May 5, 2013-
Today was our last day in Lisbon. Our flight took off at 9:15 p.m.
Throughout our whole time in Lisbon while we were near the sea we would look across and see a huge statue. After asking the hostel staff what it was we found out it was a Jesus statue name Christo Rey that had his arms open and overlooked the whole city.
Our question: how do we get there?
We made our way from the hostel to the port and found a boat that would take us to the other side. There was a huge bridge, that supposedly looked like the Golden Gate Bridge and was designed by the same architect, but we learned that you couldn't walk on it, so our only option was a boat.
We got on the boat and then on a bus and eventually arrived at the Christo Rey. The statue was on top of a huge hill right on the coast. It overlooked the whole city of Lisbon and was surrounded by a huge park.
Of course, being the tourists we are, we had a photo shoot of the statue and then of the bridge. The bridge was absolutely beautiful. I have never seen the Golden Gate Bridge so this was the closest thing I had seen to it. The bridge was massive.
It was a beautiful day and was so hot so we sat in the park overlooking the sea, all of Lisbon, and underneath Jesus until the sunset.
Eventually, in order to catch our flight, we had to get back on the bus and then the boat. We walked back up to the hostel to meet up with Cyd, who had been hanging out with her sister all day, and grabbed our luggage to go to the airport. On our way back up to the hostel there was a car show going on in the middle of the square. It reminded me of my Dad. Although I didn't know what kind of cars they were, I knew he would have loved to go look at them.
We made it to the airport with time to spare. Our flight was delayed so we didn't get in to Barcelona until 12:15. After arriving to Barcelona we had to wait for the bus, which took more time, and then we got back to the main square: Plaza Catalunya. From Plaza Catalunya, since it was so late, we decided to take a bus that would take us near our apartment so that we didn't have to walk. OF COURSE, we took the wrong bus and ended up, I don't know where. We caught a taxi from a random bus station and eventually made it to our apartment at around 3 A.M.
What a day! People don't give Portugal enough credit, what a beautiful country it really is, I was so happy to be able to go there!
May 4, 2013-
Today the one thing on our mind was the free pancakes the hostel was going to make us for breakfast and the beach.
Slowly everyone woke up and got ready. We went in to the main room to find American pancakes and Nutella. The only thing that could have made it better was syrup! Pancakes aren't American unless you have syrup: FAIL.
After we were done stuffing our faces with pancakes we walked to the train station that took us to the beach. However, of course, we went to the wrong train station. That set us back about an hour or so, but eventually we found our way back and on to the other train station.
We bought our tickets and got on the train to take to the beach. Yes, we did get on the right train. The train ride took us about 45 minutes, but alas, we were greeted with a beautiful beach, the sun shining so bright, and the sand beneath our feet. Laying in the sun was something I had missed for so long. It was so hot and I was excited to potentially be able to get a tan.
For dinner our hostel was having a BBQ (for free too) but Cyd's sister wanted to meet us and they were having a bbq at their hostel, which was nicer, so we decided to go to theirs. The bbq was on the roof of the hostel overlooking the ocean and the smell of the bbq was pure heaven. They served meat (the best meat I've had since I've been in Europe), pasta, tomato salad, bread, regular salad, beans, and unlimited sangria. I'm sure you can imagine how many helpings of everything we had.
Music was playing and people were dancing, I kind of felt like I was at a summer wedding, but not. After dinner we went to a hip bar down the street for drinks. The bar had many different types of rooms with different decorations and the ambiance was cool. It was a good night hanging out with Cyd's sister and her new husband.
May 3, 2013-
Unfortunately, half of our time in Portugal was over. It was time to take the train to Lisboa: a city 2 hours south of Porto.
We got on the train (without any problems) and finally arrived to the beautiful city of Lisbon.
After getting off the train we walked out the front door to a MASSIVE cruise ship in the port. Then we got on the metro and made our way to the hostel.
The first hostel was a success, what are the chances we will have luck with both of them?
We arrived to our second hostel, starving, but was greeted by a tan American man in his 30s. He took us inside and checked us in and showed us our room. The hostel was very open air and looked like a fun place to stay. A lot of young people were walking around and the staff was young. Although it wasn't as brand new and modern as our last hostel, we could tell that were going to have a good time.
