Embarking on Barcelona

Check, check, check went the to do list in Barcelona. This city was a jewel with a surprise at every turn, and although I accomplished the majority of what I wanted to do while in the city, I know I only scratched the surface.

Michelle (Yup, bad swimmer Michelle for those who have been keeping up on the blog) visited Barcelona just a few days before Alec and I touched down. It's unfortunate that we missed her but she made sure to give us quite the checklist of things to do and see in the short 4 days we had there. I'll do my best to recap the days because each one had its own special twist.

Our first day consisted of an afternoon of exploring and getting a feel for the city. We walked down La Rambla street which was littered with tourists, but still had much to offer. The best part was a market that connected to the street. It was filled with fresh fruit, smoothies, and Spanish dishes as far as the eye could see. For cheap too I might add, which is always nice when you're on a budget. See stayed out and experienced the food and drinks of Spain before catching the last Metro back to our Hostel.

The number one thing everyone said to do while in Spain was see the Gaudi architecture. So that was our plan to start day 2. We bought tickets, bypassed the line, and walked up to one of the most unique churches I've ever seen. It was called Sagrada Familia, and I would describe the exterior like a carefully sculpted sandcastle that stretched into the sky with flashes of color and adornment. The inside is what took my breath away however. Words and pictures will never do it justice, just know that it was the most beautiful architecture I've ever laid eyes on. Colorful light flooded in from incredible stained glass and the ceilings stretched higher and higher with a beautiful tan, almost sci-fi, nature. After standing in awe, I knew I had to make my way and explore the rest of the city, but as I was leaving, the sky turned dark and ominous. Alec and I nearly ran to keep ahead of the storm, but got caught in the rain, the downpoor, nonetheless. We found shelter in the aquarium and decided to give in to our childish nature and go see the sea life. After a few hours inside, the sky was sunny once more, and we enjoyed ourselves as day turned to night.

Day 3. One objective. One mission. Find the steps that the Cheetah Girls danced on and recreate the picture. We met up with friends of ours, Savanna and her brother AJ, and before we finished explaining the idea, they were in. However, after finding the steps, and realizing that it was 8 Euro a person to even walk on them, we collectively decided to do a low budget recreation and found random steps a litter closer to the beach. We nailed it though, it was Cheetah-licious. The day only got more exciting from there. After a few hours and a nap on the beach, Savanna told us of some friends she had in the area who had connections to say the least. We arrived at a beach front hotel at midnight, met some wonderful people named Parker and Rachel, then took a short taxi ride to a club named Shoko. If you've heard much about night life in Spain, you know it stretches into the hours of the morning, and that it's pretty expensive. However, because of Parker's connections, we skipped the line, got in for free, stayed in two different VIP sections, and were catered to for most of the night. I couldn't help but feel like a celebrity. Alec and I then took the 5:30am metro home, and crashed.

Day 4 consisted of sleeping until 2:30 in the afternoon... It was much needed after last night. We then took a lazy day on the beach and just got our tan on. Hopefully I'll be dark by the time I'm back in the states. Because it was Thursday, I was told that a "magic" fountain show was going to happen near the city center. After a short metro ride, we arrived at the Montjuic fountain which turned out to be one of the most entertaining parts of the trip. Couples, families, and friends watched as the water danced to the music, a new mix every 15 minutes. It's definitely a great date spot if you can casually swing a ticket to Spain.

Our last day was simply lazy. We "checked out" of our Hostel which conisted of turning in our key, then lounging by the pool for the next 7 hours. We caught up on some work and took care of some errands while enjoying the sunshine. In fact, our Hostel was amazing. It cost us less than 15 Euro a night so we were expecting the bare minimum, but instead it blew us away. Located 15 minutes outside of center city, it was in the hills of Barcelona. The view was remarkable with castles in the background as we sat by the pool. Breakfast was included everyday and lunch was unbelievably cheap. People of all races and ages arrived there, sometimes to just play in the pool for the day. The best part about the entire place however, was that their staff was made up of over 90% people with special needs. We were in constant contact with people who had either mental or physical disabilities. It made that place even more special.

This has been perhaps the craziest past 5 days of my life. Every little piece is a memory I hope to keep with me. Except for running from a wild boar, that was scary...

Off to London now, bring on the accents.

With love,

Rhett