Twofer

Today was unexpectedly fun. Started a little to early but is was good.

After (during the writing of) my last post I met some Aussies E and R and a boy from Guatemala, D. We all need to go to the train station to get tickets for the next day to various places. (E and R are going to Valencia as well D is going to Madrid) so we decided to go together. We made our way to the station and got tickets before E and R decided to do some touristy stuff I was telling them what all I’d done and mentioned a couple things I’d still like to do when I cam back.

They decided to do one of the things I hadn’t done yet and we all decided to go with D as guide. So off we headed to Tabidabo!

Tabidabo is a mountain that over looks Barcelona. At the top is a small amusement park and and amazing Catholic Temple. 2 Metro rides a bus and a Train ride we made it to the top!

It was gorgeous views like no other! I’ve included a few pics. The company was great to E and R were great girls so funny and just NICE. Great people to spend the day with D was very sweet and loved taking pictures for us and everyone near by that needed them.

D also had fun trying to teach us a bit of Spanish, I’ve picked up a bit being here and I bet if I stayed I would get it pretty fast. At least be able to understand it maybe not speak it but I’d be able to comprehend it at least.

After a couple hours we headed down and had a Beer at this awesome bar that was midway up the mountain before heading back to the Hostel.

I got back, got packed and ready to go tomorrow! B invited me out as did E and R but I’m just so tired! I want to be well rested for Valencia!

2 days until La Tomatina!!!!

Alright folks bed time for me!

Sunday Sunday Sunday

Well it is my last day on BCN… I’m going to miss it but I’ll be back in 2 monthsish.

So yesterday A B and I went to Parc Güell and had a lot of fun. It was crazy crowded but Gaudi really was a mad genius. The walk to get up to Parc Güell… OMG it was like climbing a mountain, no wonder people back then didn’t want to live up there.

Then it was back to the hostel we made lunch then lounged around the rest of the day.

A and I went on the Pub Crawl last night. 12€ and you got a free shot in each if the 3 pubs and reduced price drinks as well. It ended up at a club that apparently doesn’t shut down until 6AM.

The first Pub was the only real pub and it was awesome I met some guys from. Miami and Peru as well as 2 girls from France. We kind of all grouped together for the test of the night. At this bar they poured some sort of mixed drink “shot” straight in your mouth until you said when. It kind of tasted like strawberry Koolaid and vodka.

They warned as we left the pub to be quite as we walk because the city center us residential and if were loud the residence will dump stuff on us from their balconies as we walk under them. And it is not always water… Saw 1 person get dumped on. He was annoying and kind of deserved it.

2nd Pub was really just a little hole in the wall bar. The shot was tiny and tasted like a grape sour But the bar made fantastic Mojitos so that made up for it. We hung out there for a long time. And the bouncer gave me a lollipop because he said I was nice. Of course he said this while looking down my shirt so I know what he thought was “Nice” about me. >8)

3rd bar we were in and out of so fast. It was nowhere near a pub. It was some ultra futuristic all white and glass thing. The shot was Tequila. Just straight Tequila no lime no salt. We left there pretty quickly then headed to the club on Las Rambles and headed in.

The club was like nothing I’ve ever seen. It was PACKED and like 5 different rooms each room played different music a lot of it was American music surprisingly.

One of the Guys from Peru we’ll call him R was very nice and we talked forever about how Europe was so more open and how it changed your views on life and what you wanted to do.

We also talked about how there are just to many naked people walking around. We may be prudes but we’re OK with that. (I have yet to go a say here without seeing a naked person unexpectedly).

Everyone kind of broke up and headed their own way around 4:30. I walked R to his hostel because he had no idea where he was and I knew. (I know me having a sense of direction shocking!) then he walked me to the Metro and I headed home.

It was a great night, Barcelona night life is crazy the party doesn’t stop here. When we left at 4:30 it was still going strong and people were waiting to get in.

Up early this AM even though I went to bed after 5. I’m heading to the train station with s group of people to get train tickets to Valencia.

Pictures of Parc Güell!

My feet hurt. A lot.

So the last 28 hours have involved w lot of walking. Like many many miles of walking. I hung out with B again all day.

Last night we went out to the city center for awhile to meet up with some Aussies then walked to a bar in the red light district then came home. We didn’t stay out to late but still there was a good bit of walking before going home to the Hostel.

I woke up to a smelly room and 5 mostly naked 15 year olds and 1 (kind of hot) Tour guide. Let me tell you 15 year old boys running around in their underwear Awkward (I felt like a pedophile). Their tour guide jumping down from his bunk in tiny tiny little underwear (they looked like boy shorts) and stretching flexing and bending over SUPER awkward. (And really creepy)

On to the culture of the day… This AM we took the Gaudi walking Tour. We saw his 3 big residence in the city center Palau Güell, Casa Batlló and Casa Milà. They were all as gorgeous as I remembered. I didn’t go into any of them because it cost 12-18 euro per place but when I’m back in Barcelona I may go in.

Then we went to Sagrada Familia which I’d already been to but the history of it was interesting. It is supposed to be completed in 2026 but that is doubtful. The Spanish government makes more money off of it uncompleted because once it is completed it will be a church and they can’t charge admission.

