So, as I sit and try to find something to do so I don't have to study, I find myself thinking about where the time went this semester. It's hard to believe my first semester in Madrid is coming to a close! I have one final down and four to go...I can't wait for those to be over! But, I am going to be sad to see my IES friends go. I like them alot and especially my roommate...who knows if I'll ever find another like her! Well, I guess I'll just have to make new friends next semester...what fun! I also find myself thinking how wierd it will to be at home in the US again. Here's a list of things that will be wierd:
~ Not having to use public transportation. Having a car at my disposal. Fast transportation. Not having to walk 5 miles to get anywhere.
~ Not living with a 76 year old woman named Pilar who asks me after every meal if I have "eaten well".
~ Not having rice with EVERY meal, except breakfast, which I don't usually eat (I know, I know...it's good for me...I just don't have time!)
~ Not speaking Spanish all the time.
~ Not having to go to a tobacco store to buy stamps.
~ Not eating olive oil on EVERYTHING. I really like it actually...yummy.
~ Paying 4 dollars for a coffee and not putting ridiculous amounts of milk and sugar in it because it's strong enough to put hair on anyone's chest.
~ Not getting looked at strangely for speaking English.
~ Not getting looked at on the metro because Spanish people are nosy.
~ Not eating lunch at 2 or 3 pm and dinner at 9 or 10 pm.
~ Saying hello to people I pass on the sidewalk and smiling at strangers.
~ Having personal space.
~ Having all my clothes to choose from when I wake up in the morning.
~ Talking on my American cell phone with American service and not worrying that I'm going to run out of Euros on my phone.
~ Waking up in my full-sized bed with lots of pillows instead of my single bed with my long, flat pillow.
~ Having to refridgerate everything all the time...like milk, which you don't have to refridgerate here until you open it...I don't even want to know.
~ Going to church in the mornings and the service only lasting and hour instead of 1 hour and 45 minutes.
~ Hugging my mom and dad anytime I want! (and julia and jeffrey I guess...:))
That's just a starter list of things that will be wierd but I can't wait! Home in 8 days!
And, p.s. I'm making a trip to San Antonio in January so I'm excited!
Monday, December 11, 2006
Friday, December 08, 2006
PARIS!!!!
Last weekend I went to Paris with Lauren, Kali, Odalis, and Jean and we had an amazing time! We left Thursday night and Kali's grandpa hooked us up! 
We stayed, thanks to his timeshare points, at the Mariott Marketplace which is a RESORT!! We had our own little villa complete with a kitchen, dining/living room, 5 beds, 2 1/2 baths, and a great view of the golf course! It is a bit outside of Paris by EuroDisney so it took a while to get into the city but it was totally worth it! On Friday we didn't leave until 10:25 am which kind of bummed me out because we had so much to see but oh well. Then it took us while to figure out how the metro worked but we finally made it to Versailles.
The thing about the metro is that it is a bajillion times more complicated than Madrid's with tons of branches and 2 different systems, the metro and the RER. It's terrifying! And because there are so many branches, you have to make sure you catch the right train. Nightmare. So we ended up going back and forth a couple times before we figured it out...But we finally got to the Palace of Versailles that Louis XIV built and it is magnificent! It's huge and expansive and old. We took the tour and looked at the gardens but it was too cold to walk all the way through them..jpg)
And, the Hall of Mirrors was under construction part way so that was sad and disappointing. But Chapel's organ was huge and being tuned so we got to here it being played. But my favorite part I think was the Opera House that still functions and was being set up for a performance. But you can't take pictures so the only memory is in my mind...que pena. 
Here's me in the Hall of Mirrors. As we were leaving we decided to take a picture in front of Versailles which kind of turned into a rediculous photo shoot and being silly. Here's one of those fun shots. .JPG)
After Versailles, we headed back into the city (because it's a bit out of Paris also, just on the exact opposite side of Paris from the hotel...never fails) and I split off from the group to see the Musee d'Orsay while they ate dinner. The Orsay is in a renovated train station and has all the Degas dancer paintings. Since I got there at 5 pm and it closed at 6pm it was free. I rushed through and saw all the amazing Degas and alot of the Monet that was there. I loved seeing the dancer paintings live...I love them. Then I went and met the girls at the Louvre...and it is absolutely, overwhelmingly HUGE! 