We set our stuff down in the room, freshened up, and walked to a restaurant we had passed on our way to the hostel called "American Rock Burgers." With a name like that it has to be good. We sat on the patio to soak up the sun while drinking peach flavored iced tea. For lunch I shared a burger with bacon and a salad with one of my friends. The burger was delicious and the salad was amazing. They even had salad dressing!! Something very foreign in Europe. The only complaint we had was that the menu was in Portuguese so we couldn't understand anything. Around the restaurant was old pictures of the early Rock days and outside was a statue of Elvis. It reminded me of the Hard Rock Cafe; same idea.
After lunch we walked around the main avenue which was lined with grass, trees, and benches: probably the nicest avenue I've ever seen. Eventually we made our way down to the sea. Along the way we stopped at a winery that had wine tasting for free! We tasted the typical wines of Lisbon, bought a bottle, and then walked to the sea.
We sat along the sea and enjoyed the hot weather and the wine. As we were sitting there a poor old man fell off his bike behind us and fell pretty bad. He landed right on his cheek so his face was cut up pretty badly. I thought for sure he has broken some teeth, so I couldn't watch. (I have nightmares about that).
Eventually the ambulance came and cleaned his cut. After awhile he got back on his bike and started riding again.
My roommates sister was in town from the United States on her honeymoon so Cyd wanted to go meet her for dinner. We walked with her to meet with her, exploring the back alleys of Lisbon, and then turned around to go back to the hostel to eat our own dinner (which was free).
For dinner we ate at the big long tables in the main room of the hostel with everyone who was staying there. It reminded me of when I went to camp when I was little. They served us free wine and pasta with broccoli and it was free so we couldn't complain.
May 2,2013-
After being exhausted after our day yesterday, we were excited to wake up and get to explore Porto.
We went to eat at the food court in the local mall since there was so many of us and we all had different opinions.
After lunch we went to find fruit at the local market (another bocqueria type). During our tour yesterday the tour guide said to come see this market because in 5 years it probably wouldn't be there. The town was going to shut it down because of the condition. And I could see why just as we entered. Not all the stands were filled, but it was pretty dirty. The vendors were selling homemade crafts, flowers, and the stands toward the back were selling fruits and vegetables.
After wandering around the market for awhile, it was hot so we wanted to go to the beach. We walked around for a little while longer and eventually got on the bus to take us to the beach.
We arrived at the beach to a bunch of rocks. The sand was very rock and there wasn't much space to swim, however, the water was so clear at this beach. We walked on the rocks, observed all the sea life, and took a bunch of pictures.
When we were done walking around this beach we headed up the coast on a pathway made for cyclists.
The beach was pretty, but we decided we wanted to go back to the bridge where we could see all of Porto.
When we got to the bridge we crossed it to the side where the wineries were and walked around looking at all the different wineries. Unfortunately the wineries were very expensive to take a tour so we weren't able to, but it was fun to see all the different kinds of wines displayed inside each one.
Then we made a trek back up the hill to cross back over to the other side of the bridge to find a place to eat. Along the river there were many restaurants with all the seafood you could imagine. Since it was sunny and hot, for dinner, we found a restaurant with a patio and ate. I had a chicken sandwich with lemonade. Ahhh, the lemonade on a hot day was the perfect drink.
After dinner we made our way back up to the hostel to get ready for the night. Instead of taking the same way we came we decided to take the back streets.
The little alley ways were lined with clothes hanging from one side to the other and you could smell the different scents coming from each apartment as they are making dinner. Although the streets were a little dirty, it was great to see really how Porto was.
May 1,2013-
Today we didn't have school because it was "El Dia de Los Trabajadores." Basically, Labor Day.
Bright and early this morning we headed to the airport to start our vacation to Portugal.
"Why Portugal'? you might be wondering. Well, I was wondering the same thing before I went, but not many people can say they've been to Portugal. I didn't know what to expect, but I was excited to go on vacation for awhile with 5 of my good friends who I've met in Barcelona.
Back to the airport we went.
You know you've been to the airport too much when you start recognizing the airline workers: scary.
