Barcelona: Day One

So to start we're going to have to go to Day Zero, which is the first portion of our trip in. Our flight was leaving at 6AM which meant 4AM check in, which is before the trains start running to the airport in the morning. To get there in time we had to arrive at the airport at about 11PM and just chill until 4AM, which was the second time I've tried to sleep in an Airport. Not the world's most fun experience, but this time much nicer than Treviso. So we rested in the airport and entered Day 1 at midnight (of course).

The flight was fine, we arrived in Girona at about 8 AM, waited for our bag, then took a bus to Barcelona, finally got off the bus in Barcelona just before 10 AM. one the way into town I had my first encounter with Catalan, wihch is DEFINITELY NOTHING LIKE SPANISH. I had heard before that there were different strong dialects in Spain, well it turns out that Spain speaks FIVE different languages. Castillian is the type we think of as Spanish, they speak a version of that in Mexico and South America. Catalan is in Barcelona and "Catalunya" which is the other half of Spain that was united together with Castille when Ferdinand and Isabella were married in the 1400's. But the Basque country also has its own wierd language (that's where the ETA terrorists are from, they hate Spain) and so does Valencia and one other place that starts with an A.... I can't remember the name of it. Anyway Catalan is like messed up French. The lisp is the least of your worries in Catalunya, the biggest worry should be surviving your first encounter with the ugliest looking langauge ever, half spanish half french with some alien thrown in.

Our first mission was to find the hostels for the girls who went on the trip:

Elisha, Crystal, Kim, and Jackie flew to Barcelona on the same flight as me


Our first view of the streets


Cool building on the way to the hostels

So after a bit we got the girls situated and met up with Scott Liday for lunch at "Telepizza" which was pretty good. Finally I got ahold of Ashley (who thought we were arriving around 9 PM instead of 9 AM...) and met up with her and Amy at a Barcelona metro stop. From there we headed to the Sagrada Familia (which I keep accidentally calling the Sangria Familia... Church of Sweet Wine, yes!). It was really neat, it is very odd to see a cathedral under construction, and insanely enough they predict it will take 75 more years to finish. That's insane.

The front of Sagrada Familia


Inside Sagrada Familia


The finished facade of the church


A cool column


Views of the city as I climbed up the towers of the church


More views of the city


Barcelona is pretty big


Featured in the far right, the world's largest cucumber


The crazy stairs we were climbing

So from the Sagrada Familia we walked back to the metro and headed up to Ashley's appartment. The girl's appartment in Barcelona was pretty neat, very large and spacious but it was wierd because the front is a Psychiatrists Office and the shrink's bathrom is in the middle of the girl's appartment. Strange layout.

After arriving at the Apartment Ashley and I went to the grocery store and stocked up on some extra food to get me through the weekend. That evening I chilled at the girls appartment, checked email etc and went with Ashley and the girls to get Sushi at this mall esque place. It turns out Spain is alot more Americanized than Italy, dramatically more so. I was surprised to tell you the truth. It's interesting, because the Italians tend to think America is great (even if they disagree on some politics) they are pretty different, there isn't that much Americana floating around Italy by comparison to the rest of Europe. The Spanish on the other hand hate America pationately while at the same time totally embracing American restaurants (which are better than Spanish restaurants by the way) and American clothes and electronics, and more surprisingly building stuff in the American style, such as these large shopping malls and department stores. Such things do not exist in Italy. Even the team fight song for FC Barcelona is sung to the tune of "Three Cheers for the Red White and Blue". You're welcome Spain.

Anyways, we had some fun times, then I went back to the apartment with the Barcelona girls and and we looked at pictures and stuff then I crashed on the spare bed to get some sleep before our major day of exploration.