Our presentation went well on Wednesday. We were the first group to go. The other groups' presentations were also good. After everyone had gone Katherine ended the class with a few words. This was our last class even though we still have 3 weeks left. This one just ended earlier. It was really sad because she was talking about a going away "thing" and told us to check our inbox for details, I just can't believe that the end is so near! It seems like yesterday that we just got our street assignments. This was by far one of my favorite classes so I'm kinda sad that this one is over. I'd much rather prefer event management to be over with! After school I decided to go to the MNAC museum, it's supposed to be one of the best art museums in Catalonia. They gave me a two day pass when I got there because they were only open for another 2 hours. I ended up seeing the whole museum though. I went through it pretty quickly. They had an excellent collection of art. They are well-known for their renaissance, gothic, and baroque art from Catalonia but I found their Modern art collection to be my favorite. Overall it was a good museum and I'm glad I went.
Wednesday night was pretty eventful, there was a flowing of emotion this evening and at the last minute I decided to go out to Shoko with Alex, same place that I had gotten my friends from Amsterdam into for free. We like Shoko so we decided to go have a night on the town. We met up with my friends and we had a good night. They are due to go back to the States soon and hearing about their adventure around Europe was pretty entertaining. We didn't get home till 6 in the morning. Something I realized this night: I've met a variety of different people on this trip, some that have changed me for the better, some that have changed me for the worse, and others that I know I will remain in close contact with and hopefully see again in the future. I've done a lot of networking and have really enjoyed meeting new people, it always help you grow as a person.
Thursday - I had another really important presentation this day. I missed Catalan again this morning, I was too tired to pull myself out of bed and decided that it would be better to get a little extra rest for my other class, considering I got home at 6 in the morning and had to present a project later! So, I did the logical thing and slept in a little longer. I'm not going to miss anymore classes though! Honestly! I went to school really early and worked on the presentation before class. We didn't communicate very well as a group on this project and we had two different power-points so we had to combine them and then makeup a handout for class. It was a lot to do but with 3 hours we made it happen! Our presentation went ok, the teacher was a little nit-picky about what he thought could have been better, I found this annoying but, we ended up getting a 7 out of 10 so I'm not extremely disappointed. It's so weird giving presentations here. First of all, we have one due in almost every class every week. I'd rather do powerpoints everyday though compared to writing boring papers and stuff. It's definitely a different style of learning over here. During the presentations the professors will also stop you to talk or to elaborate on whatever you might have just said and sometimes they will correct you and critize you! It's very different from what I'm used to but then again there are so many differences in their classroom etiquette compared to ours. After class I felt a wave of relief come over me! I was dreading this week because we had two big presentations due and this was our last class of the week and I was definitely ready for the weekend to begin. For a number of reasons, this week was a hard week and I felt so much better when I was walking down to the metro, it was a little chilly outside but I was taking in the freedom of the fresh, cool air and it just felt good to be alive at this point! It seems like a hassle some days but I love my metro rides too and from school, there's just something about waiting for your train combined with the smell of the Barcelona metro (mainly, oil, piss, and sweaty people) that just lights up my life sometimes! lol Minus the smells obviously, it gives me 15 minutes of peace everyday and I enjoy the variety, the metro truly does have it's own culture. When I first started college the best piece of advice that they gave us at orientation was to take 10 or 15 minutes out of your day for yourself whether it's during breakfast, while your driving, or even taking a bubble bath, it's so important for you to have 10 minutes to reflect on yourself and whatever situation you might be in. I doubt anyone else was listeing during this part because the majority of the students were sleeping or talking but, this was the most valuable piece of advice that I've taken from college, that and how to present yourself when getting a job. I guess maybe I did learn something at Johnson & Wales? lol Hard for even me to believe!
After I got home I ate something and talked to my family because it was Thanksgiving. I tried to give everyone a call but I had a hard time getting in touch with everyone. We didn't do anything for Turkey day really. My roommates cooked a little meal but I only had some leftover potatoes. lol It doesn't really feel like Thanksgiving here for us, they don't celebrate that here so I didn't really feel like I was missing out on much. However, after my mom sent me a picture of the pie's at my Nan's house I really had a craving for a homemade pumpkin pie! My roommates always tease me about my eating habits and not having any real cooking skills but I told them on Thanksgiving that one thing I do now how to make is homemade pie crust - All thanks to my Nan and my sister Julie!! My roomies wanted to make a pecan pie but after they realized how much work it was going to be and how hard it would be to locate all the ingredients in the grocery store they quickly changed their minds! lol Alex and I took a nap after this, we planned on only sleeping for an hour but that turned into 3 and we didn't wake up until midnight. Everyone else from Erasmus had gone over to the black sheep so we went over to check out what was going on. We didn't want to drink when we got over there and everyone else was pretty drunk from playing drinking games so we left and decided to go over to Burger King to use the free wi-fi because our internet wasn't working. They were closing when we got there so we came back and just decided to go back to bed! Stephanie was leaving for Rome in the morning so she packed while we talked about different things and Alex read the English Cosmo that I brought back from Dublin for her! We went to bed around 3.
