With two weeks of residency in beautiful Barcelona under my belt, I finally feel like I know my way around town and have settled into city life. Navigating the metro is no longer a source of any stress, I successfully haggled the price of a skirt down to 6 euros (from 8, but still), and I could probably make the quick 30-minute trek from my residence to the beach at Barceloneta in my sleep.
Believe it or not, I’m already considerably tanner than I was at the end of last summer (cut me a little slack; I live in Boston), and Spanish is starting to come a lot more naturally to me.
Although my increased comfort navigating the city is a good sign, it’s also a brutal reminder that I’ve reached the ¼ mark of my program. Only six more weeks in Barcelona. As I said before, the days here are jam-packed and time virtually flies by. So, despite—or maybe because—classes are now in full swing, I’ve been trying to make the most of my time here by doing something each day I won’t have the chance to do once I return to US soil.
One of my favorite things to do in my free time is search out and take in views of the city. The best I’ve experienced so far is from the top of one of the peaks of the Sierra Collserola. I made the trek with a few of my classmates as part of a Monday morning run on the Carretera de las Aguas (rough translation: “water road”), and—despite a brutal 1.5 mile stretch of steep incline before the summit—made it to the top in one piece. The panorama that greeted my unsuspecting running group—highlighted by the midmorning sun—was well worth the sore legs I had for the next few days.
Barcelona is framed by mountains and, as I’ve recently found out, the view of the city is particularly spectacular from the top of Montjuïc (see picture at right). Last weekend, I made a quick portable dinner and had a picnic with some friends on the steps of the castle on top of that mountain. Dinnertime isn’t until 9 or 10 in Barcelona, so the sun quickly set on our little party. But as the light dimmed, we were treated to a breathtaking water show as the fountains decorating the path down into the city burst into life (apparently this happens every weekend night). A lone acoustic guitar player added music to the sounds of water and the view of the city below. And let me tell you: Barcelona at night is at least as spectacular as it is during the day.
Along with two of my classmates, I was assigned to run the student-led excursion on Tuesday, giving me a great introduction into one of my now-favorite parts of Barcelona: the local mercados (“markets” in English, “mercats” in Catalan). During my tour, we made it to three of the best-known markets in the city, each with its own unique feel. La Boquería, which is the most famous market in the city (and has also garnered international accolades as the world’s best market), was exceptionally crowded early Monday night. The whole place seemed to be in a constant, colorful motion, and after some fresh watermelon and a savory strawberry-banana-orange smoothie, I was hooked on the markets of Barcelona. In fact, I’m in pretty desperate need of some groceries right now…I’ll keep you updated on my trip next Friday. Hasta luego!