Adventures in Barcelona!

Hello everyone! Apologies for my lack of posts lately - the "study" in study abroad is really catching up to me. With only a few weeks left of classes the assignments, projects, and tests are really piling up! It's hard to believe that my second semester is almost over and that I'm going to be starting my internship soon (so excited!!). I thought I would take a break from writing my macroeconomics paper to share my latest adventure with you...a weekend in Barcelona!

Last weekend almost all of us (minus two people whose families were in town) headed to sunny Spain for an amazing couple of days filled with lots of hiking, tapas, and even a trip to the beach! We arrived in Barcelona on Thursday afternoon and after dropping off our bags at the Airbnb, enjoyed a traditional Spanish lunch at a restaurant down the road. We had to put our Spanish skills to the test as none of the staff spoke English very well, and I tried flan for the first time (verdict: not a fan of the texture). Afterwards, we explored the city a bit, stumbling upon the beautiful Santa Maria del Mar Church which was built in the 1300s, and popping into a few shops along the way. Then, we got some incredible churros and hot chocolate before heading to the Pablo Picasso Museum. The museum was so cool! It was really interesting to see the progression of Picasso's work over the years.

The next morning we got up early, got ready - quite the process with 10 people sharing one bathroom :) - and walked to the base of El Turó de La Rovira. This is an amazing mountain overlook that provides 360 degree views of the city. During the Spanish Civil War, anti-aircraft guns were installed here to defend Barcelona from Franco’s air force. For some reason I was surprised to see palm trees and cacti on the climb up - definitely a big difference from London...It actually reminded me a lot of California! It was a beautiful, sunny day and we stayed at the top of the mountain for a while, taking in the incredible sights of the city. After our climb down, we stopped at a little bakery for some treats and headed to Parc Güell. This park is one of many places in Barcelona designed by architect Antoni Gaudí. He has a very distinctive and unique style of architecture and it was very easy to spot his buildings and architectural influence throughout the city. After the park, we headed to Las Ramblas, a popular street in Barcelona known for its shopping and food market, La Boqueria. We stopped there for a late lunch and got some delicious gelato and fruit for dessert.

On many of our bucket lists was to go to the beach and watch the sunset, so after some more exploring, we did just that! Number one awkward/funny moment of the weekend was seeing a lone nude beachgoer walking along the ocean in front of everyone! We had to laugh because some of the guys had joking been looking up nude beaches in Barcelona before we left...I don't really think a naked middle aged man was what they had in mind :) Even though it was pretty chilly, a few of us actually dipped our feet in the water - which was surprisingly not as cold as expected. After the sun had set we headed to a restaurant by the beach for a traditional dinner of paella, a Spanish dish served family style that consists of rice, seasonings, and fish.

The next day was one of the best days of this entire trip so far. We had planned in advance to go to La Sagrada Familia, an absolutely enormous basilica that towers over the city. It's hard to describe how amazing it actually was. All I can say is that it was one of the most incredible and breathtaking places I have ever been in my life. The church was designed by Gaudí and its construction began in 1882, and its not even close to being done yet! The builders are projecting it to be completed in 2026 (GCP 10 year reunion in Barca anyone??). I walked through the church for over an hour just in awe of the craftsmanship and beautiful stained glass windows that illuminated the walls in a rainbow of colors. I can't even begin to imagine how awesome it will look once its done.

After La Sagrada Familia, Susie, Nicole, Manisha and I broke off from the larger group and got a lunch of a bunch of different tapas (another traditional part of the Spanish diet that is basically just appetizers and little snacks) at a authentic restaurant - it was SO good. We ate outside in the sunshine with the sound of a live Spanish band in the background - it felt like a scene from a movie! We then got more gelato, churros, and hot chocolate before heading to Zara for a little shopping.

When were up on the mountain on the second day, we spotted a ferris wheel and magical looking castle (which turned out to be a church) on the top of another mountain in the distance. In a spur of the moment decision our little girl squad decided we had to find a way to get there. After a quick google search we discovered that there was a tram that would take us right to the top! However, that plan was soon squashed when a friendly woman explained to us at the bus stop that the tram doesn't run in the winter..or on Saturdays and Sundays. But, we were still determined to get to the top so we hopped on a bus which took us about half way up where we ran into two other girls (one from Chicago and the other from Sweden) who had the same goal in mind. We all began our trek up the mountain - shopping bags in hand - as the sun began to set over the city. Every time we thought we had almost gotten to the top, the path twisted and there was more walking to do. About an hour later, we FINALLY made it to the top and let me tell you, it was so worth it. You could literally see all of Barcelona, from the mountains, to the ocean. It was incredible, especially with the sky pink from the sunset. At the very top, like an oasis in the desert, was a beautiful hotel where we obviously rewarded ourselves with a glass of wine and dinner after the hike. Sharing a meal with some of my best friends, overlooking the sparkling city at night was the perfect ending to a perfect day. We then ordered a taxi to drive us back down :).

The next morning we packed up and a few of us went to Camp Nou, the largest stadium in Spain and home to acclaimed soccer team FC Barcelona. Our tour included access to the museum on the history of the club, the locker room, the commentary box, the press room, the tunnel the players run through before every game, and a walk on the field. It was so cool to learn about a team that is such a big part of the Spanish culture and the stadium was awesome! I can only imagine how lively and energized it gets during a game! After our tour it was time to say adios to sunny Barcelona so we headed to the airport to catch our flight back to London. Another crazy fun adventure to add to the list!

Hopefully I can keep you updated on my activities in London from the past few weeks once I get some of my work out of the way...look out for more posts to come!