We stayed at the Backpacker's BCN Hostel (where Alexi stayed just a week and a half earlier!) and it was one of the nicest, cleanest experiences I have had. I don't think I've been in a bathroom quite that nice since I came to Europe. (Note: I share a bathroom here with three boys and two girls, none of whom seem to understand the concept of cleaning up after themselves, despite the eight thousand notes I've posted above the toilet. GRRR.)
In a nutshell, here was our agenda:
Saturday, November 5
5:50 a.m. -- woke up
6:45 a.m. -- hopped on bikes, in the dark, to make our way over to Centraal Station
7:11 a.m. -- train to airport
9:05 a.m. -- after the most ridiculous EasyJet boarding nonsense, we departed for Barcelona
(When you fly EasyJet, you check in and go through security, and then sit in this massive waiting area until the screens show your gate, and then RUN to the gate to be first in line. Then more checking in and more waiting. Then, they open the door and everyone runs in this hilarious free for all to the stairs at the front and back of the plane. It's one of the more ridiculous systems I've seen.)
11:30 a.m. -- arrived in Barcelona, take bus to our hostel neighborhood...Spanish officially in use!
Rest of the Day:
-walked to Casa Battlo, bought tickets for another day because they were closing
-walked to Casa Mila, another of Gaudi's incredible creations (rooftop view of Barcelona and the Mediterranean!)
-walked to La Segura Familia, which is MASSIVE. The church is still under construction, and the tallest piece is not even there yet. It seemed to me, after seeing four of his most famous creations, that Gaudi's style is contemporary even for today, so I can hardly imagine the reactions of the community in the early 1900s, especially with the church.
-began our 2 and a half hour search for dinner, which ended with exhaustion and stumbling into an Asian restaurant... Barcelona is known for its fantastic world cuisine, so we didn't feel too weird about our choice in dining. The food was delicious, and MUCH appreciated after a long day of travel and walking walking walking.
-in bed by 10:30 p.m. (thank goodness)
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| View from the roof of Casa Mila |
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| Chimney rooftop |
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| View from the roof -- the massive structure in the upper left is La Segura Familia |
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| Side of the roof...crazy! |
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| La Segura Familia |
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| Adorable child...I couldn't help it. |
Sunday, November 6
-woke up and ate some tasty sandwiches
-took the metro from nearby our hostel to the Arc de Triumph
-walked to the Chocolate Museum (Museu Xocolata), where we learned about the history of cocoa and got to see a whole room of chocolate art creations! We were greatly appreciative for the bar of dark chocolate that came with our tickets.
-walked to the Picasso Museum, where we stood in a massive line to get in for free. Worth the wait, for sure. I loved seeing the progression of his style and noting the points where impressionism first made it into his works, influencing his style for the remainder of his career.
-walked along the harbor to La Rambla
-walked through the Gothic Quarter, stopping at the Cathedral and finding the oldest synagogue in Europe on our way -- the latter was SO exciting to find, because my mom had told me about it but I doubted we would have time to see it...Indeed, we did. And we visited the next day :)
-stopped for some tapas
-walked around more and then had a free dinner and watched the soccer game (thank you, hostel!)
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| Chocolate Bambi! |
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| Our first of many chocolates |
-after another night of long sleep, we woke up and walked to a nearby bakery for some breakfast
-took the metro to Liceu and walked to the synagogue
-toured the synagogue, which was built in the 3rd century, and houses a Torah from the 16th century (and I got to use my Hebrew...spoke four languages (English, Dutch, Spanish, and Hebrew) in 4 days!!)
-walked through the food market
-took the metro to La Espanya, and made our way up to the Palau Nacional, home of the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya
-ate lunch with a panoramic view of Barcelona
-waled to the Olympic Stadium...more cool views
-walked down to Poble Espanyol, this crazy outdoor walking museum that was built in 1929 to represent a variety of cities throughout Spain. There are contemporary art galleries with Spanish artists and lots of shops that represent the culture of the recreated city.