It's incomprehensible until you see it in person. We were there for about 2 hours which is basically nothing. We did see the Mona Lisa which, though smaller than expected, is impressive. I kept waiting for her to break into a smile. :) What's great about the Mona Lisa is all the people looking at her. She's kept in a glass secure wall with a sensor and a rope in front of her so you can't get to close. There are three guards standing around her watching all the people. This is the headless Venus, though I'm sure she had a head at one time or another.
Obviously, you can't take pictures of the painting but there were defintely people trying to take pictures, not only with cameras, but with their cell phones. The guards would shout at you "no pictures, no cameras, no phones" etc and if you didn't stop they would come at you...literally. This one guy tried to play it off like he was talking on his phone but he totally failed and the lady made him leave. What was really funny was the guard telling everyone "no phones" while he played games on his phone...what?
Anyway, then we went in search of a market but had no luck. We did get a nice walking tour of Paris though and that was fun. Then we headed home to sleep. The next mronign I took the 8:40 am shuttle and the girls followed on the 10:25 am shuttle again. I went alone to the Opera de la Bastille which is the largest opera house in the world and very modern. 
I also walked over and saw the Place de los Vosges that my senora wanted me to go see. It is enchanting and different from any other plaza I've seen. Victor Hugo (author of Les Mis) lived there and there were lots of people around and lots of little shops and cafes opening up. On the way out I bought a pear and an apple at a small store and then a crossiont at a bakery (the crossoints are delectable in Paris). I also asked for a can of orange juice, well, I thought I asked for a can of orange juice but instead I got Orangina which is like orange soda but I didn't want to try to switch it out and cause a scene so I ate my crossiont and Oragina for breakfast. Nothing like a healthy breakfast in Paris! Then I went to meet the girls at Notre Dame but of course they were late. While waiting, I took a picture of a guy for him. But not of him with Notre Dame in the background like a normal person. No, I took a picture of him sitting on a bench, smoking a cigarette and writing in a notebook...so wierd. Finally the girls came and we went inside. 
Notre Dame, which is beautiful, looks kind of alot like all the other churches I've seen in Europe but I did like the Christmas tree outside. And no Esmerelda swinging from the bell towers...que triste.
Then we walked over to Berthillon, the best ice cream place in Paris, or so says my guide book. It was so good and I had a dark chocolate cake with orange rinds and gingerbread ice cream...mmmm! We also met the founder of the place but he didn't speak English so that made it a bit difficult.
After that we went to the Eiffel Tower!!! It's amazing and I loved it! We got there before the sun would have set (it was cloudy) and got some pictures before it lit up and then got in line to go to the top. Only Odalis, Lauren and I wanted to go to the top so the other two walked around while we waited in line forever. While in line, we met a couple from Houston that I knew were from Texas as soon as the husband spoke. They were really nice and we talked to them for a long time and took pictures for each other at the top.
The view from the top was fantastic because Paris was all lit up for the night and it totally made up for the freezing cold wind blowing. One side it was fine but then when you walked around to the other side, you almost got knocked over the wind was blowing so hard. It was freezing but for the sake of good pictures, we suffered. Then on the way down, we had to throw some bows (a Jean phrase) because Europeans don't seem to believe in lines so we had to fight to get on the elevator to descend. Also, since it is December, there were lights that twinkled every hour on the hour. And yes, my friend Kali did take this picture...she should be a professional. 
It was so fun! After the Eiffel Tower, we went to a open-air market (my book saves the day again) and bought lots of food to cook for dinner. The market went all the way down this street and there were just people talking and shouting and it was chaos! So fun! Then we took it all home and cooked an amazing meal in our kitchen. We had chicken, pasta, broccli, green beans, potatoes, shrimp bread and tartas for dessert. It was so fresh and the shrimp was so fresh that if it had been in water it would have been swimming I think. 
