Weeks five and six

I have been neglecting my blog- I apologize. So much has happened since visiting Girona. I don't even really know where to begin. I am going to split up my posts by event. First, Mary and I went to a small Spanish tapas place called La Xampanyeria where many locals go to get all boozy on cava which is only 1 euro a glass and eat big cheesy sandwiches and some traditional style tapas. We love this place and have been planning on making our way back.

We finally made our way to the Barcelona Cathedral which is walking distance from our school. The cathedral was built during the 14th century. The gothic style architecture is absolutely beautiful. I have learned so much about the Mediterranean gothic style in my architecture and painting class (I have a very knowledgeable and passionate professor) that I have come to appreciate it so very much.

The interior of the cathedral is unbelievable, it is hard to believe that something like this was built hundreds and hundreds of years ago. After visiting the cathedral we went to Museu Picasso de Barcelona. In my architecture and painting class we are learning extensively about Picasso and his life in Paris and Barcelona. It was really unreal to see Picasso's classic signature on his works.

 Self Portrait

 Picasso's signature

 Self Portrait With a Wig

I will do separate posts for my visits to Tarragona and Lisbon, Portugal. Until next time...

Week three & four

Today marks the day of my one month arrival in Barcelona. I have been busy with homework and basically fitting into my new life here. The last two weeks have been fairly mellow. I still wake up everyday in awe that I am actually here. Living the dream I have had for years.

Two weekends ago (I lagged on my post) we went to the beautiful city of Girona. The city is about an hour or so north of Barcelona and is one of the oldest Catalonia cities. It is a breathtaking city full of color and life. A river flows through the middle and the Pyrenees mountains can be seen from the top of the lookout towers which were used to protect the cit from invaders hundreds of years ago.

Picture perfect.

There were also some very cool vintage street vendors- if you know me you know I am obsessed with this kind of stuff. I picked up a couple one-of-a-kind pieces I can't wait to bring home.

So after spending a couple of hours in Girona exploring the cathedral and old Roman grounds we ventured north (I think it was north) to a small village called Besalu. Besalu was the sleepiest little Spanish village with a few shops, restaurants and of course a church (a city in Spain needs two things- a church and a market to be considered a city). The village was surrounded by water and had ruins of an old synagogue. 

The people of Besalu are born and raised there. If a foreigner comes to live in the village he or she will always be known as the foreigner regardless of how long they may live there.

The views here were so peaceful and surreal. 

So far, Girona has been my favorite place. It was so peaceful and the cobblestone grounds really took you back in time. I love learning about the old Catalan cities and their history. This weekend we will be heading to Tarragona a wine country town south of Barcelona which should be really exciting. Also, I will be going to an FC Barcelona futbol game so I will be sure to keep everyone updated! I am so grateful and happy to be here. Until next time...

Two weeks.

It is officially the two week mark since my arrival in Barcelona, well 15 days to be exact. I am finally feeling comfortable. I know my way around now- I walk a lot in a day, probably a few miles. I am starting to notice things I didn't notice the first week I was here. I see familiar faces walking the streets and I even found a coffee shop I love- Petit Pot. It's awesome- they have yummy bocadillos (sandwiches) and the best espresso (cortados, cafe solo & americanos are what I like). I drink espresso like it's water here.

This weekend Mary and I visited Parc Guell- Antoni Gaudi's park in northern Barcelona. It was built in the early 1900s with the intentions of it being a "garden city" for Mr. Guell- a wealthy factory owner. The park is breathtaking. From the top you can pretty much see the entire city and the coast. We brought little mini cava bottles into the park and sat on the beautiful mosaic seats- it was magical.

 The breathtaking view of the city and the coast.

 Mosaics and columns when you enter the park.

Sagrada Familia in the distance (my apartment is about six blocks from that monument).

Gaudi's "el drac." There is an old Spanish legend where a Catalan soldier rescues a girl from a dragon- dragon references are seen in a lot of Catalan art.

I have been learning so much amazing things in my architecture & painting class- I have a whole new appreciation for Spanish art now. To learn about these works in class, the meanings, the movement and the history just gives me a whole new outlook seeing it in person. 

It is still surreal to me that I am in Europe, I wake up everyday and am so grateful to be able to experience something this amazing. I miss home but it really isn't very hard getting used to this place. Until next time...

Week One

It has been officially one week since I arrived in Barcelona. I already have so many stories. I've made friends- Americans, Chileans, Argentineans, Spaniards and Italians. My first day in Spain was interesting to say the least. We were picked up at the airport and brought to our apartment. Upon arrival I had tears in my eyes. I couldn't believe the beauty. It was everything I had imagined and more. The beautiful marbled floors and tiles- just the attention to detail old Spanish architects would put into their work. I couldn't believe that this was the place I was going to be living for the next four months of my life.

I will keep this post short and sweet. There is so much to tell but I'd rather not go into the boring details. Upon arriving Mary and I had to buy bed linens. We ended up getting lost on the metro and walking out on the street on accident. We got over trying to take the metro and took a cab to El Corte Ingles- a Spanish department store where only one employee spoke English. Little did we know Europeans measure their bed sizes by cm. We knew our beds were full so we had to point to display beds to figure out the correct size. This was definitely my initial 'culture shock.'

Our first orientation and my first taste of Catalan food was Thursday. We grabbed a quick lunch on Passeig de Gracia before orientation. I had my first bocadillo- a small Spanish sandwich and an ensalada. It was interesting to say the least.

Friday we went on a city bus tour with an official tour guide. This was one of my favorite activities so far. We began the tour at Arc De Triomf.

From the arc we went to La Sagrada Familia (the Holy family) a large Roman Catholic church built by the infamous Antoni Gaudi. Building began in 1882 with Gaudi becoming involved in 1883 and halted in 1926 when Gaudi died- only a quarter of the project was finished at this time. The project is said to be finished by 2026.

From La Sagrada Familia (which I can see from my balcony) we went to Montjuic (mountain of the Jews). Montjuic is the Jewish cemetery and home of Barcelona's 1992 Olympics. The mountain has the most beautiful view of the entire city.

Friday night after the city tour we went to the Barcelona Pipa Club- a speakeasy pipe smoker's club which frequented people like Salvador Dali. This has been my favorite bar yet.

Saturday night we went out for a Spanish specialty- paella. Restaurant 7 Portes was rumored to have the best paella in the city. It was super yummy and we even got to sit at the same table Salvador Dali would sit! From there we had our first sangria at Paddy's Lane- a bar just down the street.

Sunday we roamed the Gothic Quarter which is the centre of the old city in Barcelona. Most of the buildings date back to the medieval times. It is it's own world. I want to definitely go back there soon to take more photos.

Monday was the first day of escuela. I am taking photojournalism, international marketing and business, beginning spanish and architecture and painting in Barcelona. I am slowly but surely getting into the groove of things. I know where my schools are (there are three) and I finally understand how to use the metro system. I am looking forward to a good semester and months of traveling and exploring. Until next time...

39 hours

I am 39 hours away from leaving my family, boyfriend, friends and home in Huntington Beach, California. I am going to Barcelona where I will live and go to school. This is the beginning of a whole new chapter in my life and I couldn't be happier.