Friday - I woke up early with plans to go to Girona and the Costa Brava but soon realized I was too tired and I was going to go with Sam and since he didn't get home till about 5 or 6 in the morning I knew that we weren't going to catch that 7 a.m. train! lol Instead we decided to sleep in a little bit longer and go to Montserrat instead! We left around 11 am in order to catch the 11:36 train from Plaza Espanya. I had read that the line R5 was a little hard to locate so I wanted to make sure that we had plenty of time. Turns out, it was hard to find but using my Spanish skills I asked some people and they pointed me in the right direction. We finally made it there and then we saw some booths where you could buy tickets. We wanted to get an all combination ticket for lunch, the trains, the funiculars, and the museum. The lady marked down the ticket we wanted on a piece of paper and said to buy the ticket from the people wearing shirts just like her. I was very confused and never saw anyone with a special shirt on. We just hopped on the train and assumed that we paid when we got there. WRONG. The train ride was much longer than I thought it was going to be, it took almost an hour. After we got off at the right stuff we followed the crowd to the cable car that you take up the mountain. We got in line to get on and when we got up to the front we realized that we didn't have the same ticekts as everyone else in line. We couldn't figure out where they had gotten these tickets from so the guy that was taking tickets told us we had to buy tickets. Well, he finished putting everyone else in the car first and THEN came to help us buy tickets. I handed him the paper that the lady had marked at the train station and he looked at me like I was crazy! lol We obviously missed buying the right tickets so we ended up paying for everything separately but I think it got evened out in the end. We finally made it up the mountain, the cable car ride was a little scary. I'm not scared of heights but cable cars can be a little scary, they just don't look very sturdy! The views were amazing and I remember snapping 500 pictures!!! As soon as we made it to the top we took in the views and stopped at the information center to get a map and some info on what there was to do. Montserrat is home to Europe's oldest boy's choir and they were singing at 1 o'clock so we ran up to the Monastery to catch the end of the performance. It really was amazing. I only heard them for a minute or two but it was worth it. After seeing the choir we took pictures in the church, which was beautiful, and then we got in line to see the crypt where the famous "Black Madonna" is located. I've heard different things about this statue. I first read that it was carved in 50 A.D. by St. Luke and then discovered in the 12th century. I also learned that she wasn't originally black and that the smoke from the candles in the church slowly turned her this color over time. Regardless, there was a very long line to see it. I only got to see if for a few minutes and my picture came out pretty blurry unfortunately. After the church we snapped some photos of the mountains. We were really high up so it was very foggy because it was still a little early. The rocks in this area are very unique and very similar to the rocks in Kastriki, Greece where I also visited some monasteries. We were starving so we headed to the cafeteria for lunch. I had calamari and some Catalan potatoes with an ice cream! After lunch we did some souvenir shopping and then decided to take the funicular a little further up the mountain for a little hike. When we got to the top I was literally just blown away by the view. I felt like we were at the top of the world! I could see everything, we were in the clouds and I felt like we were in an airplane! We went for a hike around the mountain, the pictures that I got just can't even show the true beauty of this place. Ruins of little churches and coves like something off of a postcard. We hiked up and down some scary paths and just took in the views. Sam and I also took some black and white photos which was pretty fun! I find myself doing a lot of things with Sam. He has the same type of "exploring" mentality that I do. He said that I made a great exploration partner. I'm not scared to try new things or venture into the unknown, everyday is an experience in itself and I'm determined to find something new everyday. If you never try then you'll never succeed. You have to try new things to keep things fresh and new and because I hate nothing more than to be bored with a situation, I'm constantly keeping myself entertained by trying new things. I don't like dull moments. After our hike we descended back down the mountain a little ways back to the monastery. We checked out the museum gift shop and book about the museum but decided that we didn't want to pay 6 Euro to go inside. lol We got some souviners and headed home. I slept on the train and when we had made it back to Plaza Espanya I headed over to Sants Station to get a train schedule for tomorrow because we wanted to go to Figueres and Girona since we won't be able to see the Dali museum this week on the school trip. After I got home, I went to the store to get stuff to pack a lunch for tomorrow, relaxed all evening, and planned our route for the next day. I was exhausted and went to bed around 12.
