No Tengo el Internet

Sorry it has taken so long to update, I have not been able to get internet in my apartment so I am using the computer at school to say hello! After class on Thursday I met my aunt, uncle and cousins at their hotel which happened to be really close to where I live. We took a tour bus of the city so they could see most of Barcelona and then decide where to spend the next couple of days. Afterwards, we had dinner at one of my favorite restaurants in Plaza Real!

Friday morning we woke up early (at least it was for me) and had breakfast at a really great bakery and then headed to La Sagrada Familia. I had already visited with my class earlier in the week, but I definitely did not mind going back, as it is such and amazing place to see. Before lunch we took a walk through Parc Guell where there are tons of musicians and vendors and people having picnics. There is so much incredible art to see and amazing mosaics everywhere you look. I hope to spend a lot more time there in the next few weeks.

That afternoon we took a tour of the Picasso museum, where I spent more time looking at prints in the gift shop than actually in the museum. I´m glad I saw it, but it was nothing compared to the Prado and the other works I have seen. That night we went for one of the best dinners of my life! We spent 4 hours in this random seafood restaurant where we made friends with the owner and chef who also happens to be a collector of fine pieces of art. After a great meal (where I even ate baby octopus!) we ended up buying several watercolors of places around Barcelona.

Saturday was shopping day and was definitely a success! After another great dinner at one of my favorite places, we went to the fountains to watch the light show! Again, one of the best experiences I have had in Barcelona! It was so good to have my family here, but I´ll admit it has made it harder to stay here for 3 more weeks. I will stay busy with afternoons at the beach, class field trips and weekend excursions and I know I will love the rest of my time here. I am actually headed to the beach right now so hasta luego amigos!

Feliz Cuatro de Julio!

Celebrating the 4th in another country is quite an odd experience. I got a Starbuck's coffee this morning so I guess that will be the most American thing I do today. It was hilarious at breakfast this morning because our Señora thinks that the 4th is a very bid deal so she wanted us to tell her all about the American Revolution in mil setecientos siete y seis (1776). She kissed us goodbye on the way out for school and said "Feliz Cuatro de Julio!" (The Spaniards take a lot of pride in their Independence given that it was very recent)

This week as been a little more low key, but I have seen a lot of new things. Yesterday after class, some girls and I walked through the "Born" part of town and stopped at a Crepes place where I had my first experience with Nutella. There arn't words to describe the deliciousness. After words we spent a couple of hours in the Parc Ciutadella and it was a beautiful day. There are statues and fountains everywhere and even a place to feed ducks. We walked around the city a little more and had a low key evening en casa.

Today, my class took a field trip to La Sagrada Familia, the famous Iglesia that Gaudí was building when he was killed in 1926. For several reasons, including funds, the construction is incomplete and really nowhere close to being finished. It is supposed to be finished in 2026, but everyone I have talked to says that goal is very unlikely. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed the tour. The outside of the church is incredible, each fachada (side) depicting the birth, life, and death of Jesus Cristo, with 12 towers, one for each of the Apostoles. The inside is slightly different, almost completely filled with scaffolding. I'm sure it will be really great when it is all finished, I hope I get the chance to come back and see it.

This afternoon was really overcast and somewhat rainy, but I am really looking forward to dinner with Cheryl at a Sushi restaurant. I think this will be the last time we see each other because, my family comes tomorrow and she is leaving for Prague on Saturday. I am so excited for my cousins and aunt and uncle to get here, I can barely stand it! I will meet them after class tomorrow and hit the town. I'll be sure and take lots of pictures of our adventures!

Hasta Luego...

A Day to Rest

Cheryl and I at Grease


Alex, Cheryl and I at the Fountains


A drinking fountain in the Cathedral of Barcelona



Yes, it is 12:00 noon and I just got out of bed. This crazy Spanish schedule has got be reverting back to my high school days when I stay up all night and sleep all day. The rest of my first week in Barcelona has been so fun, let me tell you all about it...

On Wednesday, I got up for class and then ran a few errands afterwards, before coming back to our piso (apt.) for a little siesta. That evening, our group took a walking tour of El Barrio Gótico (the Gothic Quarter) which is the oldest part of the city. There were so many neat things to see including the Cathedral of Barcelona, the History Museum and the Street of Chocolate, which was my favorite! We even saw the steps up to the old palace where Christopher Columbus climbed to ask the King and Queen for permission to discover the Western Hemisphere! There is so much culture and Catalan pride in this city and it has been really cool to see that.

Thursday was a normal class in the morning, which I am really enjoying. My teacher is really fun and loves teaching which makes the class really great for the students. She even gave me her discount card to the school supply Co-op because I told her how much I love sharpies and notebooks and pens! That afternoon, I met Cheryl and several of her friends from UT to see the musical Grease. It was in Spanish and it was so much fun to watch, definitely a cultural experience. We had dinner at Hard Rock Cafe afterwards and it was the first time I had a salad with ranch dressing. I decided if I ever get homesick, I am going back there, because it does not get much more American than that.

Friday we had class, but we got out at 1 so I took my beach stuff and headed straight over. The beach is great because you can lay in the sun for hours without feeling hot! We went to a restaurant in the center of the city that is pretty famous and had a really nice meal for cheap! Around 10:30 we headed over to Las Fuentes (the fountains) in front of the Art Museum. So far, this is my favorite place in the city. On the weekends in the summer they put on a light show at the fountains and play music and thousands of people go and sit around for hours just watchig. It was so fun, I hope to go back several times while I am here!

Yesterday, Cheryl, Alex, another girl from UT, and I took a short hike up to Montjuïc where lots of the Olympics facilities are. It was really neat to see the stadium and other buildings, and we even went into the Olympic Museum. I can't imagine having been lucky enough to be in this city the summer of 1992. Anybody want to "study abroad" in London in 2012? We went to the beach for the afternoon and took a really nice nap. Then, some girls from Cheryl's group met up with us for dinner and then we went out for the night and had a good time.

Today is not just a regular Sunday in Spain. Today is the first day of July, which mean the descuentos start! Every store that is usually closed is open today and everyone goes shopping! So you know where I will be this afternoon...

I am really looking forward to this week because of a couple of class field trips and because my Uncle Donnie, Aunt Cheryl, Lar-Lar and Dede are coming on Thursday.

Hasta Luego Amigos...