Our flight took two hours to get to Porto, Portugal.
When we got there we got on the metro and made our way to the hostel. As we came out of the metro we looked around and were right in the middle of the city. It just felt like we were in another country. The architecture of the buildings were amazing.
We walked up a huge hill and eventually made our way to the hostel, without getting lost. WOW! That never happens. The inside of the hostel was very modern and the decor was all handmade. After check in we headed to our room to find three wooden bunk beds, a bathroom with two showers, and a balcony. What are we staying in the Ritz Carlton? Everything was so clean and basically brand new. By far the nicest hostel I've stayed in throughout my time here abroad.
We set our stuff down and relaxed for an hour, then it was time for the free walking tour provided by the hostel. Our tour guide met us and took us down to the main square.
When we arrived at the main square there was a protest going on. My thoughts: Oh no, not them too. Since it was the day of the workers all of the unemployed were marching in a parade waving flags and yelling. It was surely something to see.
We continued on our walk throughout the city learning about Porto.
During the tour they took us to the main street of Porto which was lined with clothing stores and restaurants for as far as you could see with little street vendors on the sides in front of the stores. It reminded me of China Town in Los Angeles, but not dirty.
Then she took us to one of the six bridges in Porto where we saw an overview of the town. On one side of the river was the town and on the other it was lined with Winery's.
After the bridges we left the tour and went back to the hostel to get ready for dinner.
For dinner we went back to an Italian restaurant we had seen on the walking tour. We had really good pizza and wine to accompany it.
April 23, 2013-
A famous day in Catalonian culture: El dia de Sant Jordi.
Sort of like Valentines Day, the story goes like this:
"Once
upon a time, a terrible dragon terrorized the inhabitants of a small
village in Catalonia called Montblanc. The dragon wrecked havoc among
the population and devoured the animals put out to pasture until there
were none left. To calm the dragon's anger, the inhabitants of the
village decided to sacrifice one person every day, chosen by drawing
lots, and to offer that person to the dragon as a sign of their good
will. However, one, dark day, the person chosen to be sacrificed was
the king's daughter: the princess. Just when she was about to be swallowed up by the
dragon, a courageous knight appeared and confronted the evil beast. This
was Saint George (Sant Jordi in Catalan). He thrust his lance into the
dragon and, out of the blood that spurted forth, there grew a red rose
bush. Since then, it has been the custom in Catalonia to present a rose
to your loved one. Saint George, the patron saint of Catalonia, became the symbol of Catalonia during
the Renaixença, a nineteenth century political and cultural movement
that sought to reclaim the symbols of Catalan identity."
On
Sant Jordi's day the men in Barcelona and Catalunya give their
sweetheart a red rose, and in recent years a new Sant Jordi tradition is
that the ladies give the men a book. The book giving is a way to commemorate the nearly simultaneous deaths of two famous authors: Miguel Cervantes and William Shakespere on 23 April 1616. Anyone can give anyone a book, however, only a man can give a woman a rose.
Really, on this day there are three things celebrated: the Sant Jordi victory, the death of the two authors, and Catalunya's push for independence.
In the first half of our 3 hour language class our teacher told us to walk around in groups and ask people, in Spanish, what the day was about. She gave us a list of questions to help us. Some of the questions included: what they were celebrating on Sant Jordi, why the women give me roses, the history of Sant Jordi, etc. It was interesting because we had known nothing about the day of Sant Jordi and this was the perfect way to learn about it. Not to mention it being a beautiful day and then sun was shining.
The streets were filled with rose stands with the Catalan flags hanging around the tables and tables upon tables of books. The lines to get a book were very long, apparently el dia de Sant Jordi is the cheapest day to buy a book in general.
The
prices of the roses varied depending on where you were in the city.
There were many different colored roses to buy and some even
multicolored.There was a huge festival on Las Ramblas celebrating the
day with massive amounts of people, book tables and rose tables.
Hung from one of the buildings in Plaza Catalunya (the main plaza) a huge banner read: "Catalunya: Europe's newest country."
The thing I like most about this day is that it is celebrated in "the streets" so to speak. Lovers meet up at lunch time and exchange their roses and books. They hang out, have a picnic and spend time together outside all day.
