For Fall Break, my friend Kelly and I ventured to Barcelona, Spain! We left on Monday and returned on Thursday. Here is just a little re-cap of what we did!
Monday: Our flight left Paris at 10:45 am and we arrived at our hostel in Barcelona at about 2 pm. After settling in, we headed out to La Rambla (a big boulevard of street vendors and human statues) to scope out our new town, and of course to find little souvenirs! The funny thing about La Rambla, like any souvenir infested street, was that almost every stall sold the same merchandise. Though it was pretty fun haggling with the salesmen to get the best deals!
Tuesday: We started our morning at Barcelona's Arc de Triomphe. It was pretty small compared to the one in Paris, but much more colorful! We then made our way down through a park, that apparently, America's Next Top Model used for a photo shoot. The Barcelona parks are pretty cute - this particular park had a really fun playground and some cool sculptures! But the best part of the day, came after the park. Kelly and I went to the Barcelona Zoo (former home of Snowflake the Albino Gorilla). I experienced my first Dolphin Show and can honestly say that I LOVED IT! After the zoo we went to the Picasso Museum - where we spent a good amount of time learning more about Pablo Picasso's history. For dinner we had Paella (a traditional rice + seafood dish) with some friends from our program who were in Barcelona. It was fun to see them since we hadn't all been together for almost a week!
Wednesday: Kelly and I made the trek up to Park Guell, where Gaudi has his famous mosaic/tiley art. For lunch we stopped for Kebabs and then headed to the beach! Though it was November, the weather was very mild - but the water was so cold! There were still plenty of people sunbathing, but only a few in the water!
Thursday: We made a quick trip to Sagrada Familia - a cathedral that is still under construction, even though they started building it in 1882! It is pretty massive, but looks really really cool! We returned to Paris that evening, and good thing too! We walked around so much those few days!
Friday: My friend Jane was in town! This semester, she is studying in Copenhagen, Denmark but is also on her Fall break. I met her at a train station close to my foyer, and then we packed a lunch and headed out to see Paris! Our first stop was Montmartre to Sacre Coeur (a cathedral that overlooks Paris from atop of a hill). It is in the artsy part of Paris, and we even took a stroll past the Moulin Rouge! Next we headed to Notre Dame and marveled at the beautiful stained glass windows, as well as the other works of art inside! Afterward, we met up with Caroline and her friend Christine at the Musée d'Orsay to check out impressionists and other painters. We then split up with Caroline and Christine and took a stroll down the Champs Élysée all the way down to the Arc de Triomphe. Jane and I were able to climb up to the top and have a great view of Paris at night! We spotted the Eiffel Tower from the top of the Arc and decided to walk there. It was a little bit further than we had estimated, but still made it in one piece! To end the night, we met back up with Caroline and Christine and went out to a British Pub, that day was packed with activity, but all in all, I had a great time!
Today, Saturday, Jane and I tried to make the most out of the rest of her layover in Paris. We went to the Saturday market and to the Luxembourg Gardens. I took her to the Institut Catholique and then we spent the rest of our time (before we had to leave to get her to the bus) at the Louvre. The weather today has kind of been dreary, sprinkling on and off with hardly any sun in the sky. So after I said goodbye to Jane, I spent the rest of the night in the foyer.
It's crazy to think that November has arrived so quickly. I really appreciate all of the emails, chats, and real mail that you all have been sending me! (And of course the personal visits!!!) But, it's getting late, so I think I will end here! As you have read, I have a little bit of recovering to do from a hectic week! So, please enjoy these pictures, and check out facebook for the rest!
As always, thanks for reading!
 | ||
| Kelly and I waiting at Beauvais Airport, ready for Barcelona! |
 | ||
| Stalking a peacock at the Barcelona Zoo (they were just walking around!) |
 | ||
| Paella - mmmmm!!! |
 | ||
| Sagrada Familia - it's HUGE |
 | ||
| Just outside the Musée d'Orsay |
 | ||
| Taking a break to enjoy Fall |
 | ||
| Hanging out next to a big head |
 |
| The open-air sculpture garden - my favorite place in the Louvre! |
Its a pleasure reading your blog. It is both informative and comical! I'm glad you got to see some of Spain! Such adventurous adventures! I'm glad things are going well.
ReplyDeleteAnd to think, a year ago I was in Spain. It seems like so much longer. I remember my brother coming to visit during Thanksgiving. We rode mopeds on mountain trails and climbed to the 2nd tallest mountain peak in all of Spain and Portugal! We had a late night snack at the little cafe on the corner and drank a beer at the Irish tavern. We visited La Alhambra palace and stayed up late talking. Good times. I'm super excited for Thanksgiving break!
I pray the Lord leads you to a deeper understanding of His love and grants you the grace to accomplish all that He wills for you in the rest of your time there.
Dans la paix,
Cody