Two weeks ago, I excitedly hopped on the airport train, anxiously waiting for the arrival of my sister and brother-in-law in Barcelona. I waited by the gate, looking over the heads of all the incoming travelers, looking for some familiar faces, or at least an indication that they were soon to pass through the fogged-over sliding doors. I looked out for people I could recognize as American, searching for luggage tags with the recognizable JFK sticker, as a sign that they would be soon to come. Once I saw them wheeling their luggage through the doors, I couldn't stay composed anymore, and I bounced over to them to give them a giant welcome hug to the city that has become my home. From there, we all walked downstairs to shuttle bus to take us on the train back to the city, and to check into their hotel, near the Sagrada Familia. The weather was perfect, it had cleared up from days of rain, just in time for their arrival. We had a chance to catch up a bit on the 30-minute train ride into the city center, and as we took our first steps out from the underground train, their first view of Barcelona was standing at the base of the impressive and towering cathedral. Once we found their hotel a few blocks away, we headed back out, to see my apartment, and to give them a chance to get a feel for the city.
At my apartment, they enjoyed the vertigo-inducing view from the balcony, and were curiously interested in the rest of the layout of my home. The fact that I have to brush my teeth over the shower drain, use toilet paper mounted on a string holder that hangs from the bathroom door, and do my laundry in the kitchen, were just a few of the culturally different habits that no longer seem odd to me, but can come to a surprise to others.
The next day, I had class I had to go to in the evening, but we spent the day walking to Plaza Espanya, and then through Montjuic. We saw the old Olympic Stadium, and the impressive view from the Museu d'Art, after exploring the inside for a bit. From there, I had to head home to get to class, but they spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the Gracia neighborhood, and enjoying the sunny weather. When we met again later that night, I took them to my very favorite restaurant in Barcelona, called "Shh...no se lo digas a nadie" (Shh...don't tell anyone), which is a hip tapas bar that is almost impossible to find unless you have been there 20 times before. I asked them if they had any preferences for food, but they insisted that I order what I know is good on the menu, so I got us pan con tomate (bread with tomato and herbs) a cheese plate for the bread, patatas bravas (fried potatoes with a spicy mayonnaise and ketchup-y sauce), and of course, sangria.
After, we all went home to get some rest before our big day trip the next day. We took the train to the small town of Figueres, en route to our final destination of the coastal town of Cadaques. Before we caught the bus that would take us on the windy road to the sea, we had some time to kill, and we pleasantly surprised by the quirky but cute town, home of Salvador Dalí.
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| On the train to Figueres |
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| The Rambla in Figueres |
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| The Dali Museum |
When we arrived in Cadaques after the scenic and twisty trip through the hills, we couldn't wait to get to the beach.
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| Arriving at the bus stop in Cadaques |
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| Beautiful Cadaques |
The view was amazing. All along the cove were white buildings with blue trimming and delicate tiles. We sat on a bench by the sand for a few minutes while we snapped pictures, and then walked along side the cove to get a view back towards the town.
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| "Artistic" :) |
We couldn't have asked for a better day, and with the sun gently beating down, the water was beckoning out for a swim. Emily and Victor came prepared with swimsuits, but I was not such a smart planner. We all found a protected area away from other people, and jumped in the water, me in all of my clothes, including jean pants! The water was warm and so salty that we floated on the surface with no effort. Other tourist passed by and thought us to be quite amusing, splashing around, and snapped photos as they watched from above. Swimming around with them in the Mediterranean, with the smell of salt and Spring, and the feeling of being 100% content and the comfort of finally being back with family made for an amazing day, one that I won't be likely to forget. After we dried off a bit, we wandered through the small town, through the narrow and brightly-colored streets and into the cathedral.
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| Victor tried a Spanish delicacy...Jamón (ham) flavored Ruffles. Although brave, even he couldn't stomach more than a few of those salty buggers. |
The next day was another great day-trip. We headed out to Sitges, just a quick 30 minutes train ride away. Although the weather was far from perfect like the day before, it had been on Emily's list of places to see in Spain, so, quite determined, we still had a lovely day at the beach while fighting wind, rain, and enormous waves. We watched as daring wind-sailors tried to dominate the rough tide, and surfers scoped out their entry points. We chose a cute cafe right on the water front for lunch, and Victor bravely attacked an entire dish of Paella de Marisco (Spain's national dish of rice, vegetables, and sea-food), while Emily and I shared a yummy bowl of pesto pasta...Spain's national....wait, wrong country.
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| A few moments before Emily was splashed by a giant wave crashing against the wall |
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| Sisters in Sitges |
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| Ready...set...GO! |
The next few days Emily and Victor took a quick but fruitful trip to Paris, while I caught up on assignments and finished my Catalan class. The day that they came back, I made a pasta dinner for everyone, and three of my best friends here, Joanna, Alyssa and Catherine came over to meet them.
