Gaudi and How Not to Get a Train Ticket

It's been a couple days since I've posted so here's the rundown:

Friday we went to la Sagrada Familia and waited in a painfully long line to get in. My mother has thinks that we refuse to pay for anything so I would like to point out that we paid 10.50to get in and 2.50 to take the lift to the top. It was completely worth it since the interior of the building is just as amazing as the outside, with so many details and tons to look at. There was a museum that showed a bunch of the original models and some of Gaudi's early work, as well as other artists' drawings and interpretations of the building. There was also an exhibit that explained Gaudi's love of nature and how it inspired his work. We had a scheduled time to go up into one of the towers but our elevator broke (we seem to have that affect on them) so we had to wait in line for the other elevator. After an hour of listening to the couple in line behind us make out loudy (I guess their mothers never taught them how to act in church/public. Don't worry mom, I know better), we got out chance to ride to the top. The view was amazing! We decided to walk down the stairs to get out instead of taking the elevator back down, which meant we got lots of great views of the city and cool photos of different details on the building.

That afternoon we went to Guell Park, another of Gaudi's creation. There were a bunch of paths that all lead to the main features of the park, which include a lot of mosaics and a lizard fountain. There were also two buildings, one which is now a gift shop and the otherwhich is an exhibit of some kind, that are made of stone with mosaic roofs and window panes. The park in general was amazing in spite of the fact that it was really crowded and I'm glad we made it.

Friday night we did the pub crawl that Travel Bar, the company that does the free tour and cooking class, which was fun. We met some Canadians and Australians and a Swiss nurse who applauded Michelle for her obsession with hand sanitizer. My favorite bar of the night was called Chupitos (Spanish for shots) a bar that, clearly, specializes in shots. A lot of the shots featured fire including one where the bar tender lights the bar on fire and you roast a marshmallow which you eat before doing the shot.

Yesterday we mostly just relaxed. We had our new go to cheap meal, cheese and tomato sandwiches, and bummed around a lot. We did try to go to the train station to get our reservations for Paris. After dealing with the broken number machine (the one that gives you a number that you wait to be called) and a lot of confusing instructions from various people, we found an information guy who told us there were 500 people in line ahead of us and said we should leave and come back at 9. Cut to 9 (ok maybe a little after 9), we arrived back at the station and waited in line only to find that the ticket office closes at 10 and we were not going to make it through the line in time. Guess we're going back today.

That night we met our friend Pablo, from the bar Trece, at Plaza de Espanya to see the fountain light show they have on weekend nights. The plaza was really cool, with a bunch of fountains and stairs leading up to a museum that looks over it. Strangely enough, there was a Harley Davidson festival that night, complete with fringed leather vests and carnival rides. It was weirdly American and kind of took away from such a cool Plaza but we got some delicious falafel wraps so that's something.

Today we had scheduled a kayaking and cave snorkeling trip but when we got to the bar where it was supposed to start, we discovered that our reservation paperwork had gotten lost in the schuffle and they couldn't get buses for us to take. We were disappointed but rescheduled for tomorrow. Hopefully I will have a great story for you tomorrow.

After our false start we tried to check out the Picasso museum but the line was insane and it was hot so we just wandered around for a bit. It was a cool area with a lot to see, which was nice. We went home and siesta-ed and now it's time to head back to the train station. Third time's the charm (I hope)!

Statue on la Sagrada Familia, taken on our way down from the tower.

Me in front of la Sagrada Familia

Interior of la Sagrada Familia. Gaudi was really inspired by trees and wanted the church to feel like a forest.

Guell Park

Michelle in this cool, cave-y walkway at Guell Park.

Christopher Columbus and the Ocean Blue

Lots to do here in Barcelona. Wednesday night we set out for Trece, a bar near las Ramblas that is know for its mojitos and young international crowd. We got lost, unfortunately but not surprisingly, and ended up in Nevermind, a 90s grunge bar decorated with skate boards and Kurt Cobain murals. We fit in about as well as you'd imagine and drank our beers quickly so we could dash out the door. Upon further wandering we actually ended up at Trece. It was very small but nice and we met a girl from California who is traveling in between au pair positions and the guy she is staying with through couchsurfing. We hung out with them for a while and around 2 the bar had almost emptied and someone put on salsa music and the bar tenders proceeded to twirl us around the (tiny) dance floor. I love a good spontaneous dance party and, while I may not have been nearly as good as our partners who have been salsaing all their lives, I think I held my own thanks to salsa night at the Mad Frog back home.

Thursday we headed back to las Ramblas to check out the Christopher Columbus monument. There is an elevator that takes you to the top and the view is supposed to be amazing. The elevator was broken so instead we took a long walk along the harbor. The were tons of boats which were cool to see and we found this little art fair where people were selling jewelry and really cool masks. We made it to the beach, which seemed ridiculously crowded and decided that we'll take a day trip to a less hectic beach when we want to sun bathe.