-walked back down to Placa Espanya...then walked a marathon underground to get to the train we needed, but the Klezmer music on the train kept us in good spirits
-stopped for some tapas and drinks
-walked around the square, and then had a DELICIOUS dinner
-back to hostel to pack and sleep...I really appreciated the rest we got on our trip!
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| Wall facing Jerusalem |
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| (Color is super off on this one...But at least you can see I'm there!) |
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| And this one's blurry, but there I am in the Gothic Quarter, outside La Sinagoga Mayor! |
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| Just some meat on a stick...EWE |
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| Palace...it is enormous. So big, in fact, that they have escalators to help you make it to the top. Much appreciated. |
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| In the sculpture garden of Poble Espanyol |
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| My favorite sculpture |
-up at 9:30 to finish packing and check out
-breakfast on the go, as we walked to Casa Battlo -- The audio guide was super helpful in understanding Gaudi's life story and his inspiration for the masterpieces that fill Barcelona. Moved by nature and its simplicities, Gaudi created his works to mimic the ocean, using curves and hardly any sharp edges. His design is unlike any other but so practical and sensible. The natural light in the home flows through each room, even those that do not face outside. I was astonished at his ability to maintain a level of consistency throughout his works, even as they varied in their style and form.
-took the metro to Parc Guell...no surprise, we were amazed
-took the metro and train back to the airport...EasyJet was only a tad bit more organized this time.
-got back to Amsterdam and I made my way home to drop off my stuff and pack dinner before running down the street to my 7-10 p.m. class (what a day!)
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| Inside the main room of Casa Battlo, looking out over the street. |
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| View from the top of Parc Guell |
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| I spy La Segura Familia! |
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| Surprisingly talented musician at the top of Parc Guell. "All I need is three things: my instruments, water, and your dancing!" |
All in all, the trip was really nice, and it was fun to travel with Agata. I got a real kick out of using my Spanish again. I did, however, feel a bit less enthused about traveling in general this go-round. I have moved around a lot, and was still recuperating from Josh's visit, our trip to Paris, his leaving, and a week of craziness before our trip to Barcelona. Last week, we had our CIEE midterm meeting, and all got slapped in the face with the reality of our time left here--it's scary if you see the next 40ish days as either a long or short time, and the check-in just kind of threw me off. I also started a new class last week, "Moving Manhood: Masculinity and Sexual Citizenship from Cross-Cultural Perspectives," which shifted my routine. And Hannah was out of town, so I was missing Kyle-Hannah-Becca time a lot. And I had just finished booking my last trip of the semester, so I was a bit unnerved by the amount of traveling I'm doing throughout the course of the semester.
Seeing other countries in Europe was definitely a priority for me, and I am certainly glad to have fulfilled that goal. At the same time, as my buds who are also abroad can confirm, traveling can be tiring and feel superficial. While it is incredible to see so many different places, it is impossible to really get to know a place, to dig below the surface-level tourist attractions and initial reactions, when you are only there for a few days. In the end, I am glad to be getting a taste of so many places, so I know where I may want to revist in the future. Nonetheless, I have found that, on each of my trips, I have been SO happy to come home. Amsterdam is the best city I've been to in Europe and I love it more than I could possibly explain. When we were flying out of Amsterdam last Saturday, I got to see the city from above and it really is as tiny as they say...I found my dorm, and could name 15 streets without a problem from our plane. I love that it is a city that feels like a small town. It's wonderful.
In coping with the influx of different emotions last week, I reached out to some of my best friends from home, and am feeling a lot better about this period of realizing how much/little time I have left here. It was great to talk with them and get excited about coming home because, once December 22 roles around, I am sure that I'll be leaving here kicking and screaming and asking myself why time has to move so fast. At the same time, I am also ready and excited to move into this next phase of my experience with an open mind and the necessary eagerness to embrace every moment here. I still have so many exciting things to do and see in Holland, and so many more relaxing afternoons to spend sipping coffee between canals :)
