A big group of the kids from the fundacion (my school) took an ovenight bus to Barcelona on Thursday. Friday morning we find our hostel, which is located right next to the Ramblas, which is a big walkway surrounded by trees on either side. After getting there we decided to maybe see what the stores had to offer since it was still pretty early for the beach. After walking a little ways we noticed ALL of the stores were closed...even though it was well after the time they are supposed to be open according to their signs. So I asked a spanish couple por que and they told me that it was The Festival of Barcelona this weekend and all the stores would be closed all day. We just happened to come to Barcelona during the biggest weekend out of the whole year...who knew? Giving up, we went back to our hostel and changed into our swimsuits and headed out to the mar. We had a fabulous afternoon swimming in the Mediterranean Sea and laying on the beach. Here are some pics from day uno:
La Playa
Las Ramblas
Their snazzy drinking fountains
Day 2:
We woke up and decided to be tourists today. So what does a tourist do in Barcelona? See Gaudi, Claro!!! After grabbing a delicious brunch at a gyro type place we headed onto the metro...where happened to be a grocery vending machine to buy some delicious water. We got off at the stop for Parque Guell....a park that Gaudi built for his friend Guell that was supposed to be a whole community...but I guess that didnt work out. So after getting off of the metro we expected the park to be only a little bit away...little did we know that we had to climb a mountain to get there! That is not an exaggeration either. After losing a good 5 lbs we were finally at the park...and it was worth it. It honestly looked like candy land...it was full of amazing statues and the buildings were from a fairytale. The artwork was unbelievable. Pictures are posted below :) . After spending quite a bit of time at the park we were off to yet another Gaudi masterpiece. We went to the Cathedral called Sangra Familia. It is an unbelievable...like seriously indescribable Cathedral that began construction in 1898....its still under construction and wont be finished for another 100 years. By still under construction...i mean they are actually actively working on it too. It is that ornate and amazing. I cant really describe it because it is so detailed...but pictures are definitly below. After looking at the cathedral we had a Cafe con leche break....they gave me cutest little to go cup...seriously tiny. We then made the trek back home after a successful Gaudi day :)
Day Tres:
We woke up and had a great breakfast at Starbucks...which i personally had been missing dearly and then checked out of our hostel. We took the metro to the area around the museo del picasso and had a nice nap a small patch of grass. Then we got lunch at a supermarket and headed to the Museo del Picasso. Its an entire museum dedicated to guess who....Picasso! It was really interesting seeing his work before he found his "style". He has a ton of amazing works that don't have that "Picasso Look" to them. After the museum we went to a wonderful mexican restaurant and called Pleasure. Then we went to the Bus station to make our way back to Madrid...on the way we went through the Arc de Triumf.
Day 4:
I got back to Toledo at 8 am and instead of going back to my host family's house I decided to just stay at the school since I have class at 11:30. Well, if we stay with a family we arent supposed to eat breakfast in the residence halls but I figured one time would be ok. As soon as I walked in this lady stormed up to me and yelled at me and I pretended I didnt understand her. So I sat down and started eating. She left to go get her boss and then came back. I was like this is ridiculous so I just started leaving....she booked after me running. I ended up having to pay 2.50 for the breakfast and be given the evil eye the whole morning. But i guess it was one of the most hilarious moments any of the people who were down for breakfast have ever seen....they were cracking up.
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| View from Top of Parque Guell |
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| What was supposed to be the marketplace of Parque Guell |
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| La Sangre Familia |
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| My Small Coffee |
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| Guy Painting Sangre Familia |
Day Tres:
We woke up and had a great breakfast at Starbucks...which i personally had been missing dearly and then checked out of our hostel. We took the metro to the area around the museo del picasso and had a nice nap a small patch of grass. Then we got lunch at a supermarket and headed to the Museo del Picasso. Its an entire museum dedicated to guess who....Picasso! It was really interesting seeing his work before he found his "style". He has a ton of amazing works that don't have that "Picasso Look" to them. After the museum we went to a wonderful mexican restaurant and called Pleasure. Then we went to the Bus station to make our way back to Madrid...on the way we went through the Arc de Triumf.
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| Museo de Picasso |
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| The Placemat at Pleasure (its in english...que raro) |
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| Anxiously awaiting our food |
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| Arc de Triumf |
Day 4:
I got back to Toledo at 8 am and instead of going back to my host family's house I decided to just stay at the school since I have class at 11:30. Well, if we stay with a family we arent supposed to eat breakfast in the residence halls but I figured one time would be ok. As soon as I walked in this lady stormed up to me and yelled at me and I pretended I didnt understand her. So I sat down and started eating. She left to go get her boss and then came back. I was like this is ridiculous so I just started leaving....she booked after me running. I ended up having to pay 2.50 for the breakfast and be given the evil eye the whole morning. But i guess it was one of the most hilarious moments any of the people who were down for breakfast have ever seen....they were cracking up.
So funny that you did almost exactly what we did when we were in Barcelona last year :)
ReplyDeleteThe Cathedral was relly indescribably, you're right. Didn't see Gaudi tho!!! I didn't know that it was so cool, I should get more involved when people are planning my trips I guess.... haha
And the city looks a lot better in September than it did when we were there in January, I must say! More beach and less hailstorms, yey!
xoxo your Norwegian friend ;)