We set the table beautifullly and played Christmas music while we ate. It was a grand affair. But really, I didn't do any of the cooking. I cut the broccli and the onion (because I can cut onions without crying...one of my many talents) and then I de-headed the shrimp. Then I help set the table and recorded the goings-on for posterity. After the grand affair, we sat around and took pictures with the timers on our cameras so we could all be in them. .JPG)
It was fun and relaxing. We ended up eating the leftovers the next morning for breakfast/lunch and took some with us to the airport...such scavengers. We left the hotel at 11am on Sunday and travelled 9 hours getting home at 8pm. so tired! But I did get to watch FRIENDS in English on the plane which was hysterical. That show makes me laugh so hard and I was trying with all my might not to laugh outloud because I was on a plane and the people around me were sleeping and they would have had no idea what I was laughing about because I was listening to it on my earphones...So that was fun trying to contain my laughter. But Paris was a great success and I fell in love with the city and definitely want to go back!
On another note, Tuesday was the last day of classes and the 2 week marker until I go home for Christmas! HOORAY!! I can't wait to get me some tortillas and queso...and see my family of course! :)
We stayed, thanks to his timeshare points, at the Mariott Marketplace which is a RESORT!! We had our own little villa complete with a kitchen, dining/living room, 5 beds, 2 1/2 baths, and a great view of the golf course! It is a bit outside of Paris by EuroDisney so it took a while to get into the city but it was totally worth it! On Friday we didn't leave until 10:25 am which kind of bummed me out because we had so much to see but oh well. Then it took us while to figure out how the metro worked but we finally made it to Versailles.
The thing about the metro is that it is a bajillion times more complicated than Madrid's with tons of branches and 2 different systems, the metro and the RER. It's terrifying! And because there are so many branches, you have to make sure you catch the right train. Nightmare. So we ended up going back and forth a couple times before we figured it out...But we finally got to the Palace of Versailles that Louis XIV built and it is magnificent! It's huge and expansive and old. We took the tour and looked at the gardens but it was too cold to walk all the way through them.
.jpg)
And, the Hall of Mirrors was under construction part way so that was sad and disappointing. But Chapel's organ was huge and being tuned so we got to here it being played. But my favorite part I think was the Opera House that still functions and was being set up for a performance. But you can't take pictures so the only memory is in my mind...que pena. 
Here's me in the Hall of Mirrors. As we were leaving we decided to take a picture in front of Versailles which kind of turned into a rediculous photo shoot and being silly. Here's one of those fun shots. .JPG)
After Versailles, we headed back into the city (because it's a bit out of Paris also, just on the exact opposite side of Paris from the hotel...never fails) and I split off from the group to see the Musee d'Orsay while they ate dinner. The Orsay is in a renovated train station and has all the Degas dancer paintings. Since I got there at 5 pm and it closed at 6pm it was free. I rushed through and saw all the amazing Degas and alot of the Monet that was there. I loved seeing the dancer paintings live...I love them. Then I went and met the girls at the Louvre...and it is absolutely, overwhelmingly HUGE! 
It's incomprehensible until you see it in person. We were there for about 2 hours which is basically nothing. We did see the Mona Lisa which, though smaller than expected, is impressive. I kept waiting for her to break into a smile. :) What's great about the Mona Lisa is all the people looking at her. She's kept in a glass secure wall with a sensor and a rope in front of her so you can't get to close. There are three guards standing around her watching all the people. This is the headless Venus, though I'm sure she had a head at one time or another.
Obviously, you can't take pictures of the painting but there were defintely people trying to take pictures, not only with cameras, but with their cell phones. The guards would shout at you "no pictures, no cameras, no phones" etc and if you didn't stop they would come at you...literally. This one guy tried to play it off like he was talking on his phone but he totally failed and the lady made him leave. What was really funny was the guard telling everyone "no phones" while he played games on his phone...what?