The children in the schools typically have a poetry contest where they write poems, read them in front of the class, and then choose a winner. They too exchange roses, the boys bring both a book and a rose and give it to one of the girls in their class. Apparently (according to my Spanish teacher) all the girls wear shorts and tank tops to try to impress the boys, rain or shine :)
A day I will never forget filled with Catalonian culture and Spanish love.
April 22, 2013-
Unfortunately my time in Norway had to come to an end.
Today I got up at 6 to catch the bus back to Oslo at 6:30, but before I left I had to eat pancakes and our Norwegian breakfast one last time.
After breakfast I got on the bus back to Oslo and then from Oslo to Rygge to catch my flight.
I was sad to be leaving, I had such a great time, but I know that I will be back one day!
April 21, 2013-
Another great day of sunshine and semi-warm weather. This morning for breakfast we made strawberry and banana smoothies, something I've missed since I've been in Barcelona because we don't have a blender.
Maren made American pancakes (I've missed those too) and we had our typical Norwegian bread and cheese. After breakfast we walked to the nature museum of Elverum.
Just walking to the museum I got to see the beautiful landscape of Elverum. There is a river called the Glomma River that runs through the whole town. Apparently it runs all the way from the North of Norway all the way to the sea. The first day I got to Elverum the river had been frozen, but today the river just had chunks of frozen pieces and the water was flowing: you can imagine how beautiful that looked. There were bridges that went across the river to get to the other side of the town. Maren lived on one side and the heart of the town (mall, cafe, shops, museum) was on the other.
The nature museum had everything you wanted to know about what Norway is famous for: their wood, what they hunt, what they fish, etc. It was really interesting to walk around the museum and learn about typical Norway because most of the things I hadn't known. After all, I had never been to Norway before.
After the museum we went to drop off Maren's car at her Grandpa's house so that he could change the tires from snow tires to regular tires. We just took his car for the afternoon so we didn't have to wait. Around her grandpa's neighborhood was a ski jump where, at the top, you can see all of the town of Elverum. We climbed to the top, took pictures and just looked out. I always see the ski jumps during the Olympics, but I had never seen one in real life before. I have to say, they are pretty amazing to see, especially without it being covered in snow.
Then we went to dinner at Maren's moms house. Her mom made typical Norwegian meatballs, fresh vegetables and split peas. All of it was so delicious! For dessert we had ice cream and porage with cinnamon. We sat around and talked with her brothers and Mom for awhile and eventually drove home.
When we got home we watched movies and ate chocolate and candy all night.
April 20,2013-
Well, today the sky was blue and the sun was out: something foreign for Norway this early in the year. I brought the sun from Barcelona, what can I say :).
We slept in, got ready, ate a typical Norwegian breakfast and then went to the local cafe where all the locals go on Saturday to drink coffee and chat.
For breakfast Maren made a special kind of pancakes. She mashed up one banana, then added egg and cinnamon, stirred it all together and cooked it in a small pan just like you would a pancake. It turned out just like one and it was delicious. Along with our banana/cinnamon pancake we had bread with cream cheese on it and topped it with their famous "brown cheese." On another slice of bread we had the same thing but a different kind of cheese on top the traditional Norwegian cheese called "Norvegia." And of course, my favorite, Leftsa.
After stuffing ourselves until we couldn't eat any more, we walked to the cafe.
When we got there we sat down at a cute little table. There were people sitting outside at tables and couches for people to sit at inside. It was such a cute cafe and nicely decorated.
Since we had already ate breakfast we decided to get an afternoon sweet. Looking at all the pastries I chose a random one that was authentic to Norway. Apparently the name of it was "kokosbolle," it was a chocolate on the outside, but filled with coconut cream on the inside, mmmm delishhh.
After our snacks we walked around more through the shops in the town, and eventually ended up finding the town mall. We walked around the mall which was mostly filled with clothing shops, however, then we found a flower shop. There were so many flowers that it was coming out of the store, so we stopped to "smell the roses (or flowers)" and looked around in there. The flowers were beautiful, I had wished my mom could have been with me so I could bring her home some or that we could come here together and look around.
