Recent Happenings

This week has flown by so quickly, I have hardly had the time to catch my breath. Now, it is Sunday afternoon, and I am trying to get everything together for the next few days before leaving for Paris. This place has really become so special. My apartment isn't just some flat I rent, it is my home, my room is really mine, and filled with decorations and pictures that make it feel so welcoming and comfortable. I woke up this morning, turned on my music, made a cup of tea and sat out on my balcony watching the traffic go by on this sleepy Sunday morning. It has been really beautiful and warm lately, but this week has promised to bring colder temperatures and rainy days. Actually, when I am in Paris, the forecast shows highs in the low 40's! I love the mix of warm and cool days, mixing outdoor all-day adventures and indoor studying with a cup of hot cocoa and candles lit. Yesterday Rachel, Catherine, and Rachel's friend Paul (who is studying in Madrid and showed us around when we visited last month) hiked up in Montjuic to the cemetery on the top of the hill. We couldn't find the road to get us there, so we trudged through bushes and brambles to get to the front gate. The cemetery was different than ones I have seen before, because they are large structures that hold the burials one on top of the other. There were thousands, and since last Sunday was All Saints Day, they were all newly decorated and covered with large displays of flowers, both fake and real, as well as cards and old photos. Here are some pictures:

Overlook on our walk to the top

Such a clear day!

Leaves all turning :)

Rows and rows of these walls, check out the fresh flowers!

We definitely got lost a few times...

What here does not belong?

After we walked all through the cemetery, we headed back home and I made a yummy dinner of spinach tortellini with pesto, and a garden salad, and garlic bread. (a real meal, using the stove and everything!!!) Then we hung out with Joanna's friends who are visiting from Milan, where they are studying abroad for the semester. It was interesting, I asked them about Milan, and they really didn't have a lot of good things to say about the city, which surprised me, but then again I have never been anywhere in Italy...a problem which must be remedied soon. This weekend was lots of fun, and although I have not made much headway with my 20-page paper that is looming over me like a black cloud, I am hoping to make some progress this afternoon. I am so excited to be heading to Paris this Thursday! We fly out right after class, at 5:30pm, and get in around 7 I think. Our hostel is right in Bastille, on the side of the Seine where there are most of the sights. We will be there for 4 nights, and I have a few days to try to brush up on my French before heading out. As of now I can order a Niçoise salad (which I hate!!), and ask where the bathroom is (which i'll need if I am ordering a niçoise salad...), so needless to say, a cheat-sheet could be quite useful. I'm coming home Sunday night, so I'll try and post a blog soon after all about the trip! I miss you all! Love, Megs