Spring Break Part Two: Fiestas and Siestas, Doses and Mimosas

My spring break is officially over and I am on a flight back to London. The past four days in Barcelona have been wonderful. We got there late Tuesday night and settled in. The apartment was right downtown in the heart of the city. It had a great terrace that overlooked the side street we were on and just at the end was La Rambla, one of the main streets that runs through the center. There were lots of shops and a long strip running straight through the center where vendors would set up, selling souvenirs and flowers every day. The whole city was beautiful with so many quiet little side streets. You could wander for hours and never get bored. 

We took it easy on Wednesday and Helen, Perri and I took a much needed girls day away from the boys.  Traveling with a group of boys turned out to be a more challenging task than anticipated and we were exhausted. We explored the neighborhood and had a really long lunch in a sunny square, catching up on what had happened during our days apart. Four days was a long time not seeing each other after having spent the last couple months together so it was great being reunited. Helen and I missed Perri so much and she missed us. It was a beautiful reunion. We ordered paiaya and sangria and talked for hours, basking in the sun. A lovely afternoon. 

On Thursday Helen, Perri, David and I went to Montserrat, an absolutely breathtaking multi-peaked mountain about an hour outside of Barcelona in Catalonia. I think the pictures speak for themselves. It is something I recommend everyone tries to see at some point in their life. So amazing. We took a cable car up the mountain and then followed trails up to higher peaks seeing more and more of Spain the higher we climbed. We took an excessive amount of pictures and stopped along the way to have lunch, more of a picnic really, of bread and Brie while looking out over the area. A truly wonderful day and one I will always remember. 

Way too Happy 

Friday we went to the beach!! The weather was beautiful the whole time we were in Barcelona so we decided to take advantage of it and hit the sand. As we were walking there in our sandals, bathing suits and dresses, we passed people in full on wool jackets, jeans and boots. It clearly wasn't as warm to them and we felt a little ridiculous. Such tourists but we didn't care, we were so excited to be able to lay on a blanket and read in the sun. When we finally got there we saw there were other crazy people like us too, so we felt better. We stayed all afternoon and got sunburns!! So great. I'm feeling really tan right now even though I'm not at all. At the beach there are people that walk up and down selling all sorts of things from drinks to tapestries to massages and Henna tattoos. I saw a man selling a blue and white tapestry and had to have it. (My favorite color combination how could I not?) I watched him walk up and down the beach with it and when he finally came closer to us I decided to go for it and buy it. I was really excited and can't wait to hang it in my room at a school this summer!! 

Friday night we went to a club which was very different than the clubs we have been experiencing in London. These didn't even open till 12am and stayed open until 6am. Perfect for us since we can never get our act together and be ready on time in London. It was a long night but lots of fun and dancing. I think it is safe to say we all had a great time. Even Kyle.

On a side note, we realized that living with a group of guys is in itself an experience worth noting. I am not sure if it is just our particular group of friends or if the majority of guys do this but they are absolutely disgusting. Just one example: We had an issue with the shower not draining the entire time we were there but on Friday night, after one of them took a shower (I will let him remain anonymous) the tub was completely full of water. The four girls (Zoe joined us at this point) were sick of cleaning up after them and told them to figure it out. They proceeded to use a fork to clean out the drain but nothing happened so they took a cup and started scooping water into the sink (???) It stayed this way for an entire day, no one able to take showers until one of them realized the drain was in the whole time. No one stuck their hand in to see. WHAT?!?! I don't even know. Marlena, if you are reading this, I give you props for living with three guys. I really do not know how you do it. You are a superwoman!

Sagrada Familia 

On Saturday we walked to El Encants, one of Europe's largest flea markets, which has been around since the 14th century. It was outside but four-stories high and sold anything imaginable, new and used. I bought this really cool old red tin and Helen bought a silver pendant. After the market we walked to Sagrada Familia, a basilica built by architect, Antoni Gaudi. It was never completed but Gaudi devoted the last years of his life to the project. It is still being built and restored today so there was scaffolding around a good portion of it. The architectural details though were unbelievable. It was so beautiful. We didn't get to go in but we walked around the outside staring in awe. The guys actually enjoyed it too. 

We ate amazing food the entire time we were there and it just so happened there was a frozen yogurt place right down the street from the apartment. The woman knew us by the second day we went so many times. Delicious, and I felt like it was a healthier alternative to the gelato I had been eating in Lagos. At least that's what I told myself. We had a bunch of traditional dishes and tried some new things too. It makes my mouth water just thinking about it. Zoe also introduced us to a new word 'hangry' which I had never heard before but instantly realized how often it pertains to my life. It  is basically a word you can say when you are super hungry but can not find a place to eat or decide on something when with a group. I have been hangry a lot in my life and now I finally have a word for it. Thank you Zoe and you are welcome everyone; you now have a word for that situation. 

I had a big epiphany while in Barcelona as well. Being in foreign countries, especially ones that don't speak English made me feel really ignorant. Here I was in a Spanish country and I didn't know any Spanish. Most people were able to speak English but I hated being that American tourist who expected them to adapt for me instead of the other way around. After being so frustrated with myself I vowed that this summer I am going to learn Spanish. I have never had the best luck with learning languages before but I am going to try my best with this. I think learning in a more relaxed environment without pressure of having to take tests on it will make it more enjoyable. Fingers crossed I can do it. 

It is going to be difficult transitioning back into real life with classes and my internship but I am excited to be back in London. I missed it. We are officially halfway through the program and I can not believe how fast it is going. I know this next half will probably go even faster so I am going to try to experience as much as possible and really enjoy every minute.  

Have a wonderful week!  

XX.