We smelled the flowers and looked around the shops for awhile and then began our walk back home. When we got home Maren made another typical Norwegian dish for dinner. We had a type of hard flatbread with lunch meat on it and sour cream on top. As a side we had porage with butter and cinnamon.
It was one of Maren's friends birthdays today so we put on our cute dresses went out to her birthday party for the night. I got to meet all of Maren's other friends and see how the Norwegians celebrated birthdays. Everyone was so nice and so interested to hear about all my travels/ where I was from. I met so many new friends and loved every single one of them!
April 19, 2013-
Today was the day, it was finally here! Today I was going to visit my close friend who lives in Norway. Her name? Maren.
Maren
lives in Norway and studied abroad at Simi High my senior year. We met
in English class and hung out all year together. She left the US and I
thought I would probably never see her again.
However,
all that changed when I came to Barcelona. Why not go to Norway? Not
many people can say they've been to Norway before? and on top of that, I
have the opportunity to reunite with one of my good friends. Here I go:
After
waking up at 2:45 in the morning, leaving the house around 4 to catch
the bus to the airport at 4:20, I got on my flight which left Barcelona
Airport at 6:15 in the morning. All that would have been a hassle,
except after all of it I was on a flight to Norway to see Maren.
The
flight took 3 hours from Barcelona to a town outside of Oslo called
Rygge (because RyanAir flies in to nearby airports that's how it's so
cheap). From Rygge I got on the bus to the main bus terminal in Oslo: or
so I had hoped. Norwegian is NOTHING CLOSE to any language I can speak
so I had absolutely no idea what people were saying or what any of the
signs said. Luckily the Norwegian people are taught English as soon as
they begin school, so everyone knew English.
I
finally arrived in Oslo and waited two hours for my next bus which
would take me to the town of Elverum: where Maren lives. Eventually I
made it on the bus and was off to finally see Maren. Bus time: 2 hours.
Maren was waiting for me at the bus stop right as we pulled in and finally, we were reunited at last!
I
didn't mind the bus rides because that meant I got to see the
countryside, which was absolutely beautiful. On the side of the road
would be mountains with beautiful rocks in the side and water flowing
down. As far as you could see was miles (or should I say kilometers) and
miles of forest. In my opinion Norway was the most beautiful country
I've seen. Yes, even prettier than Italy. It reminded me of the area of
Lake Shasta that we always drive through when going to Oregon every
year, just pure forest with beautiful views.
On
our way to Elverum there was a huge frozen lake, we were driving on one
side, and there were huge mountains and forests on the other. Again,
this reminded me of the frozen lake we drive around in Oregon on our way
to Bend. On the sides of the roads there were moose crossing signs all
over: they have moose here, so much that they have to have signs for
warning? HOW COOL!
Anyway,
after Maren and I walked to her cute little home we set my stuff down
and freshened up. Then we were off to watch a handball game: Norway's
most famous sport. Her brother was playing in a tournament and her Dad
was the coach.
Conveniently
the handball game was at her Nursing school, so before the game we
walked around, she showed me her classrooms and gave me a tour of her
school. The school was so modern: so brand new. It was a beautiful
school: not too big, but not too small.
Then
we went in to the gym to watch the game. I met her whole family: her
Mom, Dad, Grandpa and Grandma. Since her brother was playing the game I
wouldn't meet him until later.
The
handball game was so different than any other sport I'd ever seen
before, but I loved it. It was a mix between soccer and basketball. Each
team has a goalie and they run up and down the court passing the ball
to each other, sometimes dribbling, sometimes just running except
handball is much more fast paced than basketball. The ball is flying all
over the place and traveling at dart speed. Then as the players reach
the other teams side of the court they throw it at the soccer type goal
(but not very wide). Of course there is a goalie protecting the net, but
when it comes that quickly, or they do tricks, it's very hard to react.
The games usually only last about 20 minutes each too, but the kids are
worn out by the end because of all the running back and forth.
Maren's brothers/Dads team won, by a long shot.