Anyway, then we went in search of a market but had no luck. We did get a nice walking tour of Paris though and that was fun. Then we headed home to sleep. The next mronign I took the 8:40 am shuttle and the girls followed on the 10:25 am shuttle again. I went alone to the Opera de la Bastille which is the largest opera house in the world and very modern. 
I also walked over and saw the Place de los Vosges that my senora wanted me to go see. It is enchanting and different from any other plaza I've seen. Victor Hugo (author of Les Mis) lived there and there were lots of people around and lots of little shops and cafes opening up. On the way out I bought a pear and an apple at a small store and then a crossiont at a bakery (the crossoints are delectable in Paris). I also asked for a can of orange juice, well, I thought I asked for a can of orange juice but instead I got Orangina which is like orange soda but I didn't want to try to switch it out and cause a scene so I ate my crossiont and Oragina for breakfast. Nothing like a healthy breakfast in Paris! Then I went to meet the girls at Notre Dame but of course they were late. While waiting, I took a picture of a guy for him. But not of him with Notre Dame in the background like a normal person. No, I took a picture of him sitting on a bench, smoking a cigarette and writing in a notebook...so wierd. Finally the girls came and we went inside. 
Notre Dame, which is beautiful, looks kind of alot like all the other churches I've seen in Europe but I did like the Christmas tree outside. And no Esmerelda swinging from the bell towers...que triste.
Then we walked over to Berthillon, the best ice cream place in Paris, or so says my guide book. It was so good and I had a dark chocolate cake with orange rinds and gingerbread ice cream...mmmm! We also met the founder of the place but he didn't speak English so that made it a bit difficult.
After that we went to the Eiffel Tower!!! It's amazing and I loved it! We got there before the sun would have set (it was cloudy) and got some pictures before it lit up and then got in line to go to the top. Only Odalis, Lauren and I wanted to go to the top so the other two walked around while we waited in line forever. While in line, we met a couple from Houston that I knew were from Texas as soon as the husband spoke. They were really nice and we talked to them for a long time and took pictures for each other at the top.
The view from the top was fantastic because Paris was all lit up for the night and it totally made up for the freezing cold wind blowing. One side it was fine but then when you walked around to the other side, you almost got knocked over the wind was blowing so hard. It was freezing but for the sake of good pictures, we suffered. Then on the way down, we had to throw some bows (a Jean phrase) because Europeans don't seem to believe in lines so we had to fight to get on the elevator to descend. Also, since it is December, there were lights that twinkled every hour on the hour. And yes, my friend Kali did take this picture...she should be a professional. 
It was so fun! After the Eiffel Tower, we went to a open-air market (my book saves the day again) and bought lots of food to cook for dinner. The market went all the way down this street and there were just people talking and shouting and it was chaos! So fun! Then we took it all home and cooked an amazing meal in our kitchen. We had chicken, pasta, broccli, green beans, potatoes, shrimp bread and tartas for dessert. It was so fresh and the shrimp was so fresh that if it had been in water it would have been swimming I think. 
We set the table beautifullly and played Christmas music while we ate. It was a grand affair. But really, I didn't do any of the cooking. I cut the broccli and the onion (because I can cut onions without crying...one of my many talents) and then I de-headed the shrimp. Then I help set the table and recorded the goings-on for posterity. After the grand affair, we sat around and took pictures with the timers on our cameras so we could all be in them. .JPG)
It was fun and relaxing. We ended up eating the leftovers the next morning for breakfast/lunch and took some with us to the airport...such scavengers. We left the hotel at 11am on Sunday and travelled 9 hours getting home at 8pm. so tired! But I did get to watch FRIENDS in English on the plane which was hysterical. That show makes me laugh so hard and I was trying with all my might not to laugh outloud because I was on a plane and the people around me were sleeping and they would have had no idea what I was laughing about because I was listening to it on my earphones...So that was fun trying to contain my laughter. But Paris was a great success and I fell in love with the city and definitely want to go back!