Friday - We got up super early, 6:30 to be exact. We got ready and headed out the door around 7ish to catch our 7:46 train to Figueres. It was going to be about a 2 hour train ride so we decided that we would sleep on the train. As soon as we got on I was passed out with my mouth hanging wide open as usual, (same way Julie sleeps)! I woke up about 10 minutes before it was time to get off the train. To avoid another detour like Tarragona we decided to map out directions from the train station before leaving this time! lol We took pictures of the map just in case we got lost! We started towards the Dali museum but got distracted by all the fresh markets on Saturday morning, something you can find in almost every city in Spain. DELICIOUS! We got a little lost and just so happened to be in front of the tourist info center when we realized this. We stopped in, got a map, and easily found the museum. We needed a little pick me up so we sat down at a cafe next to the museum for a quick coffee drink. It was a very unique place. We went into the museum around 10:30 or 11 and I quickly fell in love. There is just so much to say about the way this museum made me feel: free, quirky, passionate, interested, confused, etc. My personal opinion, Salvador Dali was a multi-talented, genius He is one of the most twisted, intriguing artists of our time and seeing his museum was worth getting up at 6:30 and paying almost 24 Euro for train tickets there and back. I'm so glad that I was able to have this experience and anyone who travels to Barcelona MUST make the trip to Figueres to see this, it's worth every penny and all the time in the world. The museum was very interactive and I saw some of the strangest, most beautiful things I have ever seen. Truly the most unique, and my favorite art museum in ALL of Spain AND Europe. Don't get me wrong, Van Gogh and Picasso were amazing but nothing compares to Dali, he's just inspiring and talented. We didn't leave the museum until 1 o'clock and then we grabbed a bite to eat. As we were eating I realized that I had read the train schedule wrong to go back to Girona and that the next train was leaving in 10 minutes!! We housed our food and practically ran to the train station and as we were approaching the station we saw our train taking off. It was bittersweet. I was tired from running and now we had to wait almost 45 mins. for the next train!! UGH! We relaxed at the train station till the next train arrived. It was a short ride to Girona. We were very close to the French border in Figueres so we were definitely more than a hop, skip, and a jump from home! lol We made it to Girona and got some directions at the train station. Things to see in Girona: The cathedral, the old Jewish quarter, and the Cases de l'Onyar. I really enjoyed Girona and if I had to pick two words to describe this small, traditional, Catalan town they would be, "Quaint and Picturesque." We first saw the beautiful houses lining the canals, took some photos, and then found the Cathedral. The Girona Cathedral has the widest gothic nave in the world and the second-widest of any style, first is St. Peter's Basilica. It was an amazing church, it was huge. You weren't allowed to take pictures but if you know me, you know I was snapping them left and right. It wasn't busy so it was very peaceful. They also have one of the best collections of religious art, they house the 11th or 12th century tapestry, "The Creation of Life," which was very impressive. It was only 3 Euro for students and we got an audio tour so I was pleased. After the church we tried to see the Arab Baths but they were closed! UGH! I was so dissapointed because this was one of the main reasons I wanted to come to Girona! They are only open from 10 - 2 on Saturday!?!? What kind of hours are these anyways!? Instead we wandered around the Cathedral area and saw the old Roman walls and a very pretty area with excellent Roman ruins and Gothic Architecture. Girona is a wonderful city full of hidden treasures and corners just waiting to be discovered. After this we wandered around the old Jewish Quarter looking at all the little shops and alleyways. We did Girona pretty quickly actually and after we realized it was only 5 o'clock we were pretty shocked!! I guess this is what happens when you start the day so early!
We decided to grab dinner somewhere and in Girona siesta is strictly observed so we had a hard time finding something. A guy recommended a place to us so we went there. I had a pizza with goat cheese, spinach, and pine nuts. It was very tasty. After dinner we decided to head home in time to get a nap so that we could go out later! We walked quickly to the train station to catch the train but it turned out that the scheduled train wasn't running that day so we had to wait another 30 or 45 minutes for the next train! UGH! I know I'll figure it out with these trains eventually! We slept on the way back to Barcelona and we decided to get off one stop earlier than usual because we thought it was closer. It was, very seamless process and from now on I'll probably take the airport train from this stop. After we got home, I grabbed a bite to eat, relaxed and then got ready to go out! We had some of our Spanish friends over before going out to drink and then we met up with the Portuguese later on. We tried out a new club this evening called Elephant, it was very classy but it was pretty dead for a Saturday night. Regardless, we had a good time with good conversation. We got home around 6 in the morning and Sam and Kevin had made french fries and left us some. We quickly devoured those and then passed out!
