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.
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 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.
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!
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