School and More New Sights!

I am sorry I didn't write a post yesterday, but it was really quite an ordinary day without enough material to merit a blog. But today, I will catch up with more pictures and stories! Thank you to all the avid readers out there too, it's nice to know there are people at home keeping up with my trip so far! So today we got our student id cars, which look like cheap little laminated play-things, but are at least somewhat official, and will be a cool souvenir for when I get back. Tomorrow we will get academic advising and learn how to apply for our student residence card and sign up for classes. We toured around the University a bit more today when we had a break, the top floor is even more beautiful than the bottom area that we pass through every day. Here are some pictures:

The second floor corridor

Library. In the left top corner you can see a railing, over there, above the ground level they have glass display cases of ANCIENT books that are barely held together anymore. I would love to check them out more closely when I get the chance.

After class, my roommate Claire and I walked to the Arc de Triomf which is past the Plaza Catalunya and i'm sure generally a huge tourist trap. However, this week began the first week of the post-summer Spain, where most Spaniards are coming back from vacations and opening up shop again. Taking the tram home from school I was so excited to see lots of new clothing stores and cafes that have previously been hidden by a metal cover, now open for business. The pace of life seems to have changed too. Traffic is crazy, you always see lots of business men and women in suits riding their mope-heads, and everyone seems to have somewhere to go. When we got to the Arc de Triomf, there were only a dozen or so tourists in the entire plaza, which was a refreshing sight. Here are some pictures of the Arch:

From the street view.

Unfortunately the fact that we were still in a tourist zone, even once the tourists are gone, tourist prices remain...hence a 3.50 euro diet coke at a cafe down the street. Whatever the ambiance was worth 10 time that! So today I went to meet with my roommates and pay my rent and deposit and I got my keys! Claire is doing the same tonight with her roommates and since neither of us were going to be home in time for dinner, we stopped at the Corte Ingles store for groceries. What I love so much about Spain is that delicious bread is the cheapest thing in the world! Much cheaper than water! So bread has been the main staple in my diet since i've been here (Emily, this is great news for you, the bread is the best I have ever had, and costs close to nothing!), we also got gross peaches (they offer lots of great fruit options here, but they are all shipped from South America when they are still green and EVERYTHING from apples to peaches to plums to kiwis are super duper mealy and yucky.), and peanut butter (I couldn't resist). I also bought a bottle of rosé for my roommates to toast! So later this evening I went to my apartment and got all the keys, tried them out, a brought a small suitcase of clothes just so it wouldn't be as difficult to cram all of my stuff into my suitcases a second time. We toasted and then sat around and talked for quite a bit. I took a few pictures which I will post too. They are super friendly, but for some reason thought it was so funny that I brought a list of about 15 questions about the apartment to ask them one-by-one. But hey, a girl's gotta be informed! I will move in on September 9th, and Teresa has a car so she will pick me up with my stuff so I don't have to worry about hauling my luggage on the metro or paying for a taxi. Here are the pictures:

Laundry machine, and wire for drying. I don't know what their solution is to the rainy season...

Small but cozy eating table

Little kitchen with everything you need.

Bathroom

Balcony view (Teresa's room)

My room, now occupied (and messy-fied) by Teresa

Living room, Teresa is the one on the couch in the blue

Street view from balcony, other direction

So I am excited to move in, and really getting to know the neighborhood, which is seriously in the center of EVERYTHING. There are so many new thing still everyday, and I am still enjoying every moment immensely:)

Claire and I are planning to see Sitges this weekend and just hang out by the beach. I will take lots of pictures to post of course. I miss you all and look forward to hearing from you soon! Much love, Megs

