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