September 27
Veni Vidi Vinci
Today we went on a trip with our wine professor, Prof. Diletta Frescobaldi, to two of her nine vineyards. Tasting grapes and absorbing the atmosphere of the Tuscan countryside, my classmates and I were in awe. Even though it wasn’t the most beautiful of days, the experience at large was amazing. Arriving to the Chianti vineyard and seeing the process of wine making while munching on delicious green grapes was such a treat. We were able to see sights; Frescobaldi said it was “just our luck.” In the first vineyard we got to see wine workers hanging up the green grapes to dry. This process will take until February to finish. After that, they ferment in barrels then become wine!
The second Frescobaldi estate was breathtaking. Having this woman as a teacher was all that we had thought of her, a teacher. What we didn’t know was that she is the daughter of the president/owner of Frescobaldi wines. She took us to her “summer home,” which is a vineyard accompanied by an ancient, medieval times castle and a villa. We went to the castle to see the wine bottles that are saved for the Frescobaldi family. A room was gated shut showing what we saw of 19th century wines…just hanging out. As we were astonished and speechless by each sight, Frescobaldi was so modest and humble about what her life is like. We then retreated to the villa for our wine tasting.
At her estate, there was a grape vine that was planted by Prince Charles. Also, there was an invitation to the royal wedding for Prince William and Kate — another “no big deal” moment.
October 4
Welcome to Barcelona!
Class just ended. It’s 5 p.m. and I’m rushing to fill my camping backpack up with the essentials for my Barcelona weekend. I have two pairs of wedge heels, three outfits for a night on the town and two outfits for day trotting. Somehow I managed to pack under the 22-pound weight and squished the positioning of my bag as tightly as possible to fulfill the 40-inches-wide and 55-inches-long regulation. The plane leaves at 10:25, so to be safe we called for a cab for 7:30. In Florence you need to call for a cab; it’s not like New York City where you can easily wave down a bright yellow taxi. We were ready, outside, backpacks on and smiles wide when our cab approached. The rest of the time was all delayed action – just waiting. We just waited for the future.
Welcome to Barcelona!! Upon arrival, we walked fast to the exit where the line of yet another cab awaited us. We luckily had a free place to stay and fortunately for us, we got to stay with some pretty cool guys. My roommate, Tara, had a friend from Duke studying abroad in Barcelona, so it was only appropriate that we stayed and were hosted by him. We rushed to get into our night outfits, primped up our hair and freshened up our faces. After our celebratory cheers we headed out to encounter our first impression of Barcelona at night.
Placed on the beach, Opium (the club name) was flashing with different colored lights and swarming with young people. From Spanish to American, everyone mutually enjoyed the party going on here. Sander Van Doorm, a techno/house music DJ was the night’s entertainment and really entertained. With distractions like go-go dancers on each side of the stage along with the mad-hatter making an appearance, this concert was nothing short than a rave. We got there around 1 a.m. and didn’t leave until closing time, 6 a.m. I felt pretty Spanish.
October 5
“Woman in Mantilla”
As I was coming to terms with the fact I would be be running on an hour and 45 minutes worth of sleep, I got myself together and out the door my friends and I went. The first day trotting around Barcelona was a lot more than what I had expected. To start, I didn’t realize how much of a city Barcelona is. So many people, so much to do and so many sites. To the Picasso Museum we went. After spending a good two hours marveling at the amazing works of Pablo Picasso, I came to the conclusion that one of my favorites was “Woman in Mantilla.” Of course, to narrow down one specific painting or drawing is a challenge. The “Woman in Mantilla” just stood out to me. The colors used and how they were used stayed in my memory. The woman expressed is even memorable for her stare. The museum was well worth the student discount of six euro…I would have honestly paid more.
Stomachs growling, heads aching and legs tireless, we headed to our next destination on our itinerary Tara’s friend so nicely made for us. Cal Pep — a Tapas’ restaurant. Now, this restaurant is rated in the top 100 restaurants worldwide. Knowing this, our expectations were high and they were ultimately met. After waiting for 45 minutes to find a seat at the dining bar, the four of us sat down and ordered one tapa after the other with guidance from the bar server. Every bite of each dish was irresistibly delicious.
I was full and ready to walk it off, so we decided to walk to the Barcelona Cathedral. While walking, I was mesmerized by the scenery. From the architecture to the fashion to the people blowing huge bubbles, I was constantly looking different directions and holding my camera up to capture each moment. We finally came across a Starbucks after our trip to the beautiful Barcelona Cathedral. The coffee was much needed and of course was a refreshing change from our little espressos we get in Italy. Filled with caffeine, we made our way to the train and headed to Park Montjuic where we were able to see the entire city below. We even saw the beach!
Dinnertime calls then we were out and about again for a night of adventure. Each floor of the club we went to had a different musical theme; it wasso cool. The lights were all different colors; there was loud music and people everywhere.
October 6
Last Night on the Town
Our last day in Barcelona was a huge success. We met some of our host’s friends in the city at 12:30 and started our own private walking tour. Tara’s friend knows pretty much everything you need to know about Barcelona. He enlightened us about the architect Antoni Gaudi and showed us many of his buildings and architectural designs throughout our journey. Lunch was much needed. The place where we atewasn’t incredibly memorable but it is located in the center of the city so the scenery was beautiful and people were everywhere. We ate then made our way for dessert at a bakery near La Boqueria. I ate the most heavenly strawberry shortcake-like dessert.
La Boqueria was incredible. We waked through pretty much the entire market. I was mesmerized by it all. Candy, fruits, fish, olives, meats, prosciutto, chocolate…everything. I had the honor of tasting fresh yellow-fin tuna and an oyster. They were seriously best things I have ever tasted. They were so fresh and delicious. I have a sore spot for tuna and oysters, so my day was made after our trip to La Boqueria. If you ever find yourself in Barcelona, this market is a must-see. You will not want to leave or even put your camera down.
We somehow escaped the temptation of delicious foods everywhere and made our way to more sight-seeing. We went to the harbor to see Christopher Columbus pointing north to the United States, next to the amazing site of the Sagrada Familia, then to Park Guell, customized by Gaudi. We saw a beautiful view of the city of Barcelona, took pictures and wandered all around the park. There was so much architecture and beauty all around.
Later we set out to dinner at Cera 23, another well-known restaurant in Barcelona. We enjoyed appetizers: prawns and a ham and cheese assorted dish with sangria. Each of us got very different meals. From steak, octopus, tuna and a seafood risotto, we all left the table satisfied. I of course got the tuna.
We started our night at a really cool, American-infested bar. The American-infested part wasn’t so cool, but the bar’s concept was unique. The bar has screens displaying prices of drinks from cocktails to beers to shots. Every so often the market of drink prices crash, ultimately lowering the prices of certain drinks. At this time, people rush up to the bar to buy drinks before the crash ends. It was a lot fun. We then left that bar and headed to Duvet, which is another flashing light, house-music-blaring club. Usually these sorts of clubs aren’t exactly my cup of tea but there is something about Barcelona that makes these clubs everyone’s favorite drink.
October 7
It was a sad day back to Florence…but also a great day because we got to go back to Florence. As we prepared our minds for the flight and became thankful we didn’t have to pay for cabs in Florence, we all came to terms that Barcelona was most definitely one of the most successful weekends yet. Now time to study for midterms!
Ciao ciao bellas!
Next trip: Amalfi Coast, Paris and Prague!