Barcelona Discoteca

So last night after coming back from Tarragona, we decided to take a long nap, since we had been up since 7 am, and then leave to check out the night life that we had heard so much about. Well, still unaccustomed to the later schedules of Spain, we painfully had to wait until 1 am to even leave the Colegio! As opposed to the regular upbeat music and high energy that usually accompanies getting ready to go out, we peacefully read our books and I listened to Sting's "Windmills of Your Mind" on repeat for the more or less 4 hours that we were waiting until it was appropriate to get to the club. We left at about 1:30, to walk to Club Bikini which is one of the must popular discotecas in Barcelona, and conveniently only 3 blocks away from where we are staying. To get into the clubs here are super pricey, like up to 20 euro! Apparently on some of the less-popular days like Sunday or early week, you get in for free before 2am or so. This one was 16 euro per person, which includes one drink once you get inside. Well, we didn't have enough money once we got there, but the nice lady behind the door let us in for 8 euro total, and we walked in to check it out. There were two different rooms, one with salsa music, and one with techno/house music. The salsa room was deserted when we got there, so we went into the other and sat at the bar. The bartender asked us what we wanted for our free drink, and we both ordered rum and coke, mostly because I was just so excited to see a diet coke without a 3 euro price tag! We sat there for a while and mostly people watched. It definitely caters to all ages, and I mean ALL ages. A group of ladies standing near us at the bar reminded me of my 5th grade teacher Mrs. Sanders, and and old man with serious arthritis was clinging to the bar as he wrapped around to order his drink. We must have been the youngest there, but I'd say the average age was 27-33. Although music was playing, people didn't scoot onto the dance floor until around 2:30am! We got up from the bar and stood by the door for optimal people watching, and went to the dance floor when one of our favorite (and ONLY decent song of the night I might add) song started playing. I should have mentioned, people here, or at least at this club, DON'T dance. I don't mean they can't, they just flat out don't! The fact that we danced when we heard a good song earned us plenty of awkward looks, like we were completely out of place to be dancing....at a DANCE club. Once the floor was packed full, the most movement I saw out of people was the occasional knee-buckle or shoulder sway. And nobody spoke to anyone, or approached anyone. It was like 6th grade western dance class with the girls on one side and the guys on the other. But then, the most bizarre sight I have seen in a while: A very large, nerdy guy with huge glasses, and a FANNY PACK on, gets onto the empty stage behind the dj and starts dancing like a maniac! I wish I had a picture of this guy, it was unreal. At any club in the U.S., he would have been boo'ed off the stage immediately, or had a shoe thrown at him or something, but noooo! People we head-bobbing and cheering for him. He did the same 4 moves over and over, best described as variations of the Macarena. He danced the whole time very seriously with his mouth hanging open and his hands on his hips. It was the most awkward, unappealing thing I have ever seen in my life. But he was the frickin God of the club! We didn't know if we should clap or laugh and point...

Anyways we later went back to the salsa room to watch the couples for a few minutes (they were really good, and the music was great, but neither of us have a clue as to how to dance salsa), and then we decided to call it a night. We got back home at about 3:30am, and went to sleep around 4. We shut all the windows and blinds so today we slept in until about noon, and then have been working on homework for tomorrow ever since, except for a Starbucks frappuccino break. So I really don't know if our experience is pretty standard and representative of the nightlife here, but I gotta say, Barcelona could use some serious pointers. 

Tarragona, a Beautiful Beach Town!

Today Claire and I went to Tarragona, a really cool little city about an hour north of Barcelona. We chose here over Cadaques because it was much easier to get to through public transportation, and looked equally as interesting. The ride there is so simple, the train system, Renfe, works really well. We got there and all I knew about the city was that it is filled with ancient Roman ruins, and has a port. Right off the train we looked for the museums or ruin locations, and walked around to get to the Necropolis.  Here, there was a courtyard filled with ancient tombs. 

Unfortunately, these were out for renovation, and there was only a small room of the museum available to look through. But, through the admittance charge, we also got access to the Museum of Archaeology, which we then walked to across town. We walked through so many different neighborhoods before we got to the best part, two streets called Rambla Nova and Rambla Vella. This is the old and new side of the roads. I don't really know what that means, but they were very different, and really cool to walk around. Once we got to the old part of town, every street you turned on looked totally different. The alleys were loaded with cafes, and the balconies lines with laundry and colored plants. (Emily: we were on the train through Sitges, and passed all of the beaches, it was really really cute, the town was adorable and the beaches looked perfect, only 30 minutes away!) We wandered through town (Tarragona, not Sitges) for about 3 hours, and so here are the pictures I have to show for it, enjoy:

The port, and the beautiful Mediterranean Sea.

