BCN

Just now getting around to updating my loyal listeners (haha) about my weekend in Barcelona… Thanks for all the great emails I got to come home to! Barcelona was amazing. I know I mentioned it in my previous post, but I was staying with my roommate from last year, Megan. She was an excellent hostess and opened up her apartment to both Jill and me. We arrived Thursday night and Megan took us to a great bar (La oveja negra) to meet her friends. It was so much fun meeting all the kids she has been hanging out with all year and hear all their crazy travel stories and experiences in Barcelona. Friday was dedicated to seeing all things Gaudí, Park Guell, La Pedrera and Casa Batllo. I even have photos uploaded already, so definitely check them out to see what I´m talking about. Since the weather was just incredible Megan suggested we go to Sitges, a beach just outside Barcelona on the Mediterranean. She has been there several times and even went for Carnival! So we spent the day as Spanish beach bums, only we kept our tops on haha I don´t think I´m that Spanish enough yet… Sunday we made it to see the Sagrada Familia and the Olympic stadium. The Sagrada familia was so impressive and after how many years of studying it was amazing to finally see it for myself. Now I´ll just have to return to Spain to see it once it´s completed (hopefully in my lifetime!)
It was strange to hear and see so much Catalán. My untrained ear couldn´t recognize it, but Megan could. I loved all things Barcelona, but didn´t like that people would rather speak to me in English then in Spanish  Let’s just say that the people of Andalucía couldn’t talk to me in English even if I wanted them too. After I settled back in, Ana and I had a conversation on why Granada was the best city in Spain. We decided, or rather she told me, that Granada encompasses all things Spanish and that Madrid and Barcelona could never come close. She said we wouldn´t even discuss Bilbao because País Vasco is just too extraño. Haha She cracks me up. I told her Lisa would be studying here in the summer and said she wants to host her. I showed her a picture of Lisa and I and she said she would have to have Lisa as her next host daughter because she wants to host the prettiest girls  Ana is the best.
Unfortunately, I missed the grand birthday celebration for my host mom this weekend. While in Barcelona I thought it would be a good idea to get her a small gift… I got her a Gaudí ash ray, I felt it was the best gift to fit her interests haha It was no surprise to me that she loved it! I even came back to a small gift. Ana gave me three small charms that have some connection to an elephant legend… not too sure the significance of it though. Either way I can´t wait to add them to my charm bracelet back at home.