Barcelona

Everyone break out your bikini and sunscreen because it's SPRIIIIIING BREEEEAAAAK!!!!

Wait, I forgot that this isn't Southern California and it's been raining all month. Also, I don't even own a bikini.

But in all seriousness, Semana Santa--or Easter Holidays--is the last big "travel break" before work ends in June. The perks of being an auxiliar include the sweet, sweet vacation time. Including weekends, we have a whole 11 days of freedom. It's the perfect time to explore the corners of Europe.

Of course, the airlines know that, and its also one of the more expensive times to explore the corners of Europe.

Combined with an indecisive boyfriend, it looked like I would be spending yet another holiday in my apartment living vicariously through my Sim. But, after some prodding by Dan, I was convinced into booking a last-minute train ride to Barcelona. Álvaro was also granted some last-minute vacation time and our last-minute adventure was underway last-minutedly.

Tuesday, 26 March
We left on Tuesday morning, arriving an hour and a half early for our train ride. The beauty of trains is that you only really need to arrive at the station, show your ticket, and get on the train. No separation of liquids or removing of shoes. This makes arriving so early a bit excessive, and it wasn't exactly the smartest move.

Three hours  and one nap later we had arrived, and after a short metro ride we were at the hostel. Did I mention that trains are great? We spent the morning exploring the city. The weather was great--a relief after the never-ending gloom and rain in Madrid. We strolled around the park in Montjuïc and walked up to the fortress at the top.

We hadn't yet set an itinerary, so this day consisted mostly of walking around and looking at things.  After an early train ride, we were both tired.

Wednesday 27 March
After being treated to blue skies and breezy weather, the clouds moved in and threatened rain. The temperatures altered between misty and cold, and hot and humid. Not the best day weather-wise. We set out to see the Sagrada Familia, the famous church designed by Gaudí and still under construction. I've seen it before, but it most certainly merits a return visit. Protip: buy a ticket online for a preset visiting time to avoid waiting in a a long line.

Interior

Passion Façade

We ate some Vietnamese food and decided to walk up to Parc Guëll. I was inexplicably tired that day, and the overcast weather wasn't helping my mood. I can't say I particularly enjoyed the uphill climb, and the normally spectacular view from the top was muddled by fog and clouds. Would I do it again? Yeah, probably.

Thursday 28 March

We had perfect weather! Warm, sunny, breezy. We went on a walking tour of the Gothic Quarters, where we learnt about the history of Barcelona and spent some time enjoying the sun in a park. We strolled along the beach at sunset. At night, we met up with Dan and ate some tasty paella. It was probably one of my favorite days of the trip.

Friday 29 March

Our last day! We had to catch a train at 9pm, giving us the majority of the day to relax and see a few last-minute sights. We toured the Palau Guëll, a mansion designed by Gaudí, visited the Picasso museum (it was interesting to see his older works, before the cubism), entered the old cathedral, and looked at a bit more Gaudí architecture. Then, we collected our bags and headed to the train station. By midnight we were back in rainy Madrid.

Final Thoughts:

I enjoyed my trip in Barcelona. It was a chance to see something a bit different, a bit less typically Spanish. The city boasts an eclectic mix of modern architecture and old Gothic neighborhoods (even a few Roman ruins).  Not to mention, it's a strange concept to travel within the same country and suddenly no longer understand the language. In Cataluña, they speak Catalan (one of the official languages in Spain). Of course, it didn't matter too much because as soon as people saw my face they immediately addressed me in English, which brings me to my next point...

Barcelona felt like a tourist trap. Maybe it was influenced by the Easter holidays, where everyone (myself included) dreamt of warm, sunny weather. During my stay, I think I heard more English (and to some extent, German) than either Spanish or Catalan. 

Negativity aside, it's a cool city, which merits a visit. I've already suggested a day trip (seriously, the trains are that amazing) with my parents in May/June, so there's a chance I could be going back soon.

La Granja

I took this trip from March 2-3. 

It's been a long while since my first trip back in December. This time around we still relied on Álvaro's connections--this time his aunt and uncle--to stay at their house in La Granja. It's a small village just outside of Segovia, known for its royal palace built for Filipe V in 1751 (thank you, Wikipedia). 

I'm not unfamiliar with La Granja. Back in February 2011, almost two years before this trip, I came here with a large group on a weekend trip from Segovia to Salamanca. La Granja was a small one-hour blip on our radar. We arrived there in the morning, toured the palace, and made our way to Segovia (and later to Ávila and Salamanca).

Two years ago

To be fair, there isn't much to do as a tourist besides see the royal palace and the surrounding gardens. The town itself is tiny--you can essentially walk around the town in about an hour. I'd recommended a day trip, but we stayed for two days. More than anything, it was a chance to get out of the city and see the last bit of snow before spring. 

Nevertheless, it was a bit surreal to be back. Two years ago, I hadn't yet met Álvaro. In fact, I was still in a different relationship, still unaware that it would end in the coming month. I certainly didn't see myself back in Spain, let alone in this small village. Moreover, his family's house was just down the street from where the bus dropped our group off back in February. I can't say there are any coincidences in these circumstances, but I couldn't help feel a bit connected to my past. 

View from his aunt and uncle's house. 

Royal Palace

In the Gardens

Walking around

24

For the record: I started writing this post several weeks before Semana Santa, but I never got around to completing it. Whoops. Better late than never. Just pretend that it's early March.

Following tradition, I'll start with an update on my health. Currently not sick, despite an outbreak of the black plague at my school. But in all seriousness, everyone is ill and it's only a matter of time before it strikes me down. Whatever, I'm used to it.

February was a short but busy month. Although I only work Monday through Thursday, twice a week I'm out of the house until 10 pm, and on my "short" days I arrive at around 8 pm.

I turned 24 a couple of weeks ago, on the 16th. I was lucky enough to have a birthday that fell on a Saturday. I've never been one for big birthday celebrations, mostly due to leading a quiet social life and being too chicken to invite people out to do things. Also, everyone I knew seemed to have other plans that weekend. C'est la vie. But I was graced with pleasant weather that day, and Álvaro and I tried out a typically Spanish restaurant/bar in our neighborhood and walked around a shopping center for a bit. Nothing special, but it was an overall nice day. My parents sent a coffee maker to indulge my addiction, and I treated myself to a new pair of boots. Birthdays for me have always been a rather quiet affair.

Then, as I was dreaming of springtime and short-sleeve shirts, the weather turned sour. The temperatures dropped into the low 40s and on Álvaro's birthday it snowed for a few hours.

I have turned into a snowman.

I tried to put on my "good-girlfriend pants" and buy Álvaro a birthday cake, with--erm--modest success. First, cheesecake in Spain ("tarta de queso") is a sad, sad excuse for a cheesecake. The inside was the consistency and flavor of whipped creme. Second, when asked for a name, I interpreted it as a name for the order. I didn't realize they wanted the name of the recipient.

Happy Birthday to me?

Álvaro contemplates "his" cake.