It was nice to finally have a weekend in Barcelona to get a break from the constant traveling. Here are some highlights from the first weekend.
First Weekend
On Saturday, Cece and I explored in the Gothic Quarter. It was funny because we saw things that we previously had seen on our tour the first week, but this time we actually got to see the sights because there wasn't a windy, rain storm. Afterwards, we went to a rooftop bar across from Sagrada Familia and watched the sunset. There was a pink-like haze surrounding the giant, captivating Basílica. It was one of the prettiest sunsets I've seen in Barcelona. That night we met up with some friends of Grace's who are studying abroad in France. It was lots of fun, and we ended the night at Razzmatazz. It was a successful weekend.
Here are some of my impressions so far of Barcelona.
Food
First, seafood is very big here, and there are markets with every kind of seafood you can imagine. Iberico ham is also a staple of Barcelona. At grocery stores, you'll see calf legs hanging or propped up, where butchers are slicing the meat off. I can't forget the sangria and paella of course! As someone with stomach problems, I will say the food has done me dirty a few times. Most things have lots of garlic, cheese, gluten or tomato.
People
On the metro and in public places, people are pretty quiet. But, once you are with someone in a smaller, more intimate setting, a lot of people have loud personalities. Their mannerisms are different in that their expressions are with their hands and bodies and voices, rather than their faces. In general, people have been pretty friendly to me. Most people are willing to speak Spanish with me, but sometimes others do not want to try.
Places
Barcelona is a beautiful city. It has the mountains, the cityscape, and the beach. It's interesting because there might be an older building with gothic style architecture and next to it might be a modern building with artistic graffiti on it. Even the parks have beautiful fountains and buildings surrounding them. Everyone lives in apartments and has balconies with plants and flags hanging. Public transportation here is also clean, easy to use, cheap, and environment friendly.
This city truly has everything, and each day I'm thankful to be living here.
