Birthdays & Walks

I felt completely crazy this week due to a few reading tests and writing assignments.  That being said, I was so happy when Wednesday night rolled around because some of us had planned to celebrate Natalie & Marie's birthdays.  We all brought a few small things and had a "tapas style" dinner.  Towards the end of dinner I received an email that our test was cancled for the following day.  

Best. News. Ever.  Turns out this dinner was just the beginning of an exciting weekend.  

Charlotte & Marie even had a kitty at their flat...  which was obviously even better news than our test being canceled.  It's been way too long since I have held a precious cat.  

Thursday morning I woke up relatively early and went on a walk.  The day was so beautiful that I decided to walk all the way from my house to Ciutadella Park, about 4.5 km in total.  The park was definitely worth the walk.

  I will be sure to go back soon to have a picnic and read.  

There were so many grassy lawns that are perfect to lay on all afternoon.  

From Ciutadella Park I walked to Plaça Catalunya to grab lunch before my appointment at the Apple store.  I found a stir fry place called "Wok to Walk" off of La Rambla, super yummy. 

Behind the orange box of magic rice... you can see a sculpture of a woman hunched over.  I think it is kind of twisted for a artist to put a sculpture of a woman, desperately trying to cover herself up, stranded, in the center of a pond in a park.  It's as if she was just left here to be defected on by all of the pigeons.  I wish I could have offered her some of my rice.  

  

 After lunch, I met up with Antonia & we ventured off to the beach for the remainder of the afternoon.  The plan was to sit by the water and get ahead on our reading.  

But to be expected, the plan was not followed.  

Such a great Thursday.  

I am wrapping up this post around 4 AM tonight.  I am having a little trouble sleeping... maybe it is because I can't stop thinking about my parents being here TOMORROW! So very excited to see them.  

Girona

I have officially been living in Barcelona for a month, I cannot believe it.  I seemed to have skipped over the "point of panic" that was said to happen around two weeks in, and slipped into a rhythm of everyday life.  School is now in full swing and I am grateful to have a full calendar and todo list again.

This Saturday I went on a school organized day trip to Girona, a Spanish city in the Northeast of Catalonia.  

The city was so quiet and peaceful,  I really felt so relaxed there.  

 It would have been nice to curl up on a bench by the river and take a little siesta in the sun.  

Girona had really interesting side streets sprinkled with lovely trinket shops, and some beautiful examples of Gothic-style architecture, which I have grown to be quite fond of.  

My favorite moment in Girona was walking through this little garden behind the church.  It was the kind of place that made me want to get all sentimental and just sit with the flowers and journal the day away.  If I ever get the chance to return to this town, an afternoon in this garden will be first on my agenda. 

Fresh air, gorgeous views and meaningful conversations with the people in my program... I could not have asked for a better afternoon. 

 I am looking forward to our next day trip to Tarragona. 

Hiking Up Tibidabo

This weekend Antonia, Pippa, and I were looking for a bit of a change of pace.  Living in the center of a big city can sometimes become a bit exhausting.  In order to get some fresh air, we decided to take a hike up to Tibidabo to see the view, the cathedral.

We met at our usual train station and took a bus up to the beginning of the trail.  The view from the bus stop was already quite a sight! I took probably fifty pictures before I realized that I needed to put my camera down and hold off until we reached the top.  I tend to be entirely too snap happy.

We stopped for a moment to channel our inner super-tourist at this picturesque scene.  Although, the pictures we got to take away made it so worth it.  

This spot was roughly the half way point to the top of Tibidado.  The cathedral at the top of the mountain can be seen from mostly anywhere in Barcelona, especially at night.  It is always a bright North star for me if I get lost in the evening, but for my mother's sake let's just say 'turned around'.

The church was a lot smaller inside than I expected, but the size made it feel so intimate.  The smell of incense had a strong presence and the stained glass chandeliers were like nothing I had ever seen.  Sadly, I do not have any pictures to share, mental photos seemed like the only appropriate thing to take.  

Beside the church, there is also a small (creepy-ish) theme park on top of Tibidabo.  If you are looking for a mind-blowing roller coaster, this is not the place for you.  On the other hand,  if merry-go-rounds were not a usual feature of your bad dreams... you might not find it THAT creepy.  

Nevertheless, the view from the very top was, a grand finale.  

After taking the train back down the mountain, we all went out to have some nice Tapas.  A friend of ours, Natalie, recommended a place called Flauta.  It was extremely authentic and separate from the touristic areas of the city.  The atmosphere of the resturaunt made it such a memorable experience.   I will definitely be taking my parents to Flauta when they come to visit me... one month from today!  

All in all, it was another unbelievable weekend here in Barcelona.  I will be forever grateful for this experience and for the people I am coming to know so well.  

  

Afternoon Leisure & The W Hotel

No class on Friday is an absolute must when there are so many places to see and people to meet.  Antonia, Pippa, Emilie and I took advantage of our off day to shop around town then eventually head over to the W Hotel to check out the view and have a coffee.  

(As if the giant "W" isn't enough of an indicator)

Once we got to the W one of the door men informed us that the bar with the view would not be opened for a more few hours.  He did however offer to show us a few of their suites so we could see the view.  It was absolutely incredible! 

The door man probably felt immediate regret about his offer because once we got to the twenty-sixth floor we were so excited and completely forgot to "be cool." Oops. 

The W was one of the most gorgeous hotels I have ever been in.  On the way out, Emilie suggested that once we all have big jobs and are successful, we come back to the W and rent out the nicest suite available.  That would be such a dream! 

And what better way to end an afternoon than with french fries and a little vino?