On another note, Tuesday was the last day of classes and the 2 week marker until I go home for Christmas! HOORAY!! I can't wait to get me some tortillas and queso...and see my family of course! :)
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Barcelona
So, I finally made it to Barcelona over Thanksgiving weekend! I went with Lauren, Jared, Odalis, Crescendo, Jean and Katie and we had a blast. The rest actually flew while Jared and I took an overnight bus that was soooo fun...I mean hot...I thought I was going to faint. But we went to Hard Rock before we left for some Thanksgiving dinner. They had a special Thanksgiving menu and we got turkey, broccli, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin soup, and pecan pie...it was so good! Anway, we got in about 7:30 am on Friday morning and headed to the hostal where the others stayed but were called and told not to check in because it was the sketchiest place ever...needless to stay, we didn't stay there. While they all got ready, Jared and I got some coffee in a cafe and my trusty travel guide came through once again and we ended up staying in the Ideal Youth Hostel that was cheaper, not sketchy and in a way better location...so that worked out well. Once we finally got situated living-wise, we headed out to see the city. We got some Dunkin Donuts to satisfy Jared's bottomless pit and then went and saw the Plaza Real which is their Plaza Mayor, 
and the Barrio Gotico and the beach/docks. The beach and the docks go all along the south side of Barcelona and were only about a 10 minute walk from the hostel. At the docks, there were of course tons of sailboats as well as a huge mall, movie theater, IMAX, and the aquarium. We had fun taking pictures in the shark in front of the aquarium. 
The weather was warm enough that we didn't have to wear jackets so we hung out on the beach for a while and relaxed. Jared frolicked in the freezing cold water and got wet while I took a nap. I think Lauren and Jean both talked to their mothers and we just hung out. The wind was blowing like crazy which started to get cold so we walked back. On the way back were tons of sailboats in the water and there is seafood restaurant after seafood restaurant all the way down the dock. They looked yummy but expensive! Then we went back past the hotel and bought lunch at the open air market where they everything you could possibly think of including seafood that was STILL ALIVE!!! Talk about interesting! They also had tons of wierd types of fruit, several of which I tried. Lauren and I bought some pasta and garbanzo beans to share and I bought a mango, a guava fruit, and a hot pink fruit that I can't remember it's name...it was a wierd name but it tasted good! 
Then we went to the Park Guell and climbed all the way to the top (of a huge mountain.) There were actually escalators to the top of the mountain because it's such a huge hill and at the top there was an amazing view of Barcelona and the sea and we saw the monument there and ate our food. Then, as the sun set, we saw the longest bench in the world that was done by Gaudi and is amazing and the Gaudi houses. They looked like gingerbread houses. I liked them alot. 
Then we went to try and see the James Bond movie but it was in Spanish (go figure) and we wanted to see it in English so we ditched that idea and split up for dinner. Lauren and I ate at this wonderful vegetarian place. We met some American boys that are living in Barcelona and talked to them for a while (don't worry Dad, they were about 12) Then we headed back and went to bed. The next morning we went and saw this gothic church that had a double altar (one above and one below, underground...so cool! We then went to the Picasso Museum which was really awesome! I'm not a huge Picasso fan b/c so much of his stuff is kind of wierd but this museum had work from every stage of his art. There was a temporary exhibit with alot of his earlier works that I absolutely loved! Turns out Picasso was normal at one point in his life. We also saw his study of Las Meninas which is a famous painting by Velazquez or Goya, I can't remember which, and I loved that as well. Then we went to the chocolate museum where we saw tons of chocolate sculptures that were amazing! 
After that, we headed north to see the Gaudi houses and stopped for lunch at this place on the way. In case you are unaware, in Barcelona, they speak Catalan which is not Spanish (Castillian) and alot of people also speak Spanish and English. But, we got to this place and the menu of course was in Catalan and we made the biggest ordeal about ordering because it's one of those you pick what you want and put together your own meal...that was tough... but finally we ate and it was yummy! Then we went and looked at a Gaudi house because it was too expensive to go in and then went to La Pedrera which is another Gaudi house. We went inside this one and saw the apartment he decorated and the roof. The apartment is really neat and one of my favorite bits was the sewing room complete with an antique Singer sewing machine and an old iron warmer from back when they used iron irons. 
