Send me Something in Barcelona!

Katie Cardenas
c/ Clara Rodes, Resident Director Liberal Arts
CIEE Barcelona Study Center
Passatge Permanyer, 10
08009 Barcelona
Spain

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Un Domingo Perezoso

Hola hola,

So this Sunday was a pretty laid back day. As I said before, Barcelnoa is a metropolis that seems non-stop and the energy definitely begins to wear on you after while. If you try to keep up with the city's mad pace, you tire fast. I guess I didn't realize how much change is involved in adjusting to a new schedule. This included a new horario for eating as well. Typically, most Spainards don't eat anything like we do in the states. Breakfast, or el desayuno is very small, maybe just a piece of fruit or some bread. At around 11 or noon people go out for la cafe, coffee and usually a pastry of some sort. Next around 3 in the afternoon comes la comida, or lunch which is typically the biggest meal of the day. Around 5 or 6 you have a late-afternoon snack called la merienda, typically una bocadilla, or more coffee. Then around 9 or 10 la cena, or dinner is served. Unlike the heavy meal we eat in the states, dinner is often lighter. I have actually begun to like this dining schedule more and more every day. It makes sense to have the biggest meal of the day during the afternoon puncuated by sugary snacks until a easy dinner course. The phenomeon of tapas begin after dinner, and most Spainards like to go ir de tapas, or tapas/bar jumping having maybe just one plate at each tascas (place that serves tapas)

Grace, Shaun and I today decided to journey up to Montjuic, another look-out point  that is conveniently located right next to where I am living (aka this is why I have to walk uphill to get home). Barcelona had a great public transportation system with the metro, and all we had to do was take short train-ish tram thing up to another tram station. Then we got to go ride on this ski-lift transport made of all glass, that provided some GORGEOUS views of the entire city as we rode up the steep hill. Apparently, the outlook is named for a Jewish community that once settled on the slopes. Interestingly, at the top we walked around a old fort, clearly once used for defensive purposes. To the right, the sea stretched out into endless water (I realized that if you kept going, you would hit Africa..weird yet exciting to think about). To the left, the city gave way to mountains. Straight in front, I traced the streets that split the city into neat blocks and tried to identify placqas, landmarks, and other buildings. I am finally somewhat managing to figure out where I am half of the time now, instead of wandering around like a clueless blind man. We spent about a hour eating in the sun on top of the fort. I someone managed to ingest a three foot long sandwich of tortilla, and Grace spilled yogurt on herself (which was very entertaining). I am very quickly becoming addicted to cappachino, and even when a place serves it in a paper cup (as did this sandwich place) I can't help but feel European and chic. Montjuic not only hosts several art galleries on the top of its tip, but also is the home of the 1992 Olympic stadium. Though we didn't visit the stadium, I imagined it was magical to host the games on such a formidable and clossal bluff. I think the Greek gods would approve.

We decided to explore a little more of the winding alleys and backstreets near Las Ramblas after our summit descent, and took the metro into the heart of the boulevard. In my opinion, the old town or el barrio gotico of the ramblas is special because it if for everyone, the locals just as much as the tourists. Here, street performers deck themselves out in glitter, and sit completely still for hours on end, only their eyes moving back and forth with the crowd. From restaurants, jewelry, postcards, books, and flowers, you are pretty much able to find anything on the Ramblas. We all three decided to buy small cacti for our rooms, and I named mine Mr. Prickly. Original right? Haha. I will probably manage to kill it in one week. Anyways, it gets dark here around 5:30 and we soon headed back. In my room now, the motion of Barcelona continues outside, still strong. 

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