Fiesta then Siesta
Written by Jennifer December 16, 2014
Sagrada Familia
Razzmatazz. KYGO, who apparently is this electric dance music DJ
Razzmatazz. KYGO, who apparently is this electric dance music DJ
Dinner with the crew
Chicken Paella
National Art Museum
National Art Museum
National Art Museum
Mall in Barcelona.
Sagrada Familia
Sagrada Familia
Sagrada Familia
Sagrada Familia
Barcelona
Barcelona
Park Guell
Park Guell
Barcelona really knows how to celebrate. The Sunshine Crew arrived late on Wednesday for the final extended weekend of the program. This city was so lively at night it surprised all of us! The next morning we woke up pretty late. I would never have thought of the lack of sleep I would be getting while studying abroad. Now, this has been entirely my choice- but wow. Looking back, the latest I had slept in while abroad was around 8:30.
Get this.
We slept in until 11:00!
After almost having a little panic attack- thinking that half of the day was over (I get this from my mother). We headed out for some exploration. First destination: Park Guell. Park Guell is on top of a hill that overlooks the whole city. It’s really beautiful, a lot of red roofs! There’s a cross centered at the very top!
The Crew headed down toward the city for what other than lunch. While walking we learned a bit about Barcelona and its relationship with Spain. I had no idea that the culture was so separated. The main language is Catalonian not Spanish. Luckily every local that I ran into spoke Spanish. I’ve taken Spanish since kindergarten and to say that I’m fluent would be an extreme exaggeration- but I could easily survive with my Spanish. It actually felt extremely rewarding. I thought back at all of those Spanish courses that I took in school, pretty cool to use those skills. For those of you that took Latin…I guess that comes up in everyday language- the SAT, maybe?
We grabbed a quick bite to eat because we realized that, uh, our day was coming to an end being that we started so late. After lunch we headed towards Sagrada Familia.
The city was beautiful and colorful. Down each street, balconies were draped with Catalonia flags. The plants along the sidewalks were rich green and the flowers ranged from vibrant red to gentle white.
Sagrada Familia was under construction but whoa. Like the sand castle you imagine building as a kid.
We dropped by the mall in Barcelona. The structure that the mall is now was actually an old bull riding stadium. Can you get more Barcelonan? The views from the top were breathtaking.
We spotted the National Art Museum in the distance, so off we went, Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya:
Dinner time, indeed. Did I mention it was Thanksgiving?? Friendsgiving?? Our other Cimba mates and the crew gathered together for a delicious meal: Chicken Paella
The third evening the CIMBIANS went to Razzmatazz. KYGO, who apparently is this electric dance music DJ- I had no idea of who he was before this- was performing. Or DJing, is that still performing? Yes- I’ll stick with performing. It was so fun! Barcelona is such a lively and youthful city. This night really underlined, bolded, and italicized that description.
The show ended at 5am. Yes, in the morning. That next morning we woke up midday and headed to our flight. Needless to say, we slept on every form of transportation. Barcelona was amazingly beautiful and energetic. The people there were kind and helpful. If you love, soccer- there’s plenty of Messi memorabilia as well.
I must admit, I don’t think I could have spent much longer there, at the risk of sounding like an old woman- I don’t think I could keep up with the city! It’s art was stunning, the churches were mesmorizing, and the night life was never ending. What a city, indeed.
Blogger: Jennifer, Furman University
