have one HUGE post next week--aren't I nice?!?!

Anyway, Saturday morning we (Val, Katie, Lindsay and I) got up bright and early around 5:30am in order to make it to the bus station for our 7am bus ride. The ride is 5 hours to Madrid, the perfect amount of time to catch up on the sleep we missed that same morning.

When we got to Madrid it was about noon, so we checked into our hostel and proceeded to the Parque Retiro to start our sightseeing while eating our picnics that our host families had packed for us. When we walked into the park, we might have well have walked into a green dream. Bigger than anything I could have ever imagined, it was absolutely gorgeous. Trees, flowers, grass, and a ton of people--it is best described as a bigger and better Central Park. The best thing about the park was the lake where you could row boats. We didn't rent one, but we had a lot of fun eating and watching (and sometimes laughing) at those that did. Here is a picture of the ladies in the park:

We then had a disheartening realization--May 1st is Spain's Labor Day which meant that all of the museums were closed. But, have no fear, we improvised! We walked to Plaza Mayor and Puerta del Sol to get the outside sightseeing done. Lindsay and Val then went to a bullfight (they said it was a very good thing that I didn't go) and Katie and I got some sangria and then walked over to the Palacio Real to take pictures outside of it (more on that later). We then wandered to the Catedral, but couldn't go in because a wedding was taking place. But, no fear, we sat there for a half hour stalking the wedding party waiting for the bride to arrive. In case you were curious, the dress was a disappointment, but her arrival car was anything but.

A side note on the architecture in Madrid. Before this weekend, I had only visited Spanish cities in Andalucia, which has very similar styles because of the Islamic influences. However, in Madrid, there was never a strong Arab influence and thus the architecture is much more European. Instead of reminding me of Granada or Sevilla, Madrid reminded me of (a poor man's) Paris. Don't get me wrong, it was GORGEOUS, it was just very interesting to see apartments andbuildings that were very cosmopolitan, relatively new, and put simply--big city-like. But, I guess that makes sense since Madrid has been the capital of Spain since around the 1800s.

Okay, continuing. Saturday night was nothing special minus the fact that I had THAI FOOD for the first time I've been here which was more than necessary. Katie and I went to a bar/club which was much different than the ones in Granada, but enjoyable just the same. We then crawled into bed, blissfully unaware of the day ahead.

Sunday was crazy. We wanted to get all the museums in, but we wanted to leave on the 5:30pm bus to Granada; and thus, the challenge was formed. First, we walked back to the Palacio Real and saw the front side and the catedral that is next to it. Another Paris reference, think of the Palacio as a smaller, less ornate version of Versailles. However, there are distinct differences, two that are crucial. One, Palacio Real was used more as a government building and less as a residence than Versailles. Second, parts of the Palacio Real are still used today for events. Katie and I being the political junkies that we are, paid to go inside and take the tour and boy, was it worth it. Gorgeous room, upon gorgeous room--favorite was definitely the Throne Room--but unfortunately, they were much stricter here about the no pictures rule. But, here is a picture of Katie an I outside the Palacio:

We then walked to the Reina Sofia and had a ball with Picasso and Miro. It was not the best collection I have ever seen, but I read in Frommers that they are trying to be the Spanish Centre Pompidou, and I definitely see that in the future. Obviously, the most incredible thing in there was Picasso´s Guernica. We stood there in awe of its beauty, in awe of how huge it is, in awe of the detail. I had no idea how big the painting was, so to turn right and just see...it, well that was just indescribable. The thought process used for each stroke, created an eye, a face, a being that means so much more than I can know without learning about it in an art history class. Regardless, it was incredible and definitely a highlight of the trip.

After lunch, we went to the Prado and headed directly for Velázquez's Las Meninas. It was incredibly impressive, as was the entire museum, but as we know that kind of art (religious, portraits, studies) is not my favorite kind of art, but I definitely was able to appreciate the work done. The building itself was gorgeous (much prettier than the Reina Sofia which is an old hospital) and overall, it was an enjoyable museum.

We then booked it to the bus station and made it there at 5pm-perfect for the bus! Minus the fact that the 5:30pm was full. As was the 6:30. So, we got on the 7:30pm which wasn't what we wanted, but it ended up being fine. We got back around 1am and I promptly crawled into bed and passed out.

Overall, I had a lot of fun in Madrid, which I was actually surprised about. I expected it to be a just another large city, but Madrid has an identity of its own. I realize that throughout this post, I have compared it on more than one occassion to Paris, but Madrid is definitely not Paris, it is most definitely Spain. After every trip, I think about if I could see myself studying there instead of Granada, and as of right now, Madrid is the only one that came close to an argument. Realistically, it is far too big for me, but its interesting because it wasn't even an option for me when I was considering whree to study abroad this semester. Regardless, its always nice to come home again.

Speaking of Granada, to end this post I'm going to leave you with a few pictures from Dia de los Cruces. It was Monday and we had the afternoon off from classes to walk around the city and explore. It is kind of a made-up holiday, but basically there are crosses made up of red carnations all across the city with decorations surrounding it. Basically, it is an excuse for people to drink earlier in the day and dress up in flamenco dresses and dance. The mixture of cultures (flamenco and Christianity) is what makes Granada great and a great time was had by all.

Tomorrow, I leave for Barcelona until Sunday, which should be a lot of fun. It´s my last big trip before the end of the program and it is very bittersweet. The end is on everyone´s mind, but we are just trying to enjoy every single moment we have left here.

Must go to flamenco class! But I won't be wearing this (or have Juanie behind me)...

Hasta luego!