Una gelateria italiana

Una turista

The beautiful sea

A walkway above the ruins of the Roman amphitheater

Cafes in the old town

Standard crazy balcony

Side street

We turned a corner and SHABAM. A beautiful cathedral.

All of the doorways and building fronts we really interesting to me.

Plaza hidden within a maze of small side streets

Conclusion: Tarragona is a little gem only an hour away and if any of you who are visiting me would like to come check it out, I would go back in a heartbeat!

I Got an Apartment!

Yay! Today I locked in on the perfect apartment and I will for sure be living there for the next 9 months! It is two blocks from the University, on a street called Carrer de Disputacio. The neighborhood is busy and exciting and packed full of really cute bakeries, tapas bars, outdoor cafes, and markets. My roommate's names are Aranxta and Teresa. They are both mid-to-late 20's and work around Barcelona. I think Arantxa is from a town close to Portugal, and Teresa is from Valencia. They are both a lot of fun and really goofy, but super clean, organized and have a really cute apartment. Today I went to another really nice apartment on the other side of town on Carrer de Tarragona, and checked out an awesome apartment. The lady was early 40's and from Portugal. Also living there was her boyfriend, and a male French exchange student my age who wasn't there when I visited. At first glance I thought it was perfect. The room looked like a showroom from IKEA's, and it was on the 12th floor, with a balcony and the view from my room window was better than the views from Montjiuc (from earlier pictures). But, she was very business-like and told me that I had to pay her in cash within the next hour if I wanted the room. Also, her boyfriend didn't smile once, and although the apartment was adorable, I didn't really feel comfortable there, and it didn't feel like a home. It reminded me of one of those perfectly decorated showroom beds at Macy's, that look so welcoming and comfortable, but when you go to lay down it is actually a hard piece of wood that is just dressed up.
Well, I came home because I had forgotten my wallet, and was impulsively ready to pay the lady. When I got back though I called my Dad to ask for advice, and it made me realize I should stick with my gut feeling, and go to where I would really feel welcome, and where it feels like a real, homey, environment, not just a well-decorated room. So, I went back to the place today to see Aranxta and meet Teresa. This is there apartment that I described as "bohemian-like". We sat around the table and joked and learned about one another for a while, and then showed me around again, before deciding, YES! This is where I for sure want to be! So it is settled and I am really excited. It is close walking distance to both UB campuses that I will be attending, and with everything within a 5 block radius that I could possibly need all year! There are lots of nice hotels and restaurants around the block, but cute mom and pop stores too. It will be great for when Em and Victor visit, and again when Mom and Dad come, because there are so many great places to stay within a 5 minute walk. Also, when friends come to stay, they have a place to stay with me, and it won't be any problem at all! Well, between ILP classes, getting ready for the actual semester to start, and still learning about the city, it is nice to have my apartment organized and at a place that I will really look forward to. I miss you and love you all!!!

A Mellow Thursday

First, here is a picture of everyone in my program, at the Montjiuc Olympic Stadium:

As you can see it's like 95% girls for some reason...

Today we had classes like regular, and during our one hour break a few of us went to the cafe across the street and got a nice glass of wine before heading to conversation class. Today we have a break from assignments, so all in all it has been a nice catch-up day.

So everyday we get "bocadillos" or snacks, from the Colegio as we leave for class, because lunch time is around 2 or so, but since traditionally breakfast doesn't consist of much, they eat again around 11 or so to hold them over until lunch. Well whatever they give us for the bocadillo always ends up being our lunch. It always consists of a small bread roll, then covered in tomato juice (meaning you rub a sliced tomato on the bread, generally then you add olive oil and some salt, its a popular tapa called "pan con tomate") Anyways the first day it was bread, tomato juice and tuna, the second day the tuna was instead a slice of cheese, yesterday it was like an egg potato omelette between bread and today it was tuna again. This story really has no value except to say that I really hate tuna unless it is covered in Miracle Whip, so today I opted for something a little more choice--chocolate gelato. Which took us to an upstairs cafe close to the University. We met an Indian immigrant now Spanish waiter who asked us where we were from, and when we said California he excitedly responded "Ah yeah, Arnold Schwarzenegger!!"