After
the game we went home, Maren's friends came over (about 3+her roommate)
and we all ate dinner together that her roommate had cooked for us
while we were gone. She made garlic bread and a type of Norwegian soup
with trout, salmon, shrimp and vegetables. Usually I don't like fish
much, but the soup was delicious! For dessert, one of Maren's friends
brought Neapolitan ice cream and we topped it with their version of
M&Ms called "non stops." Norway is also known for their amazing
chocolate, so not only were the non stops good, but they were made of
their Norwegian chocolate making them 100 times better. We also had
pieces of their famous milk chocolate called "Melkesjokolade": the best
chocolate I have ever tasted.
After
ice cream Maren made an authentic Norwegian dessert: Leftsa. Which was
basically flatbread rolled with butter, sugar and cinnamon inside. This
was by far my favorite food that I had while I was there. I ate it with
breakfast, lunch, and dinner the following days I was there.
We
sat around and talked as we ate dessert, eventually it got really late
and everyone went home. Maren's bed was so comfortable and I was tired
from being up so early, I don't think I've ever slept so good in my
life. Norway was home.
April 14,2013-
Today marked the much anticipated Holi Festival in Barcelona.
It looked interesting online, why not go!
Apparently the Holi Festival is something having to do with the culture from India. On the poster for the event it said there would be colored powder shot into the crowd and live music.
It was another beautiful day, so we got our old white clothes on (so that the color would show) and joined everyone else wearing white on the metro and headed to the festival.
When we got to the festival there was Indian music playing, people were crowded around listening and dancing. Most of the people were covered from head to toe with colored powder, it was the coolest thing! So, naturally, we joined the swarm of people and got in on the fun!
Within seconds we too were covered with colored powder, however, the festival had too many people and with everyone dancing/jumping up and down the ground started to shake and it got dangerous. Unfortunately the policia shut the festival down and everyone made their way up the stairs and back to the metro.
However, it was a gorgeous day and going home was not an option. We walked all around Barcelona just exploring and talking the whole way. We eventually stumbled upon the Segrada Familia and sat in the park right below it, got snacks, and ate in the sun.
We had walked such a far way and it didn't even seem like it!
I knew the Segrada Familia was close to my apartment, but we continued on our walk to find the neighborhood of Gracia.
As we were walking, for some reason, I looked up and the street was Sardenya: the street to my apartment!
Still covered in colors, we decided to change our plans and head to a park near my apartment to meet up with the Norwegian girls we had made friends with in my language class.
Unfortunately it was getting late in the afternoon and I needed a shower so I just went home and the rest of the group met up with the Norwegians. Let me tell you, taking a shower has never felt so good! I had color EVERYWHERE, even in my hair, but it was worth it because it was a great experience.
April 12,2013-
Well, the beautiful weather has finally arrived in Barcelona, but unfortunately, so have all the tourists. On the weekends they come around in full force: clogging the sidewalks, walking across the street when they're not supposed to, and stopping in the middle of the sidewalk and pointing around in the air. It's alright though, they're helping Spain's economy!
Today we decided to have a little taste of America and meet up for afternoon lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe Barcelona.
I was surprised when I went inside the building as they told me the only seating to eat was on the small outside patio. Usually the Hard Rock Cafes are HUGE, but maybe that's just the ones in America. We got a table on the patio and sat in the sun while we ate our delicious lunch. I had a BBQ pulled pork sandwich, fries, baked beans, and cole slaw. Oh how I've missed American food.... SO much!
After we were done at the Hard Rock we headed for the beach for the afternoon. We laid in the sun and people watched for the rest of the day, I even got a little tan. Finally I wasn't translucent anymore, what a perfect day!
April 13,2013-
A day when the suns out and the sky is so blue can never be wasted. I was missing the beautiful state of Colorado today.
As a way to somewhat pretend like we were in Colorado my friend and I decided to hike to the highest point in Barcelona, Mount Tibudabo. At the top of the mountain there's an amusement park with roller coasters and a huge church, not to mention an overview of the whole city of Barcelona.
So we began our journey to the top of the mountain. There was a tram that would take us to the top for a small fee, but we were determined to get our exercise in for the day and hike the whole way. Besides, it was a beautiful day, why not!
We walked along the small pathways surrounded by wild daisys and flowers. We even stopped a few times to pick some and put them in our hair. It was so beautiful to see grass, mountains, trees, and wild flowers again. It seems like living in the middle of the city it's a concrete jungle and I miss just being able to lay in the grass.
