It’s official… I love it here. The weather is finallygetting warmer (it never rains which is amazing!) and I am constantlysurrounded by beautiful places and fun-loving people where everyday is a newadventure. I have decided that I really want to go to grad school abroad. Ifeel like I have missed out on so much the last 21 years by not traveling more.
This hasbeen an incredible last couple of days (with a few exceptions)… but honestly… when is it not? Thursdaynight I finally went to the doctor out here and Ash and Noelle went with me(because they are such good friends) and I really didn’t know what toexpect or where exactly I was going. So I left out a little part in my lastentry… On Thursday morning, as Lisa and I were in the metro station on our wayto my place, I was walking down the stairs of the metro station (wearing flipflops with plastic bottoms) and I slipped on the stairs of the metro and fell flat on my back and butt. I blacked out (not passed out) and couldn't breathe. I was really hurt and have never felt so much like I was going to pass out like that ever. Thank god Lisa was with me because I wouldn't have known what to do.
That night we went home and got a good night sleep because we had a big day of sightseeing on Friday. We woke up early in the morning (10:00) to go to Park Guell which is this famous park that Gaudi designed and the architecture was immaculate and we felt like we were in a fairy-tale. There were about 15 of us who all met up there and went together. It took us a while to get there but I was completely stunned by how strikingly beautiful it was. The park itself is magical, with twisted stone columns supporting curving colonnades or merging with the natural structure of the hillside. Gaudi's house that he lived in for many years is in this park and it was so interesting to look at. The sights were breathtaking and I will hopefully have pictures up soon, because nothing I could say would do this park justice. It was such a beautiful day too... warmest we've had yet. The have a little cafe at the top of the park at a point that overlooks the whole city and where all these kids were playing in the empty space below us. We all shared a pitcher of Sangria and just took in the unreal sights around us. It is nice to have time to sit back and realize how amazing the day is and to really take full advantage of every single second. On our walk out we also got churros con chocolate which are to die for!!! We all split one cup because they are very rich... but oh so good!
After the park, we split up and the 4 of us roomies were starving and decided to go to this really cute and nice restaurant literally right in front of Sagrada Familia (see previous entry) and we sat outside in front of this masterpiece and not to mention, the food was to die for. Noelle and i split a pizza and salad and (i know you're expecting this but,) it was the best pizza we have ever had!!!!
We were in heaven after such a perfect day, but definitely tired. We had planned to go to an all-you-can-eat sushi place that night with all our friends so we took a little siesta and then got ready to go out. We met up with everyone and had such a fun dinner. We weren't drinking because we had a day trip early the next day, but we were all so giggly and legitimately could not stop laughing at everything throughout the entire dinner. It was so much fun and ultimately, probably the funnest dinner we've had out yet.
We all went home and got a good night's sleep that night and woke up really early for our day trip to Tarragona with GSE on Saturday. We got our coffee, and headed out to the Hard Rock Cafe in Plaza Catalunya where we met up with our group. We took an hour and a half bus ride to Tarragona which is located on the Mediterranean coast, 60 miles southwest of Barcelona. We were told that it was a beautiful place to go and somewhere that we definitely needed to see, but that we wouldn't be able to spend more than a couple of hours there for the lack of entertainment and for the fact that it was such a small city.
While ealier settlements may have inhabited the area, the firstoccupation of Tarragona is attributed to Gneus Scipio, who founded aRoman military camp here in 218 B.C. It grew quickly and was named acolony of Rome in 45 B.C. by Julius Ceasar. Tarragona is considered themost important Roman town in Spain. It has the same monuments as Rome due to the fact that it is supposed to be a miniature replica. It was very interesting and we got a tour of the whole city (it wasn't very big) but we had a really cool tour guide and the town was quaint and lovely. We ended the tour at the colosseum where they used to have all of the gladiator fights which was right on and overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. All in all, it was beautiful and I felt like I was walking inside of a painting... lame, I know, but its true.
We had lunch in the plaza with our advisers, Julia and Paola, who we are even more obsessed with than before. We are so lucky to have them with us all the time and helping us with everything. They feel more like friends than advisers but we have so much respect with them and couldn't imagine having anyone else in their place... we love Jordan too of course! Lunch was really good and we all drank the famous 'Tarragonean Wine' and had really delicious salads. We went and sat in a little cafe and had coffee and gelato until we had to be back at the bus at 5:30.
When we got back into town we went home and got ready for the night. We had planned to have friends over at our place to hang out and pre party before the club that night. Everyone came over and we had a really fun time... complete with tequila shots and photo shoots with noelle's nice 'photographer camera'. We went out to club Duvet and got there early enough to be one of the first people there. There is a guy named Kyke (kee-kay) and he is the club promoter for Barcelona and plans all the parties. Lets just say that Ashley and I are his default picture on his facebook and he's been calling and facebooking us to go to dinner with him before the clubs and stuff. You have to be on the list too, in order to get into the clubs for free. VIP treatment or what?
The club was such a blast! It was really fun and the music was great. Our night went downhill from then however...! We all left the club at about 3:30 a.m. but ash and I were lagging behind the group and they were like a block ahead of us. Well, I don't want to go into too much detail because I'm still a little shooken up, but pretty much, a guy (by himself) followed Ashley and I to our door and assaulted us. It was bad, and really scary and I have never been manhandled like that in my life. He focused all him attention on me but Ash and I were both trying to get him off and away from us. After he tried to grab me all over, he tried to pull me out of the doorway with him. Thank God we were able to fight him off, but it wasn't easy. It was awful but we started screaming and he finally fled. We were a mess after that and just soo in shock. No one heard us scream, but we called Julia and she was over at our house with two police immediately.
It was about 5 a.m. and the police asked us a million questions. We thought that they would brush it off like it wasn't a big deal, but in Barcelona, there is hardly EVER EVER EVER crime or assault, so when it does happen, they take it extremely seriously. Which was very reassuring. We had to go down to the station with Julia (who is amazing and stayed with us the whole night) and a detective to file a report that took us 4 hours. It was so detailed, but they wanted to know absolutely everything so that they could find the guy. The police officer who did our report was unbelievably gorgeous and by the time we were finished at 10:00 a.m. we asked him to go to breakfast with us.
It was such a long night/morning and Ashley and I are just glad we are safe with no real physical damage. It was really scary though but so good to know that it wasn't taken lightheartedly. We slept till 5 p.m. and have school tomorrow.
So besides last night, which really sucked, it has been an incredible past couple of days. I don't look at Barcelona any differently because I know that that kind of stuff doesn't usually happen. I love it here.... nothing could change that! Todo mi amor...