After the tour we grabbed lunch then went shopping… We walked like 3 miles down Catalunya blvd to the square. I bought nothing! But I wanted to.

Then we took the metro back to the hostel where we lounged then had dinner then went to the Montjuïc to see the Nagic Fountain light show. It was cool but very very very crowded. Like Disney world for the end of the day parade.

We went with 2 Korean girls A and H. A speaks very good English. H not as much but it was fun. After the show A and I went to Las Rambles because she wanted to see the red light district ( She was hoping to see a hooker and Barcelona came thru we saw a couple!) then we took the metro home. On the metro she turns to me and says, “Can you tell asian people apart?” I answered honestly, “nope.” She nodded then turned to me very seriously and told me it was ok because she can’t tell white people apart. >8)

Tomorrow will involve much less walking me thinks.

Had a minor issue with the French Men this evening as well. I washed a bra and hung it up in the bathroom. (I figured they all walk around the room in their tiny tiny underwear my bra not such a big deal.) Well the group leader goes to B and says to her. “Can you ask your friend to move her bra from the bathroom?” (Side note the boys were calling my bra La Parachute >8D I’m still laughing about that.) B says sure if he’ll do something for her. He agrees and I quote she says “Will you make the boys shower the room smells.” He agreed the room smells BUT “They just showered yesterday morning.”

…

They are 15 year old boys and they sweat all day in this heat. Our room reaks of BO and cheap cologne. She convinced him to make them shower ( After I removed my bra) And shower they did! Yay no more BO! But they do now know we think they smell. I like to think we just helped them out in life because they smelled really bad. Like REALLY bad.

And now I believe it is shower time for me. I leave you with several pics. The first is Casa Batlló the second Casa Milà and the third the fountain.

Tomorrow Pub Crawl and relaxation!

Ma pièce a été envahie paLes hommes français

Today was much more fun then day 1! My room mate (let’s call her B) and I went on a walking your of Barcelona and then down to the beach.

B is from Austria she is in Barcelona for school but can’t move into her apartment for a month so she’s staying at the hostel.

The tour was lead by an Irish guy call Kieran he was kind of awesome. I learned a lot about Catalonia and several interesting new curse words.

Catalonians have a lot of interesting traditions most of all Caga Tió at Christmas (which I will leave you to google yourselves). Catalonians seem pretty awesome and very proud.

Also got to hear about the Romans The city is over 2000 years old and we got to see the original wall the Romans built it was neat. B and I got to talking about how for me those ancient things are the cool part for her (she grew up in Israel and lives in Vienna now) that is everyday stuff. America is just so young it doesn’t seem like it but then you go to a city that can trace it’s roots back 2000+ years and you realize how not young it is.

B says we have more innovation though in Europe you won’t find sky scrapers or new architecture because they are so concerned with conserving the old. Which is better I wonder?

We also went to Eglésia de Santa Maria del Mar a cathedral built by the “working man” of Barcelona in the 1300’s it was gorgeous and “Simple” you could really stop and enjoy the architecture of it. They built it in 50ish years and it was funded by and built by the poorest section of abarcelona. Everyday after work the men would Cary huge bricks home to add to the church. I lit a candle inside for my dad I think he would appreciate the work
That went into it.

After the your we went tons cheap tapas bar and had lunch then back the hostel then down to the beach.

The beach was gorgeous… BUT the water was full of trash >8( sick sick sick! Good for sun bathing but not swimming! Also I have never seen so many naked people all at once before.

Back to the Hostel then and that is about when the French invaded. B and I are now sharing a room with 6 French boys. They look like they are 12 and kind of smell.. Someone in the group needs to lay off the aftershave. Apparently Austrians don’t like the French so B was not to happy. I was excited because it was the first language I understood being spoken. Would it be rude to ask whoever smells to Shower?

Well it’s wine time now! I’m including a picture of the beach and a picture if the wine I’m drinking now (and the cork I defeated!)

Later!

Long time no write… Guess. Where I am?

Please excuse spelling and grammar errors I’m writing this from my phone on 0 hours sleep.

So huh I haven’t updated in awhile but guess what? I’m here! (by here I mean Barcelona) the flight went by quickly and I think I’m still in shock that I’m here. Either that or I’m still half Zombie from jetlag? Either one is plausible. I did not sleep at all on the flight.

I made it to the hostel without trouble (Aerobus to the L2 metro line) My hostel is a 2 minute walk from the beach and pretty close to the old Olympic stuff. At first I was a little sketched by the area but after some walking around I decided it’s cool. It’s better in one direction then the other.

Food is crazy cheap I spent 5 Euro today on food for at least 3 days.

On to what I actually went and saw today besides crazy cheap grocery stores.

I took the metro to Sagrada Familia, last time I was here there was a ton of scaffolding this time there was much less and it was just gorgeous. The line to go in was CRAZY long (and it was 15 Euro just to go in) so I walked around it a couple times and the park next to it. Gorgeous! I think if I have the money at the end of the trip I’ll go in and check it out.

After that I went to Plaza Monumental to see the bull fighting ring. So cool checked out the museum took pics felt really bad for the poor bulls in the pens.

Then I came back to the hostel and im now updating the blog… It’s 6:46 here dinner then bed time me thinks!

I’m including a pic of Sagrada Familia and my lunch.