Hola mis amigos!
On Saturday at 6 am we left on our own bus to Barcelona. We were up and people were still out dancing and partying from the night before it was SO early! It was around an 8 hour bus drive from Segovia to Barcelona but the good thing was on the way I slept most of the way. We had one stop the whole trip at a truck stop that reminded me of a US truck stop but it was definitely not the same. We got to Barcelona around 2:30 and went to our hotel. Our hotel was right on La Rambla which is the main street of Barcelona! We were right by a McDonald's, Hard Rock Cafe, H&M, and tons of others shops and street vendors. It was a perfect location! The hotel room was small and everything in it was peptobismol pink except for the chandelier hanging from the ceiling. lol The best part about the hotel to us college kids was that they had food and beverages for free 24/7 so we could drink all the pop we wanted and they even had an ice cream machine. I was in heaven!!! The first day we went on a walk with Ricardo just so he could show us the way around and he also showed us the way to the beach. Some people ran into the water with their clothes on but I just got wet from the knees down playing in the waves. It was so AMAZING! For those of you who don't know, Barcelona is on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It was around 70 degrees everyday and so of course us Minnesotans took full advantage of enjoying the beach and the sea. Ricardo then led us back to the hotel where we relaxed for a little while. Liz, Tia, and I were going to go shopping at H&M before going to the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner but when we went to make reservations the wait was already at a half hour and since we had a group of 12 coming we decided to wait there. We got our American food and atmosphere time at the Hard Rock that night which was really fun and they even had it all decorated for Halloween. After eating a big burger at the Hard Rock we just went back to the hotel and ate ice cream and talked out on the patio of the hotel. The time changed already here on Saturday night to one hour behind and it is so weird how early it gets dark here now! I am writing this at 6:30 and it's dark out already!
On Sunday, we went on a bus tour of the city. We got to see two of the houses that the artist Gaudi designed and they were amazing! The balconies on the one house looked like it was made out of bones. We then drove past and got out at the Sagrada Familia which is a church that is still being finished but was also designed by the artist Gaudi. It was amazing! We then got to go up on a hill and see the city of Barcelona from there which was beautiful! It made us realize how huge Barcelona really is! After that we stopped at the Olympic stadium of the Olympics of 1992 and got to go inside of that which was really cool. After our tour that morning we had a picnic lunch at a park that was by far the coolest park I have ever been to. It felt like we were in a tropical jungle and all the buildings, benches, and decorations were made by Gaudi himself. After the park we went and waited in line to go inside the Museum of Picasso which we waited 40 minutes to see and it only took us 45 minutes to go through it all it was so small and boring. It was like we saw the same picture over and over again! After the museum we finally got free time and we got changed into our suits and went to the beach. We had been waiting for that ALL day!!! What we didn't realize is that it took us around 20 minutes to walk to the beach the other day and so it seemed like forever to get there. Bria, Britt, Charlie, Kyle, Tim, Anna, and I all played sand volleyball for awhile and then we went and cooled off in the ocean and then played another whole game with three guys from Barcelona who joined us. It was SO much fun! I had forgotten how much I love volleyball! My body is still sore! We were playing in our suits and shorts and the people would just stop and dead stare us because they were in long sleeves in 70 degree weather and so they thought we were crazy lol We didn't think it was cold and we are from Minnesota so whatever people! lol After playing for a few hours we headed back to the hotel and ate dinner at a restaurant on the way back for 4 euros and I even got a glass of wine with it that was really good. We just hung out at the hotel again that night talking out on the patio, because it was just nice to be able to not have to go somewhere to hang out like we always have to when we are at Segovia since we can't just hang out at someone's house.
On Monday we went to the Sagrada Familia church at 10am. We had lots of time to explore inside and we didn't have to wait in the 2 hour long line so that was a bonus. The inside and the outside of the building were amazing. There were so many details to look at and the stain glass windows were beautiful as well. The outside wall of the door we went into told the story of the Passion of Christ and it showed every detail down to the rooster that crowed when Peter denied Jesus three times. Gaudi died many years ago but they are still working on it and the artists now are following Gaudi's plan and ideas to finish it. After spending some time there we headed back to the hotel by bus and had an hour of free time to go shopping so of course a whole group of us headed to H&M which was dangerous like usual. I did find a cute top and a pair of pants for 25 euros though which isn't too bad. After H&M we headed to the Italian Restaurant where we ate as a group for lunch. We got salads, four cheese sauce pasta, and tiramsu or ice cream for dessert. I got tiramsu which I discovered I like in Italy. It was so good!!! After lunch a bigger group of us went to the beach and we played sand volleyball and I went even further out into the water and into the bigger waves. Best Halloween ever! How lucky was I to get to play sand volleyball and swim in the ocean on Halloween. On the way home for the beach many hours later we got McDonald's for dinner and then just hung out at the hotel and ate "reese's blizzards" and played cards.
The next morning Liz, Bria, and I who had shared a hotel room the whole time went souvenir shopping. The only souvenir I bought while we were there was a sweet Barcelona beach towel and postcards. I did get a Starbuck's Frappuccino, and got lunch once again at McDonald's before we left on the long bus ride home. The bus ride home was a lot longer because it was during the day, my cold had gotten worse, and I had worst bus sickness on the way home. I was never so glad to see that aqueduct at eight o clock last night! I loved the city of Barcelona and I want to go back and go see even more then we got to see! There was so much I wanted to do and just not enough time to do it. If I ever moved to Spain (which I don't plan on it) I would want to live in Barcelona or Segovia but I finally found a city in Spain I would like to live in other then Segovia. It was a fun and beautiful city! :)
Today I was supposed to go to Pitufos the daycare but woke up feeling even worse and a shower took the energy out of me so I am taking it easier today and slept until 12:30 and then took another 30 minute nap after lunch. Carmen fed me soup and hand squeezed orange juice today trying to help me feel better, she is so nice! I am hoping to shake this thing tonight though with a good night's sleep and go to the elementary school tomorrow morning. I can't believe it is the 2nd of November already! I only have 5 weeks left in Spain and in the semester and so all the trips and homework are going to keep me busy and then boom it will be time to fly home, CRAZY! I am not really ready for this experience to be over and so I am making the most out of it now. We started no english november yesterday so hopefully no english will be spoke between any of us in the group! A way better idea then no shave November, gah!
Hope you are all doing well and that you had a good Halloween! God Bless!
Miss you!
Jennifer :)
