Barcelona!

This past weekend my roommates and I went to Barcelona. We were so excited to go because we hadn’t traveled anywhere out of Italy yet even though we’ve been in Europe for about a month. Barcelona is an amazingly beautiful city but it’s huge. I had gotten so used to small and easy to navigate Florence so to be in a big city again was overwhelming and the entire time I just felt lost. It didn’t feel like I was in Spain but felt as if I was somewhere in America. Seeing Starbucks on every street corner for the first time in what felt like forever confirmed that even more. There is so much to do in Barcelona but we didn’t plan our trip out very well. When we got there we went out to walk Las Ramblas, which was right by the apartment that we stayed in by Placa Catalunya. The streets were so crowded but it was fun to watch everyone out and about and enjoying themselves. We grabbed some beers and then walked down to the water, mesmerized by the beauty of the city. In Barcelona, every building is gorgeous and has a lot of character so per usual I couldn’t stop staring and taking pictures.


Later that night we went out to an enormous nightclub right on the beach called Opium. The nightlife in Barcelona is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. People don’t even go out to the clubs before 1 am and the club itself was huge and so much fun. I didn’t want to drink really in Barcelona because there was just a lot I wanted to see and its hard to balance going out and sightseeing during the day when you are only in a city for a short period of time.

The next day we were all so tired from traveling and being out late so we decided to spend the day at the beach. The weather was perfect and we all just got some drinks and rented chairs at the beach, which was crowded with people and entertaining. It was so relaxing to lay out and get some sun and I even got a 25 minute full body massage for 10 euros which I had been needing since getting to Europe. That night we all wanted some American comfort food so we went to the Hard Rock Café for a late dinner and I ordered my body weight in food. I had really missed ranch dressing. Then we went out to this awesome hole in the wall shot bar called Espit Chupitos. This place is great because every shot is 2 euros and they have hundreds to choose from and when they give you the shot they make you do something or make you take it in a special way. It was in an area of Barcelona that was not so touristy so I finally felt like I was in actual Spain and everyone we met was so entertaining.

The third day we were there was a Sunday and by then I was getting nervous because we hadn’t done much sightseeing and did not really know how to go about it because the city is so huge. We ended up doing a two-day bus tour pass, which I recommend because it takes you all over the city and you can get on and get back off as much as you want. Our first stop was La Sagrada Familia, the masterpiece temple by Antoni Gaudi, which is still under construction. This place is magnificent and I instantly fell in love. There is so much detail to the building it’s impossible to look at it all once and the inside fells like you are in some sort of alternate world. I loved how different it was from the other churches that I’ve been into in Europe and how Gaudi was inspired by natural elements to form the style of the church. It is truly one of a kind and I think Gaudi was successful in his goal to create a space where heaven and earth meet. We spent some time at the church and then got back on the bus and drove around the whole city so I felt like I saw a lot.


The next day and our last day, we went to Camp Nou, the home of FC Barcelona. I was so excited to go see the stadium because my family is pretty big on Barcelona futbol and I wanted to see where all my favorite soccer players play. We got a student discount to go in which was nice and they have an amazing museum there explaining the history of the futbol team and the other teams as well. The stadium itself is impressive and I’m not going back to Barcelona unless I get to see a game there and I get to wear my Messi jersey that I bought. 

Overall, we had a good time in Barcelona until Tuesday morning when we missed our flight. That might have been the most stressful morning of my life but it ended up being okay and we stayed at a cute hotel in Girona where we got to tan by the pool, have drinks, and eat rib-eye steak for dinner. 

We got back to Florence on Wednesday morning and I was so relieved when I saw my city. Everyday I realize more how much I adore Florence and never want to leave. I caught up with Matteo who I hadn’t seen all weekend and was having major separation anxiety from. That night a bunch of us went to Piazzale Michelangelo, one of my favorite spots in the city, before going out. I was joined by some familiar Mary Washington faces: Adriana Christensen (also studying here), Katy Taylor, and Joel Bassam. It was fun to see people from home. Being back in Italy for a day was such a tease because we had to get settled in for that day only to turn around and leave for Paris the next day. Three countries in three days makes me feel like a complete world traveler!