...I didn't know how to respond to that, so I just proceeded to order my ice cream.

Then we went to La Boqueria, right off of La Rambla, which is no more than 5 blocks 

from the University.

The street entrance

Lots of pre-cut fruit for sale for one euro

Right inside the entrance

Lots of yummy fruit juice drink. We tried kiwi-coconut and watermelon.

Then we walked around El Raval, which is the barrio surrounding Las Ramblas. Although it is a convenient location, everyone advised us not to look for apartments here. Over time it has become more and more dangerous in the side streets, and overall it is pretty dirty and broken. However, we got lost a little and ended up walking through some of these side areas. (which really pose no threat during the day). We found ourselves in one of the neighborhoods that is home to a lot of Indian and Pakistani immigrants. Here is a bad picture of one of the alleyways, unfortunately I didn't aim high enough, because the balconies looked really interesting with tons of clothes hanging off and blowing in the wind.

Then, somehow we ended up at one of the University Facultats. (Separate locations of the University of Barcelona that specialize in different areas of study. Where we go to the ILP everyday is the Falcultat de Filologia, but where I will be mostly is at the Factultat de Historia i Geografia, which we found.) It was really nice, although placed unexpectedly among the side streets of La Rambla. Here is a courtyard by where I will be taking the majority of my classes:

It was a really nice campus actually, we walked past the bookstore and several classes before realizing what it was though, so I didn't take anymore pictures. 

More soon to come!

Lots of Sight-Seeing

Today we sight hopped as a large group from many of Gaudi's works of art around town, to end in Montjuic. I took tons of photos, so this post I will just put up many of them from each spot with subtitles explaining where we were! Unfortunately, being that we are in the height of tourist season, I don't think I got a single picture without 500 heads blocking the view, but try to imagine these great sights without the crowd if you can :)

La Pedrera, designed by Antoni Gaudi, Barcelona architect. This building was designed to have no straight edges or angles, and was funded by a wealthy family who chose to have it built in the center of town simply as a way to publicly display their wealth. The line was ridiculous, but as a group, we got to jump the line and head straight in. The roof is where the best sights are. 

This is the indoor courtyard of the Pedrera, now mostly office rooms, although a few people have afforded to live in some of the apartments.

These are all on top of the roof. I am not sure if I like Gaudi's work, it seems so bizarre and representing a very unique taste, but it chosen to represent an entire city. Either way seeing all of the detail was pretty cool and definitely impressive. Next we went to the Sagrada Familia. This cathedral has been under construction for decades, but is planned to be finished in 14 years, depending on funding and the available technology. The Pope is actually coming to Barcelona in November of this year to bless the cathedral, which i'm sure will be a huge spectacle!

The first picture shows the front view, the second is the back. They represent two very different styles of architecture because with the length of time this feat of architecture takes to finish, Gaudi, as an artist, went through different phases and styles, which you can see clearly within the contrast of sides. blah blah blah. Moving on!

The view from the top of Parc Guell

Looking down past the entrance of the park. I have no idea what those buildings are about by the way...

Two of the girls from the ILP and I, the girl in the middle is my roommate, Claire.

One of many musicians at the Parc Guell, trying to make a few bucks. Actually, they were really good.

Emily, recognize this from the America's Next Top Model season finale runway part from the Barcelona season? They were dressed as zombie brides? I totally had a flash back walking though here. I could hear Tyra's voice. 

More cool designs and tiles.

The entrance of the park.

Some of the students in front of our subtle and discrete ride about town. 

The Olympic Stadium from 1992 Olympics.

View of the city from top of Montjiuc. 

The port of Barcelona.

Alright! That is it for today! Tomorrow we have class again, and I have 4 more apartment appointments. Within the next few days I really want to go to La Boqueria, the huge indoor market on La Rambla, and my roomate and I are trying to plan a weekend trip to Cadaques (2 hours north, beach town with all white buildings, supposedly a beautiful area) for Saturday, but we shall see. I hope you are all doing well! Love, Meghan