At six, we returned to Travel Bar were we started our tour the day before. They were putting on a cooking class that we decided to do. Our chef, whose name I can't remember, took us back to Mercat de la Boqueria where he showed us how to buy the freshest ingredients for paella. There were about thirty of us and we couldn't actually hear so we made friends with Amy and Dan instead. Amy and Dan are Australians who are traveling around Europe until they run out of money. They told us about Paris and London and we gave them tips about Madrid. After the market we went to a restaurant where we had tapas (patatas bravas, tortilla, and bread with toppings) and learned to mix sangria. Then we watched as Chef prepared traditional seafood paella. Since there were so many of s, the pan he used was massive but he made it look easy (although I'm sure it's not). We had a great time drinking sangria and eating our paella, which was delicious. Afterward we went back to Travel Bar with Amy and Dan to sign up for a kayaking and snorkeling trip (which I'm super excited about) and to have a quick drink before heading home for some much needed sleep.

Christopher Columbus pointing at something from the top of his beachside monument.

Hmm sorry these aren't really in order. Don't know how to fix that. This is our paella chef stirring the paella.

Me with one of Columbus's lions.

Boats in the harbor.

The finished paella.

Walking Tour

Today we found a free walking tour of Barcelona. There is a travel company that runs a bar (which is literally called Travel Bar) and also has events like the tour, pub crawls, and Spanish cooking classes. It was a good tour that took us through a lot of the old city. This was our second free tour (the first was in Madrid) and our second non-Spanish tour guide (this one was Swiss). He knew a lot though and told us a lot about the history of Barcelona, the current movement in Cataluna to gain independence from Spain, and a lot of tips on what to do/eat/drink in the city. We saw the steps where Ferdinand and Isabella recieved Columbus after he sailed to "India," a church that was almost destroyed by Franco ( in cahoots with Mussolini) during the Spanish Civil War, and, of course, a lot of important churches. After the tour we had discounted beers at Travel Bar and signed up for a couple more events (more on those when we do them).

After we left the bar (after only one drink each, I promise) we checked out Mercat de la Boqueria, which is big market full of every kind of food you can imagine. We wandered through it and stopped at one of the restaurant booths for some handmade ravioli with pesto. It was as delicious as it sounds. Tonight we head to bar that is supposedly full of "20-something internationals" in order to, hopefully, make some friends. It's harder since we are not in a hostel but it would be nice to have some more people to hang out with while we're here.

Fruit stand at Mercat de la Boqueria

Shrine to Santa Eulalia, co-patron saint of Barcelona

Bar del Pi, once frequented by Ernest Hemmingway

The shockingly ugly home of the Barcelona Architects' Association. The artwork on the left is Miro's imitation of Picasso's work and on the right is Picasso's imitation of Miro's work. According to our guide the two artists were rivals who did these quick sketches to mock one another. They were both firmly anti-Franco and refused to have their work publicly displayed in Franco's Spain. Somehow, Franco got ahold of the two sketches and took the opportunity to display the work of both artists.

This sculpture sits right inside where the old Roman city of Barcano, later Barcelona,  used to be.

Barcelona

Arrived in Barcelona a little before noon today. Yesterday we said good bye to Valencia by wandering around a bit and reserving our train. We also did laundry and tried to get most of our packing done so we weren't rushed in the morning. I didn't really buy anything in Valencia but things didn't seem to fit as easily as when I packed in Madrid. Possibly I should come up with a better method of packing.

When we got to Barcelona to the Sagrada Familia stop. It's crazy to come up from underground and see this amazing building that you've seen so many pictures of in person. It was actually smaller than I imagined but very cool! You have to pay to get in but it's supposed to be worth it so we'll definitely go check it out while we are here.

We got sort of turned around when we got out of the Metro so we called our host, Julian, who picked us up at la Sagrada Familia and took us to his apartment where we are staying (through airbnb). He didn't look very much like his picture and we were entirely sure we were about to be taken. Michelle asked about the difference and he was really confused and offered to ahow us his I.D. so we decided maybe he wouldn't take us.

After some siesta-ing we took a walk and picked up some food for dinner. We were going to make frozen pizza but upon examination we realized that the oven was gaslit, the kind you literally have to light using fire, so we settled for pasta. This was also difficult because the stove is also gas and has to hand lit. We almost gave up and ate bread and cheese for dinner but then we found matches and I used the fire skills I learned in high school chem lab to light it. Next up we need to conquer the oven, whcih is trickier because we don't know where the gas comes from. Guess that's a challenge for another day!

La Sagrada Familia

Old men playing some yard game. Michelle knows what it's called but I have never heard of it.

La Sagrada Familia...still under construction

La Playa: Part 2

Last night we returned to the beach for paella and fireworks. We wandered a couple blocks along the beach and compared paella prices and ate at the cheapest one. I think they hated us a lot because we only got water and didn't order a first course but the paella was delicious! you have to have at least two people per paella so we got  paella verdura (which is just rice and vegetables) since Michelle is a real vegetarian. I would like to try it with seafood but it was really good anyway!