Sunday - On top of being sleep deprived (as you can tell from my recent schedule) I was also just tired from being out so late so I slept in until 4 o'clock in the afternoon!! AH!! I don't think I've ever slept in that late in my entire life! Crazy, I know! I woke up and felt like the entire day had been wasted away. HOWEVER, here in Barcelona, that is never the case, which is something that I love! I made something to eat, showered and started to work on my powerpoint for Monday's class. The big FC Barcelona vs. Real Madrid game was on at 7 and they were playing here in Barca so we left around 6 to get a spot somewhere to watch the game. We tried 4 or 5 different places before settling on this modern bar. We had some waters and some patatas bravas. We saw that they had chocolate fondue so we decided that we would go back before we leave because we were too full to eat anymore! Barcelona won, it was exciting. We live right off of the Ramblas, the main street that everyone flocks to after the games, so it was a very lively walk home! People go crazy here over Barcelona but I absolutely love the spirit and enthusiasm! It's great! I took a video of the action and a few photos. Alex and I stopped at Starbucks on the way home and I had a piece of carrot cake and a mocha praline latte which was really good. I've been wanting to try their holiday drinks recently and it was a chilly night out so the timing was perfect. After we got home I uploaded my Ireland pictures ( I know I'm a little behind!) and just hung out, Alex and I had girl time and we didn't go to bed until almost 4 in the morning because our sleep schedule is obviously a little messed up right now! lol
Monday - Today we had class at noon. We gave our last presentations, our free presentations. My group ended up doing ours on the Gothic Quarter and it went pretty well. The other groups did a good job and now everything is completed for this class except for the exam which will be on the 14th! AGAIN, it's crazy to think that this is almost over, I'm already starting to get sad, I know it's going to be tough to say goodbye!
During break I meet with my street group which is the same group for our class presentation's tomorrow on our Barcelona slogans. We started making a video on my Mac and decided to meet at my place after the next class to finish it. Our next class was so boring, I ate my lunch and went to the snack machine for a candy bar I was so bored! After school I rushed home, went to the ATM and then to the store really fast before my whole group got here. We worked on our project for nearly 3 1/2 hours! Ugh, it took forever. I really hope that it works tomorrow on the computers at school. I called my sister Julie spazzing out about how to get it to work tomorrow! It's very frustrating having a mac sometimes when it comes to this stuff but then again, everyone with a PC is also having trouble getting powerpoint and video's to play on the school computers, so it's not just me! :D Luckily I have an amazing sister who is a genius with these types of things and hopefully the stuff that she recommended works!! If not, then I'm going to get a big fat, "F." (and I would not be okay with this!) After my group left I felt very relived and I got to video chat with my other half tonight (Chelsea)! It's been a while since we talked and I've missed her!
As far as the next couple of weeks go - here is my jam packed schedule!
Tomorrow- presentation for Marta's class - then her class ends, study session for the LSAT
Wednesday - EIBTM Conference in the morning and a couple of things around Barcelona in the afternoon and then study session for the LSAT again
Thursday - Class, pack for Madrid, study session for the LSAT
Friday - Early flight to Madrid, probably going to spend all day in my hotel studying! AH! That sucks! It's hard to be in a city like that and study! BLAH! I'd like to have a nice dinner this night!
Saturday - THE BIG DAY! (no silly, I'm not getting married - this happens to be more important!) LSAT test and then afterwards I'm going to do some crazy sight seeing!
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday - Madrid - leaving late tuesday
Wednesday - Event Management presentations, gotta work on this project sometime?
Thursday - Catalan Exam, last day of class
Next Weekend - BARCELONA sight-seeing and fun parties with the Erasmus students since it will be some people's last weekend
Following week - Exams and then hopefully it's off to see southern spain and lisbon, Portugal!
23rd - Flying back across the pond!
The next 3 or 4 weeks are going to fly by and between all this I have to finish my event management project, write a paper for that class, and actually make plans and book stuff to travel around southern spain!! So much to do, so little time to do it in...See, I told you there isn't going to be any sleep until I leave!! ;)
Ugh, Pray that I make it through all this alive and that I do muy bien on the LSAT!
Adios!
2 comments:
Aww you missed me? How sweet.
Aww you missed me? How sweet, good luck on the LSAT.
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