So this weekend turned out to be full of fun. On Friday I had class and then met up with Ashley. It was her birthday so we decided to go in search of some good food, a few drinks, then call it a night so that we could get up the next day for touring. We started walking around La Rambla, the large walking street. We found a plaza with a cute little restaurant where we decided to take a coffee and (we thought) a little food. We ended up ordering pesto pasta for each of us and a "tortilla" to share. I got a cappuchino. It was fantastic, the food, the drink, the little restaurant. It was so cute and the food was so tasty.
Afterwards, we were a bit full so we decided to walk a while. We walked up and down La Rambla. We thought we might get ice cream or some cake, but we needed to walk a while. We walked down one pretty sketchy street, although I think it was just the impression we got from how it looked. We turned around and as we briskly walked up the street I saw the cutest little shop. It was birght and full of color, the walls were painted with all different types of fruit and other colorful shapes and things. I got a juice, because I was craving something good for me. Strawberry Lemonade, freshly made. So good.
After the little foray into the juice bar, Ashley wanted to have a Bailey's hot chocolate, but it is tough to find like watery hot chocolate in Spain. We decided Dunkin Donuts would be the place to go. On our way back to the Dunkin Donuts on La Rambla we found a place selling little bottles of booze and purchased the Baileys. At DD she got a hot chocolate and I got a donut, which I have no clue what it was because it wasn't labeled, and I simply asked for "la naranja." Ashley felt a little weird about pouring the Baileys into the hot chocolate until two boys sat at a table across from us with an entire bottle of wine to compliment their donuts.
Finished with the sweets, we took back to La Rambla for a few more drinks. We took some pictures, peed in the McDonalds and laughed at the men selling beers on the sidewalk (so weird for two girls from country where this is far from fathomable). We were in the middle of one of these laughing bouts when we saw Mecca- and International Beer Bar.
Let me explain here a minute. There are three beers in Spain. San Miguel, Cruzcampo and Estrella, the last is not usually found in bars. To even find another type of beer is rare. Ashley does not like many beers, though she discovered one at Erasmus that she liked- Monte something that has raspberries in it.
Back to the story- they had the beer she liked. And I got a Hoegaarden. But they were expensive, so we figured we'd drink the one slowly and then head home.
Here's where the night really started. There were two English men fighting over a 20 euro bill, not really fighting, and we never did find out what it was about. But I turned to Ashley and jokingly said I'd take it, then we could buy another beer. The lady next to us heard, and she happened to be with the two men and relayed my message to the two of them. The two men and the woman asked if we would like another beer. We talked to the girl for a while, her name was Esther. They were there for one of the men's birthday.
Ashley and I went and sat with them at their table. Two Martins, Barry (who was kind of cute but with Esther), Collin, Esther and Sharon. Esther said they needed some more women in their group. We sat with them and had another beer and a few laughs. They were an odd group. Martin, Esther and Sharon had known each other since they were four. Esther was a stage actress, but also worked with Barry as a Property Developer. Sharon had had lots of jobs. I didn't really get either of the Martin's stories and Collin was a jittery little 60 year old English man.
After the beer bar they wanted to go dancing, but it was a little early for that in Spain so we decided to head for a bar on the Placa Reial. As we were standing outside the bar deciding this, Collin disappeared. A man on a bike approached us and told us that our friend had walked off with some prostitutes and they were going to mug him. So we thanked the man and set off down the road to find Collin. Ashley, Barry, Esther and I hung back while the others went to get Collin out of the prostitutes grip. They said that the girls were just about to take his money when they got him, so we got out of there quickly. Barry said this wasn't the first time this has happened to Collin...so I guess they weren't shocked at all. Ashley and I just laughed...because what else are you supposed to do.
We all walked to the Placa Reial, and somehow Collin got lost again, but this time we didn't go look for him and left him to his own devices. We sat on the plaza and drank Sangria and beer and had a good chat. It was fun to talk to some new people and all of them had interesting things to say. Later Collin returned, without his money and without his phone. No one really had sympathy since we had told them that was going to happen. Then Collin started some crazy conversation about America and the IRA and I didn't really follow it, but it's ok.
The fun ended at 5 or so and I came home to my bed to sleep until 11:00.
Saturday Ashley met me at my apartment at 12 noon. We headed toward this dress shop she had seen. We walked forever and ever and saw a lot of things. We walked through a large park, we ate crepes at a small cafe, we did some shopping, we saw all the people on La Rambla selling birds and animals and flowers, as well as all the "statue people." We also visited the market where they sell lots of different types of fruit and chocolate for pretty cheap. I bought a fruit salad, with kiwi and pineapple and dragon fruit, some coconut, a fruit drink and some chocolate. I returned home around 5 expecting to have gotten a new roomate, but there was no one. So I get my room to myself this week! However, I did feel bad because my roomate who is here had not done anything that day and I think he was a bit lonely but I was too tired to try and have a conversation. I went to bed because I had another big day ahead of me.
I had read that Palm Sunday the people of Barcelona bring palms to La Sagrada Familia, the large cathedral that Guadi (the famous architect with many buildings in Barcelona) started. Ashley and I were supposed to meet at her apartment at 11, but I didn't make it until 11:30 because I misjudged my time. Luckily I got there when I did, because I just caught her before she left without me.
We got some pastries and headed toward La Sagrada Familia. We were not expecting what came next. There was a huge crowd standing in front of the gates of the cathedral. Literally everyone and their dog was there that morning holding palms. Many of the palms here are sculpted into cool bird cage like structures. The children had palms, the adults had palms, some people carried clusters of another type of plant. It was so cool to see all the people there listening to the service. They answered the songs and waved their palms at the appropriate moments. The cathedral was pretty cool too, especially the big clusters of grapes on top of some of the spires.
Ashley and I purchased some things from the little stands around the cathedral and then made our way around the entire structure in order to see all the facades. On our way around the enormous stone carved building we saw a place with a huge salad bar. THe sign outside offered all you can eat for 10.70. We decided that this was a great deal and we would walk around the city and return at 4 for linner.
We made a huge square. We walked all the way down to the sea. On the way we got some ice cream, and must have looked totally like tourists in our summer clothes with ice cream cones while all the locals still wore their winter jackets and long pants. The weather was beautiful, exactly what we were hoping for since the day before had been a little bit of a disappointment weather wise.
However, once we got to the ocean it was so windy it was not pleasant to sit. So we walked up a little ways to the big park we had been to on Saturday. We found a nice spot to sit near a pavilion where there were people swing dancing to some nice jazz music. We laid in the sun for a good hour and a half and let our tired legs rest.
After the park we headed back up toward the food. On the way we saw La Pedrera, the apartment building Gaudi built that is all wavy, and we saw La Sagrada Familia again without all the people. Finally we made it to the restaurant. It was fabulous. The salad was so good and there was other food. Coffee was included in the price as well as ice cream and fruit. We ate to our hearts content and then a little, and I took some fruit to have for the next week.
After a good two hours in the restaurant we took another little walk and then we headed for our homes. I said goobye to Ashley. She is headed for Rome today and then will meet her boyfriend back in Spain and take a tour around Spain and head up to Paris. I will miss my touring buddy for the next few days, but there are still a few things that I hope to see on my last days here.
Hasta Luego,
Jenn
