I can't believe that we are already on a train headed out of Barcelona and on to Italy! The days went by really quickly and I feel like we got to see a lot without ever really pushing ourselves too hard. Here is a rundown of what we did:
- Monday: after finally getting to the hostel, we ventured out walking to get our bearings and see a bit of the city. We ended up out at the beach and back in a gothic neighborhood with winding alleys, terrific balconies and hidden architecture gems. We had dinner at the hostel (veggie pasta with cinnamon...yum!) "family style" aka with everyone there sitting around tables that we pushed together. Even though it felt a little awkward at first, everyone warmed up really quickly and soon we met and made friends with two boys from Texas and a girl from Australia.
-Tuesday: since the weather called for rain on Wednesday, we decided to do out door things asap and ventured out with our new friends to an area outside of town. There we visited Montjuic, an old castle fortress with amazing views of the city and the site of the 1992 Olympics. Even though we couldn't go inside, the courtyard in front of the arena was grassy, green and a great place to lay down after hours of walking. There we met a group of Spanish kids on a field trip who we played with for over a hour. We started out doing gymnastics (Verdict: I can still do a cartwheel but I usually fall on my head if I try to do a back bend) but went on to have very broken conversations about dancing, where we were from, our families, singing, and much more. It was probably my favorite sightseeing part of Barcelona. I woke up very sore the next day, but it was even more of a mental exercise to try and remember enough Spanish to get my point across. It was also a great reminder that just because you don't speak the same language doesn't mean you cant share experiences. After getting back to the hostel, Katlin and I went back out to Park Guell or Goudi's park. Dinner in the hostel was tortilla, or omelets with red sauce that you eat on bread with your fingers and then out for some traditional sangria with friends.
-Wednesday: unfortunately the forecast was right and we woke up to rain. We donned rain jackets and headed for la boqueria, the biggest, liveliest indoor market I've ever seen. The fresh seafood put Wilmington to shame! There were rows and rows of ready to eat fruit, candies, tapas , mushrooms, wine, bread, meat, sausage, cheese...honestly, anything you could want. I got a delicious pineapple that was already sliced and Kate enjoyed a fresh fruit shake. After that, we wanted to see the Picasso museum, but the line was outrageous so we went to a chocolate museum instead (did you know chocolate was introduced to Barcelona straight from Mexico and before the rest of the world? Me neither). Then we stumbled upon a photo exhibit with pictures of old Barcelona and current Barcelona super imposed upon on another. It was a random find that we both really enjoyed. After a short break, we went off the see the Sagrada Familia, which exceeded even my very high expectations. There really isn't a way to accurately describe this grand church that is 130 years in the making but it is the most impressive building that I have ever laid eyes on. There was a exhibit on Goudi and how he strived to incorporate nature into the church as much as possible, which made it an even richer experience. As he wished, the columns really do feel like a grove of trees and the shapes of the decorations are organic but precisely planned. If you are anywhere near Barcelona, you must see it. Buy your tickets online and skip the que when you get there. We opted to get dinner out because we wanted seafood paella and even though the restaurant we went to was far away and we got a littler lost, it was well worth it. The whole meal came out in one pot for the both of us...a big pan of yellow rice in seafood sauce with peas and carrots mixed in, topped with mussels, shrimp, crab legs, some crawdad/prawn looking thing and clams. We washed it down with a severely discounted bottle of wine thanks to our hostel managers connection with the restaurant and walked away as happy and satisfied as we could be.
-Thursday: today we got up, packed, stored our luggage with the hostel and went out to see the Picasso museum, which did not disappoint. Throught contributions from rhe artist himself and his family/friends, they have a very comprehensive collection of his work, starting when he was about 14. Seeing the progression of his work was pretty incredible, especially because usually Picasso just calls up abstract, colorful paintings to mind.Lunch was tapas from a small bar/restaurant: ham and potatoes, bread and croquettes ( we don't know what it is but it tasted like fried mashed potatoes with ham in them). So tasty. Even though there was a 100% chance of thunderstorms all day, it hardly rained at all and the sun even came out!
Now I'm currently on the overnight train to Milan where we will stop for lunch before heading out to Rome for 3 days. I'm sad to leave Barcelona. We arrived apprehensive about the language barrier and looking for what our lives will is really going to be like for the next four weeks. We left with a newfound confidence about navigating a city and making friends and an assurance that this trip really will be all we wanted it to be and much more. Barcelona will always be the place that Katlin and I really began our Euro trip together and I think we will definitely be back.
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