The sewing room was black and white so I took black and white photos there. We also saw the biggest doll house ever in the child's room. The roof is like a playground and would be so much fun to run around if there hadn't been so many people. 
The view from the top is amazing as well! You could see all of Barcelona. After La Pedrera, we went to La Sagrada Familia which is the largest construction site in the world and also a cathedral also done by Gaudi. He basically owned Barcelona, I won't lie. While one side is all Gaudi and very impressionistic the other side is very traditional and gothic almost...a very wierd combination but there none the less. 
After, La Sagrada Familia, we walked up to the famous hospital with a Catalan name that I can't remember that looks like it was done by Gaudi but wasn't. It is actually still a working hospital and you can go inside. When we went through the corridor, we could see the emergency room and that was a bit wierd, knowing that those people were in the emergency room and we were touring. But once inside the outer wall, the hospital looks like a college campus. 
It is absolutely fantastic and beautiful and made me miss Trinity because it is all red brick and green grass...tear... After that we headed back to the center of the city and Lauren and I went to go see an IMAX show. The first bit was really cool! It was called STOMP and was about rythyms from all over the world. I could have watched it for an hour and a half but no, they had to put on the second half which was the worst movie I have ever see in my entire life. It was a 3D animated movie meant for children I think but it was horrendous. I was disturbed by some of it and I'm old...I don't know how any parent could let their child watch it. It was terrible but it was really funny when at the end all the kids were trying to touch the 3D bubbles. Not only the little kids but the adults too...hello, their not real! That was the only part of the movie that was even close to being okay...whoa. But then we hustled over to meet the rest at Hard Rock for the compulsory visit. They played really good music while we were there and we had a great time! 
After that, Katie, Lauren, Jared and I headed down to the beach to see it at night and hung out for a while and then went home and went to bed. On the way to the beach, I got stopped by this girl who recognized me because she is from Tulsa and went to Kelly and we chatted for a few minutes and talked about the study abroad experience etc... It just proved Jared's point that I know people everywhere I go...how does that happen? So that was fun! The next day we woke up, got ready, ate some breakfast, and headed to the bus station to catch the bus. It was a great weekend but I definitely like Madrid better because in Barcelona, people assumed I speak English and would talk to me in English all the time and I didn't like that. But oh well, I'm not living there!
and the Barrio Gotico and the beach/docks. The beach and the docks go all along the south side of Barcelona and were only about a 10 minute walk from the hostel. At the docks, there were of course tons of sailboats as well as a huge mall, movie theater, IMAX, and the aquarium. We had fun taking pictures in the shark in front of the aquarium. 
The weather was warm enough that we didn't have to wear jackets so we hung out on the beach for a while and relaxed. Jared frolicked in the freezing cold water and got wet while I took a nap. I think Lauren and Jean both talked to their mothers and we just hung out. The wind was blowing like crazy which started to get cold so we walked back. On the way back were tons of sailboats in the water and there is seafood restaurant after seafood restaurant all the way down the dock. They looked yummy but expensive! Then we went back past the hotel and bought lunch at the open air market where they everything you could possibly think of including seafood that was STILL ALIVE!!! Talk about interesting! They also had tons of wierd types of fruit, several of which I tried. Lauren and I bought some pasta and garbanzo beans to share and I bought a mango, a guava fruit, and a hot pink fruit that I can't remember it's name...it was a wierd name but it tasted good! 
Then we went to the Park Guell and climbed all the way to the top (of a huge mountain.) There were actually escalators to the top of the mountain because it's such a huge hill and at the top there was an amazing view of Barcelona and the sea and we saw the monument there and ate our food. Then, as the sun set, we saw the longest bench in the world that was done by Gaudi and is amazing and the Gaudi houses. They looked like gingerbread houses. I liked them alot. 