The next morning, bright and early, we were back at the airport for our 24-hour trip to Ibiza! Let me tell you, this was one of the best trips I have been on this year. I thought Mallorca was stunning, but it doesn't hold a candle to the pristine beaches and beautiful landscapes of Ibiza. We arrived around 1 and after walking around the main town for a while, found our hotel. Emily and Victor generously offered this trip as an early 21st birthday present, and it was nothing short of fabulous. The hotel was amazing, rated the #1 spot on the island, and from our views above the water, we couldn't wait to find those perfect beaches!
We walked around a bit, but soon decided that with what short time we had, if we wanted to see the best beaches, we would have to do it right. So we did. We rented mopeds (thanks for the spelling lesson Em ;)...) and went from incredible beach to incredible beach. I had never been on a moped before, but it has always been on my bucket list. We rented two, and to the first beach, I rode on the back of Victor's bike. It was so fun to go so fast through the city and on empty country roads, soaking up the scenery and the sun. At the first beach, we parked the bikes, and our jaws dropped.
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| Happy travelers :) |
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| Biker chick |
I have never seen such undisturbed, clear-water beaches. We snapped a bunch of pictures, and then laid out in the sand. The sun was hot and the water inviting. Although we spotted a few jellyfish and other creatures in the water, that didn't stop us from taking a relaxing dip in the cool water in between nap times on the white sand.
From here, we hopped back on the mopeds, this time I got my own, and drove off to the next beach.
This is officially the best way to travel, I wish I had my own motorbike to drive around Europe, it was so peaceful and liberating to be cruising along the coast with the wind in your hair and the open road in front of you. The next beach was just as beautiful as the last, with a cafe situated at the end of the rocks, and people laying out and enjoying the sun. This was paradise on Earth.
After this beach, we went to one more, and it was a little more crowded and popular. Emily and I immediately noticed a big rock off the coast, and after I begged Emily to swim out to it with me, despite the jelly-fish, we swam and and climbed up to the top. Although we didn't know how deep the water was, we saw people before us jumping off, so I ran back, and jumped off, as far out as I could. It was shallow, I touched the bottom right away, but it was so much fun, and Emily quickly followed. There are great pictures from the beach, but the blog won't let me upload them, so I'll have to show you all later. Emily and I climbed up the rock again and sat at the top and just looked around to soak it all up. We were on a rock island in the Mediterranean, surrounded by so much beauty and serenity. I was so happy to be there, next to my sister, in one of the most beautiful places on Earth.
When we started to get cold and had to head back, we were about to jump back in to swim to the beach, when we looked down to see a warm of jellyfish right where we had jumped before. We climbed down the other side of the rock and Emily still swam back, but I walked in the shallow part to climb over rocks back to the beach out of fear of being stung. We made it back, and headed up to our mopeds again. We all rode back to the shop in the city center to return our bikes, and then walked around the town a little, picked up some snacks, and went back to the hotel. There, Emily, Victor and I sat on the balcony, watching the sun going down, and talking over chips and salsa. Once we finally made it out again for dinner, it was about 10:30, but we found a cute Mexican restaurant nearby, and enjoyed our last bit of time in Ibiza. The next morning we headed to the airport, and before I knew it, we were back in Barcelona. Although the trip was quick, it didn't feel rushed at all, and I came back totally relaxed and happy. That night was our last in Barcelona, so I cooked dinner again at my apartment (Emily and Victor stayed two night with me, troopers on a mattress on my floor!) and after dinner we went walking to Plaza Catalunya and down the Rambla again.
Victor found a Barça hat, and Emily got a picture to hang in their house, and we spent the last few hours meandering around the small streets, and enjoying the evening. The next morning, we woke up to head back to the airport, this time for them to go back to California. It's always weird going to the American or United airline stands at BCN and seeing all of the Americans, tanned and relaxed, heading back to their homes, and apart of me always gets a little homesick and envious of those who will soon be back with their friends and family. I waited with the bags while they checked in for their flight, and found out that their plane had been delayed a few hours. Security is immediately after check-in, so we had to say goodbye, and they headed on to their gate. Having them both here in Barcelona was such a huge treat for me, and I had one of the best weeks of the year spending time with them here in Spain. With them I saw part of Barcelona that were still new to me, and explored neighboring sights and scenes that I had yet to experience. They made my time here that much better, and it was so much fun to be able to spend uninterrupted time with them and really get to hang out. I already miss them a lot, but I know these are memories that will last a lifetime, and I can't wait for them to visit me in another few years, down in South America!!!
Love, Meghan
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