We made our way to the top, bought some ice cream as a reward for making it up there, and sat in the sun overlooking all of Barcelona for the afternoon. It was a long ways up the hill, but the top made it worth it.
After awhile, the sun was starting to go down so we made our trek back down the mountain. On our way down we saw a guy who had crashed on his bike because there were rocks on the path. He had dirt all over his face, but was surrounded by his friends and seemed like he was going to be okay.
We took our time going down the mountain because the quicker we were down meant back to the concrete jungle we'd go.
Well, as they say, all good things come to an end, and alas we made it down the mountain and got on the metro to take us home. When we got home I got on the computer and looked at how many miles it was to the top via the route that we took: 3 up and 3 back= we had hiked 6 miles today and it felt sooooo good!
What a beautiful day surrounded by nothing but nature: I'll be back to hike back up in a few weeks, Mount Tibudabo!
April 11,2013-
School? Oh yeah, I forgot that was the reason I came to Barcelona in the first place ;).
Today I had one class, and I just couldn't seem to get myself to go to it. The sun was out, the sky was blue, and it was about 70 degrees, which all meant one thing: it was time to spend the day outside. And I did just that.
I met up with my friends for margaritas and Mexican food for lunch and then we just walked around the city all day stumbling upon new things.
We found another bocqueria type market, but way more clean and indoors, right up the street from my apartment. Looks like that's where I'll be going the next time it's time to grocery shop.
I sent my post cards and then we sat around the fountains, enjoyed the sun, and watched all the tourists for the rest of the afternoon.
It was a great day in Barcelona. Today I am thankful for the sun and this beautiful city.
Tomorrow should be an adventure. Stay tuned :)
April 7,2013-
Throughout the weekend I had been hearing from my Spanish friends that they were running a "marathon" on Sunday and when we were walking around Monjuiic yesterday I saw all these signs with numbers on it which I assumed had to do with said "marathon."
After we came home from the Olympic stadiums yesterday, I decided to research what this "marathon" was all about.
This is what I found:
The run was only a 10k, some "marathon" and it was put on by El Corte Ingles. The huge store that they have in Spain which are about on every block. The store has 6 floors with everything from Chanel to pencils: they have EVERYTHING. If you hadn't guessed by the name yet, it also has many common American things, so when I miss home, Corte Ingles is where I head. I usually make a weekly visit to buy my peanut butter for my PB&J's I eat every day for lunch, mmmmmm, nothings ever tasted so good.
Anyway, the race was free and I had until Saturday night until 9:30 to sign up.
My logic: why not! I've never ran a 10k or any type of k before, but I've always wanted to. I'll just run as far as I can and then walk the rest of the way.
So, after our afternoon festivities we headed to Corte Ingles to register for the run. I was the only one who wanted to do it because all of my friends were either 1 going to be too hungover or 2 too lazy to even try. My roommate also registered just because, in theory she wanted to do it, but it was highly unlikely that she would wake up. That's alright, I was fine with running it by myself anyway.
Later that night one of my friends Natasha had a change of heart and ended up taking my roommates number and running it with me.
We met in front of the ISA office at 9:15 and walked over to the starting line, ready for the race to begin.
The race had over 80,000 people running it, so you can imagine the chaos there was. The gun went off at 9:30, but we didn't get to the starting line and start running until 9:45 because of the amount of people running.
Then, we were off, a whole 6.5 miles ahead of us.
We started running, and for whatever reason, I just never stopped. I ran the. whole. way!!! 6.5 miles!!!! And it only took 80 minutes!!! The course started at the main plaza in Barcelona, went up Monjuiic, through the Olympic track stadium, down and around Monjuiic, and then finished at the same plaza.
This was such a great accomplishment for me. Not only did I just run 6.5 miles, but I hadn't even trained for it. My body and mind felt so great afterward, the feeling was indescribable. I was on such a runners high. I was so proud of myself for not only doing it, but running the whole way too!
After the run, I got back to the apartment around 12 to find my roommate still in bed, fast asleep.
What did you do with your Sunday morning?