Then we went to try and see the James Bond movie but it was in Spanish (go figure) and we wanted to see it in English so we ditched that idea and split up for dinner. Lauren and I ate at this wonderful vegetarian place. We met some American boys that are living in Barcelona and talked to them for a while (don't worry Dad, they were about 12) Then we headed back and went to bed. The next morning we went and saw this gothic church that had a double altar (one above and one below, underground...so cool! We then went to the Picasso Museum which was really awesome! I'm not a huge Picasso fan b/c so much of his stuff is kind of wierd but this museum had work from every stage of his art. There was a temporary exhibit with alot of his earlier works that I absolutely loved! Turns out Picasso was normal at one point in his life. We also saw his study of Las Meninas which is a famous painting by Velazquez or Goya, I can't remember which, and I loved that as well. Then we went to the chocolate museum where we saw tons of chocolate sculptures that were amazing! 
After that, we headed north to see the Gaudi houses and stopped for lunch at this place on the way. In case you are unaware, in Barcelona, they speak Catalan which is not Spanish (Castillian) and alot of people also speak Spanish and English. But, we got to this place and the menu of course was in Catalan and we made the biggest ordeal about ordering because it's one of those you pick what you want and put together your own meal...that was tough... but finally we ate and it was yummy! Then we went and looked at a Gaudi house because it was too expensive to go in and then went to La Pedrera which is another Gaudi house. We went inside this one and saw the apartment he decorated and the roof. The apartment is really neat and one of my favorite bits was the sewing room complete with an antique Singer sewing machine and an old iron warmer from back when they used iron irons. 
The sewing room was black and white so I took black and white photos there. We also saw the biggest doll house ever in the child's room. The roof is like a playground and would be so much fun to run around if there hadn't been so many people. 
The view from the top is amazing as well! You could see all of Barcelona. After La Pedrera, we went to La Sagrada Familia which is the largest construction site in the world and also a cathedral also done by Gaudi. He basically owned Barcelona, I won't lie. While one side is all Gaudi and very impressionistic the other side is very traditional and gothic almost...a very wierd combination but there none the less. 
After, La Sagrada Familia, we walked up to the famous hospital with a Catalan name that I can't remember that looks like it was done by Gaudi but wasn't. It is actually still a working hospital and you can go inside. When we went through the corridor, we could see the emergency room and that was a bit wierd, knowing that those people were in the emergency room and we were touring. But once inside the outer wall, the hospital looks like a college campus. 
It is absolutely fantastic and beautiful and made me miss Trinity because it is all red brick and green grass...tear... After that we headed back to the center of the city and Lauren and I went to go see an IMAX show. The first bit was really cool! It was called STOMP and was about rythyms from all over the world. I could have watched it for an hour and a half but no, they had to put on the second half which was the worst movie I have ever see in my entire life. It was a 3D animated movie meant for children I think but it was horrendous. I was disturbed by some of it and I'm old...I don't know how any parent could let their child watch it. It was terrible but it was really funny when at the end all the kids were trying to touch the 3D bubbles. Not only the little kids but the adults too...hello, their not real! That was the only part of the movie that was even close to being okay...whoa. But then we hustled over to meet the rest at Hard Rock for the compulsory visit. They played really good music while we were there and we had a great time! 
After that, Katie, Lauren, Jared and I headed down to the beach to see it at night and hung out for a while and then went home and went to bed. On the way to the beach, I got stopped by this girl who recognized me because she is from Tulsa and went to Kelly and we chatted for a few minutes and talked about the study abroad experience etc... It just proved Jared's point that I know people everywhere I go...how does that happen? So that was fun! The next day we woke up, got ready, ate some breakfast, and headed to the bus station to catch the bus. It was a great weekend but I definitely like Madrid better because in Barcelona, people assumed I speak English and would talk to me in English all the time and I didn't like that. But oh well, I'm not living there!
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