So I decided to give this whole blogging thing a try since I can't manage to find a notebook anywhere in Spain...so here it goes!
My first week in Barcelona has been amazing and I think I'm finally figuring out this whole city living thing. I got here on Wednesday, January 8 after flying through Dublin (which was the scariest flight I've ever been on, by the way) and have loved every minute of it. The first few days were all about navigating the new city, figuring out how to communicate with the locals, who speak Catalan and not Spanish (super confusing!) and meeting new people. My random roommates, who could not have been better, are awesome and I can't wait to spend the next 4 months exploring Europe with them!
The first night here was all about finding food to eat and toilet paper. Not kidding. We all had pizza for dinner and beer (because we're all legal!) and walked around our area for a little bit. The next day, we had orientation at our program where we were 45 minutes late because we got lost! But it was okay since we weren't the last people there. We then walked around a cute local market that has fish, meat, vegetables and fruits that is right by our house. Later that night after a siesta (which could be my favorite part of the day), we met up with some friends and went to one of Barcelona's famous night clubs called Opium. So fun, but exhausting since we didn't get back until 5:30 am! Talk about a huge adjustment compared to the US.
The next day, we walked around Barceloneta, another part of Barcelona near the ocean. We went to a restaurant called Restaurant Port-Vell and had lots of sangria and my first paella! Muy delicioso! In true Spanish tradition, we stayed at the restaurant for hours enjoying the drinks and the food. Later that night, we went to another local bar called George Payne. It's an Irish bar that many abroad students go to and is filled with Americans. We met a lot of students from the US and watched the football game!
On Sunday, we walked around the Parc de la Ciutadella, which is the park right near the Arc de Triomf. It was such a nice day and there were so many people outside. We came across such a beautiful fountain and posed with a giant elephant/mammoth (mamut) structure. Lots of fun but a lot of walking!
Besos from Barca!
Hola Chica,
ReplyDeleteGreat blog. Keep it going if you can - you will really be psyched you did when you come back. A good way to remember everything for years and years! Also, I am forwarding this to Eileen, Alice and my mom and Frieda. I know they will all love to hear what you are doing and seeing. The pictures are great. Nice job writing too - you've come a long way from Fog of War!
Love ya
Fred(dy)