Unable to sleep more than an hour on our flight from Philadelphia to Frankfurt, Germany and then to Barcelona, we gathered our luggage and maneuvered our way through the airport and to a long line of taxi drivers awaiting outside in the rainy, dismal Barcelona weather -- more than eager to take our bags. (I would quickly find that my ideas about the warm sun and hot beaches were slightly off, as it is the winter months in Barcelona -- cold and rainy.) We immediately put our Spanish to use when we gave directions to our new home and we immediately discovered that this would not be the first time we would struggle with communicating in a foreign country, with a foreign language.
Once we made it safely to our 2' x 12' dorm room (haha I'm probably exaggerating a little), we unpacked and decided to scope out a little of our neighborhood. With the rain coming down and the wind in our faces, we wandered aimlessly for a while before we realized we had no idea where we were going. I can't speak for Nicole, but I know that I immediately began to feel slightly discouraged and frustrated, questioning my decision to leave everything I know and love and throw myself into a new country and entirely different culture.
As the days passed, however, it began to look up. We hit it off with each and every one of the students on our floor and slowly (and let me emphasize slowly) but surely, we came to find our way around. Our first stop was La Corte Ingles, a gigantic, 7+ leveled department store comparable to the Macy's or Nordstrom you'd find in the city back home. It had EVERYTHING. So we got everything we needed, from tape, to fresh bed sheets, to a hair dryer. Imagine two, blonde, CLEARLY American girls shuffling through endless floors of everything imaginable asking directions in Spanish and paying with foreign currency. It was a sight to see, I'm sure.
The Sights!
As I'm a little slow getting this blog started, I'm going to touch upon all the sights we've seen thus far without going into too much detail. Our first stop? Park Guell -- a simply stunning display of work by artist Gaudi. An outdoor mosaic tile and landscape masterpiece, Park Guell is located in Montjuic, a mountain in Barcelona that provides some of the best views of the city. Looking back, it was my first real introduction to the architecture, artwork and beauty that this city has to offer and immediately sparked my desire for more.
Next up, Las Ramblas -- one of the most popular attractions in Barcelona. A long cobble street that offers everything from mobile pet shops, to memorabilia and trinkets, to roosters! The street ultimately leads to the ocean (a sight I still have yet to see!) and along the way houses performers who paint and dress themselves, remaining perfectly still -- allowing pictures only when you drop some change in their cans. Little shops and restaurants also line the street but perhaps the greatest of all is La Boqueria -- a giant market with meats, vegetables and fruits that look too big, ripe and colorful to be true!
As we soon found FC Barcelona soccer (or fubol) jerseys to be a popular item for sale on every street corner, we thought what better way to be a true resident of Barcelona than to go to a game! So we booked tickets for a game against Seville on Saturday, January 16. While it got off to a slow start (FC Barcelona scoring once in the first half), the game picked up in the second and ended with my new city taking the win 4-0. The stadium was breathtaking, and while we didn't have the best seats (I guess you would say the nosebleed section as Nicole actually got a nosebleed during the game) it was an amazing view. It was surreal to hear the chants and enthusiasm of the faithful fans, even with the rain coming down. I really began to feel a part of something, like I might belong here.
The next day we took a bus to tour La Catedral de Barcelona -- a powerful, historic cathedral in Barcelona. Upon entering, I immediately felt a humbling presence come over me. I noticed that as we toured the cathedral, we spoke very little to one another -- perhaps each of us was finding our own way to take in its splendor and beauty.
With SO much happening in such little time, I'm pretty exhausted, to say the least and, still adjusting to the time difference and change in lifestyle here. So, I'm going to say "hasta pronto" or "see you soon" for now and next time I'll cover the good, bad and the ugly of the Spanish cuisine, the "party don't stop" nightlife and even what a little culture shock and homesickness feels like.
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