But six weeks into my program, with the weather taking a turn for autumn, I was so looking forward to one last warm weekend. Even better was the chance to hang out and spend it with two of my closest friends, one of whom is in Barcelona for the semester.
I got off the train on Friday afternoon and made my way to my hostel, off of La Rambla. We headed over to La Boquería, a wonderful and colorful food market, where we bought juices and I got a wrap to hold me over until dinner (which is even later in Spain than it is in France!). Then we went to Parc Guell, a park that architect Gaudí (click here to learn more about Gaudí) designed. His style is everywhere, from the warped-but-natural columns to the mosaics that decorate the white benches.
At the top of Parc Guell.
We went to dinner at a tapas bar, and it was absolutely the best dinner I’ve had in Europe. We tried so many different tapas, and everything was delicious. I headed back to the hostel to snooze, but my friends went out for a while.
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Saturday was my only full day in Barcelona, and we took advantage of every minute of it. We started out at the Arc de Triomf, grabbed a sandwich at a small café, and headed to the Barri Gotic and the Picasso museum. Later in the afternoon we went to Sagrada Familia, the basilica that Gaudí started building, but was unfortunately hit by a bus before its completion. In fact, it’s still a work in progress and will be for another 10-20 years. Completed or not, it’s breathtaking.
This façade was still under construction when Gaudí died.
Gaudí never saw this façade, which depicts the Passion.
The breathtaking interior (what a contrast to other churches in Europe!).
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To polish off the sightseeing, we headed to the beach for a while. The breeze was cool so we never broke out our bathing suits, but we hung out on the towels for a couple of completely relaxing hours. A completely naked man casually strolled up the beach, and we nearly died with laughter.
The view of the Mediterranean at Barceloneta (minus the naked man).
A weekend in Barcelona would not be complete without a night out, so we went to a techno club that just opened. We walked down the stairs into the club, a person dressed in white complete with face paint showered us in rose petals. Inside, a girl dressed all in white, with an animal headdress, danced in an inflated bubble with an umbrella and silver confetti. A little bizarre, but so much fun!
Sunday rolled around and it was time to get on the train after breakfast. My favorite part of the weekend was the way we punctuated such a jam-packed schedule with frequent and leisurely meals; between parks and beaches we’d stop in local café’s before heading back out again. We traded stories and abroad experiences (we’re all in pretty different programs) over cafe con leche and bocadillos. After such a good weekend in a beautiful city with wonderful friends and delicous food, I’m sure you can understand why I returned to Lyon with a little sunshine in my step (and some more freckles on my face).
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Read my Lyon posts (from packing until now):
Packin’ It Up
How do you say, “stressful,” in French?
A Saturday in Vieux Lyon
Journées du Patrimoine
Problems with Paperwork
Sittin’ in a Café
At the Movies with Gérard Depardieu
And for the rest of the week, visit my blog, à mi-chemin.