This all actually happened two days ago, but I was either too lazy or too busy to write about it. So I'm finally doing it now, as I lie in bed preparing to go to sleep so I can be well rested for my hike tomorrow. There was a scavenger hunt event today, but I made the mistake of getting off the metro two stops earlier than I was supposed to because I wanted to walk some more and enjoy the city. Well, first of all, it was raining, and second of all, I wore a sundress and was freezing my butt off. I've been hearing from people that it's super hot back in Maryland, which is ironic because I came here dreading the heat and humidity. It's like monsoon season in Barcelona, so it'll be rainy and cold for a few weeks, and then it'll be back to sunny weather.
I think my favorite orientation event has been the tour of the gothic quarter. It's the oldest part of Barcelona, and there's so much rich history behind it. Unfortunately (and unsurprisingly) it was pouring rain for most of it, so I didn't take as many pictures as I wanted. Our tour guide's name was Xavi (like the footballer) and he did an awesome job at explaining everything for us.
This part really reminded me of Dorne in Game of Thrones, even though I know they film those scenes in Seville. The architecture is a little similar, though. I'm probably totally wrong and someone out there who is an expert at Spanish architecture is really offended haha. Now I'm thinking of Oberyn Martell :(
It was probably just because of the weather, but all the squares that we passed were pretty empty. I definitely have to go back when it's nicer out so I can explore and see everything in its full glory. It's so awesome that I have like four months to take everything in, rather than having to cram everything into like ten days and only being able to visit things once. I've already been to La Rambla three times, although the third time was not as charming because everyone was speed walking with umbrellas.
The gothic quarter is so beautiful. This street reminds me of Diagon Alley from Harry Potter or something. If everyone was wearing black cloaks, it would totally complete the image.
Not swans, but geese! I could tell they were ticked off because they raise their crests (I think that's what they're called) on their heads. I didn't dare put my hand through the iron fence because geese are known for biting peoples' fingers off. Don't mess with geese.
Too close for comfort
The one in the foreground has its crest raised, and you can compare it to the others ones, too. That one is mad!
I took so many pictures of them....
Next, we went into Barcelona cathedral. It's the oldest cathedral in Barcelona, built in the 4th century and rebuilt in the 14th century. So it's pretty freakin' old. This place is free for entry! On the evening of the first Sunday of every month, they play the organs and it's open to the public. I'm definitely going to that, it's going to be amazing. The organs are HUGE (I don't think I took a picture) and I don't remember exactly what, but Xavi said that they're different from any organs in the world. Something about horizontal pipes that add a different sound to the music.
If you think this is detailed, wait until you see Sagrada Familia. That thing is crazy. And I live so close to it!
This bakery has a basement that has... damn it, I forgot what they specialize in. I should have paid more attention or taken notes or something. But I'll probably come back here and try some of the pastries. The food here is so good (AND SO CHEAP), but it's a little dangerous because a lot of it is bread, cheese, and meat. I already lost a pound or two because of all this walking I've been doing, but I can't get too comfortable and let myself eat whatever I want.
I love how there's so many Catalonian pride flags everywhere in the streets. I don't know enough to form an opinion on the Catalonian independence issue (it's a very sensitive topic so you'd be well advised to not discuss it with locals), but it's nice to see a group of people that are so proud of their culture.
Finally, the moment I've been waiting for, LA BOQUERIA MERCAT! Actually no, the moment I'm still waiting for is Camp Nou. It's kind of on the outskirts of Barcelona so I haven't had time to go see it. I still can't believe I'm in the same city as the FC Barcelona stadium. I'll probably shed a few tears when I see it in real life haha. I'm going to the Real Sociedad game in November, so that's going to be absolutely amazing. There's NO way I can afford to go to the clasíco (tickets are like 400 euros, and that's for the cheap seats), but I can put my jersey on and go cheer them on at a bar or something. La Boqueria is a huge open market in Barcelona on La Rambla and they have everything you could imagine.
Tourist selfie!
The fruit looks like plastic because it's so pretty, but I can assure you it was real. It was so crowded that I was being pushed along and I could only snap a few quick pictures.
Hello angry looking Spanish man!
Mmmm candy. I wonder if it's stale because it's been sitting out for such a long time. I didn't really buy anything at the market except for a raspberry pineapple smoothie for 1,50 euro (That's another thing, they use commas instead of periods when writing prices. Weird). The food here is pretty cheap.
We eventually separated into two groups and we ended up at Sagrada Familia, which is three blocks from my apartment. I'm really happy with our location. It's one block from the metro (which is SO easy to navigate) and one block from one of our school's campuses. I've heard that some students got placed an hour away from campus and seven blocks from the metro. No thanks.
You really can't capture how awesome this building is. It's still under construction, too. I think it finishes in like 2022...
My roommates went out for dinner a few nights ago, and we totally got ripped off by the restaurant lol. We sat down, and they were like "Tapas? Paella?" and we said "Sí", and then he disappeared and came back with a ton of food and our bill came out to 256 euros. So he took advantage of us and just brought out whatever he wanted us to pay for. It's okay though, now we know to actually ask for a menu and read through it to figure out what we want. And I'm not that mad, because the food was SO GOOD. Oh my god, I'm in love with paella. I've never had it before! I also found a Korean restaurant a few blocks away from me, so I'll definitely be going there when I'm missing my mom's cooking. I popped my head in and made sure that it was run by Korean people, haha.
This is my school, the Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona (am I putting those accent marks in the right direction? Too lazy to check) Sant Pau campus. It's seriously so beautiful. The Eixample campus (pronounced eh-SHOM-play, I learned that the first day and I was like Oh! That's how you pronounce it! I've been wondering all summer how to say that word) is more downtown, closer to Plaça de Catalunya, and it's more of just a nondescript building, but it's okay because I can get out of class and it'll be easier for me to explore.
That's all for now! I have a hike at Parc de Collserola tomorrow, and it has a view of Barcelona that is amazing because it's on a mountain. Gotta get some zzz's now.