After we ate we wandered around waiting for the fireworks. They were randomly having a renaissance fair. We wandered through it and bought caiparinas and roasted corn and Michelle lusted after these cool leather backpacks. We got harassed a little to buy cans of beer out of plastic bags and get cornrows so it was sort of like being back in Madrid. The fireworks were good, although apparently they just keep getting better and better every Saturday and the last Saturday in July is apparently amazing. There didn't seem to be much going on after the fireworks so we called it a night and headed back to the apartment.

Today we had planned to go on a walk through the historical part of town but the fair was only going to be on the beach one more day so we decided to go there instead. It was really overcast so we walked around the fair, snacked on cheese and chips, and, after much pro and con listing, Michelle bought one of the leather backpacks. Then it rained to we gave up on the beach and left.

On a more general note, I have decided that I'd rather stay in a hostel that someone's apartment. Jonathan, our host is really nice, the room is beautiful, and it's great to have our own space but I really miss the opportunity to meet other people at the hostels. Staying there we were never bored because there were always activities and new people to talk to. Not that airbnb isn't nice, it's just the overall hostel experience, at least a nice one like where we stayed, has more to offer socially.

La Playa

Our paella verdura. And yes, we ate it all.

On the beach at night...I know you can't tell but yes, that's me. It may actually be the best picture taken of me since we started the trip. I had this image in my head of myself wandering around Europe, exploring and sitting in cafes and generally looking awesome but as it turns out simply being in Europe does not make you look more awesome. As it's summer I mostly just look more sweaty.

La Playa

Just returned from the beach (la playa) and I seem to be only minimally sunburned-knock on wood. I am, however, entirely covered in a thin layer of sand and waiting for Michelle to get out of the shower so I can rinse off. This is an issue because it means that I can't sit on our remarkably comfortable memory foam bed. Also I think the sand might be grinding off several layers of skin whenever I move.

The beach here is really nice (at least I think so, I had my contacts out so I can't be sure). I do know that the water was pretty clear and not too cold and the beach was wide and not too terribly crowded considering it's a Saturday. I wasn't sure what to expect since I've never gone to a beach on the mediterranean but but it turns out the water is calm and the people are mostly topless. I have seriously never seen so many casually half-naked people but after the initial surprise I didn't notice too much, especially since I was half blind.  We swam a little, which was fun but did make me miss the big, powerful waves I'm used to from the beaches we usually go to along the Atlantic. Still, it was a beautiful day with a nice breeze and it was easy to nap in the sun listening to the waves and Spanish kids running around chattering in Spanish.

...Just took a break to shower and help Michelle fish her swimsuit bottoms off a hook that is several feet below the top or the balcony rail. She dropped them while trying to line dry them, demonstrating the main drawback of drying your clothes by hanging them off a balcony on the seventh floor. Luckily I was able to use my freakishly long arms and some spoons to pull them back up saving her from having to go back to the beach missing the wrong half of her suit.

We are currently taking a break in the apartment before heading back to the beach to try Valencia's famous paella and watch the fireworks. The fireworks are part of a fiesta that lasts the whole month of July and seems to consist of a lot of amazing things such as fireworks, jazz concerts, and Transformers. We are hoping to find the nightlife on the beach since last night our attempt to go out was a massive failure. Our plan was to stalk one of the local hostels and maybe join one of their events or at least make some friends. They had a lot of security though and no one seemed to be hanging out in the lobby so we left. From there we tried to head to one of the main historical buildings, which is supposed to be surrounded by bars and have some pub crawls but it was creepy and deserted so we went home, defeated by Valencian nightlife.

I'm going to try to take some pictures tonight so more on the beach tomorrow!

Adios!

Architecture and Dinosaurs

First full day in Valencia! It is cooler than Madrid but very humid. We planned on going to the beach but between the sky being a little overcast and not being able to figure out the bus system we decided to leave that for tomorrow and take a walk instead. The plan was to walk through the historical part of town until we hit this long thin park and follow that to la Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias. Once again our plans went unrealized when we forgot our map and missed the entire historical district. We did make it to the park eventually. The park curves around the city and w once a river. The river caused some bad flooding in the 50s so it was diverted and about fifteen years ago they converted it into a park. The park itself was nice, with fountains and bridges over it but my favorite part was la Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciensias. This complex of buildings is a cultural center and includes an opera house and performing arts center, a science museum, and an aquarium. The architecture was beautiful, like something out of a movie, and there was this walkway full of sculptures and a dinosaur park with animatronic dinosaurs that made noises. We didn't want to pay to go into the dinosaur park, aquarium, or other features since they were all expensive but we had a great time wandering around the space. Turns out the two things you really need to become a huge tourist destination/the greatest place on earth is great architecture and dinosaurs.

We had some trouble getting back to the apartment due to our maplessness but we made it eventually, exhausted and with aching feet. Currently siestaing but soon we'll need to shower and go to the store to pick up some things for the beach. Hopefully we actually make it tomorrow!

The statue walk at la Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias

Holding up a pillar at the park

One dinosaur escaped so we got to see it!

My favorite building in la Ciudad