I don’t even know where to begin with this post. It was a
holiday week for Spaniards and for us as well. With no class, we played
tourists the whole week visiting one town and cathedral after another city and
castle.
Our
group of 36 left Monday morning to head north of Madrid. Along the way we would
stop here and there at these quaint little towns to go exploring. Some of the
buildings, with their little balcony windows, reminded me of the introduction
of Beauty and the Beast. One of the
stops we went to was in a town called Silos where we listened to the SantoDomingo Monks. The men sing Gregorian chants at certain times of the day and,
believe or not, have sold a platinum album. 
We
spent the night and next day in Burgos. It is actually a big city with plenty
to see. We got there late so after we had dinner we did not have a lot of time
to explore. A small group of us ate in a restaurant overlooking the plaza. We
also learned there that we are not good at paying a bill together and dividing
out Euros. The next day was a labor day and so everything was closed.
EVERYTHING. You had better not get sick that day or need some extra groceries
because you are not getting anything unless maybe you haggle with your
neighbors. They take their holidays seriously. Fortunately for however, the
Cathedral of Burgos was open and we
had a tour guide take us through the building. Here is where El Cid is buried,
a famous military leader from the 11th century. The place was
beautiful. 
Our next
major stop was in León. Upon arriving in
this city and walking around a bit, it seemed that the area was a little run
down (as in more sketchy neighborhoods, not historically old). I learned,
however, that that was just where our hotel was located. The center of the city
is beautiful with streets aligned with shops, basilicas, old Roman columns, and
the León Cathedral. The cathedral, also known as the House of Lights, has the most
stained glass in proportion to building size in the world. We came back that
night at midnight to see the building lit up from the inside. Although it was
not as bright as I had anticipated, it was still really pretty and worth losing
some extra sleep. Wednesday morning we took a tour through the Basilica of San Isidoro which contained almost
perfectly preserved Romanesque paintings as well as a crypt for the
kings of León. 
On the
way back to Alcalá we made a stop at the Castle of Coca. The House of Alba, an
aristocratic family, inhabited this place. So basically it is equivalents to
today’s millionaires’ mansions. Our tour guide seemed a little drunk, but it
was fun climbing on the outside walls and looking out over the city. I also
learned to watch your head. As the tour guide was cautioning us to watch our
heads as we went up stairs, I simultaneously hit my head on something hanging
from the wall. Perfect timing – the guide thought that everyone was laughing at
her words of caution. 
This weekend we were free to go
wherever we wanted in Southern Europe. Some people went to Lisbon, others to
Paris, and some even to Morocco. I figured that since I was here to study in Spain,
I would stay in Spain and go to Barcelona! NO REGRETS! It has become one of my
favorite cities. The atmosphere, the culture, the people – it all was
wonderful. I went with eight others from my group and we took an 8 hour bus
ride from Madrid to Barcelona. We stayed at a hotel in the suburb of Sabadell
which was about a 30 minute train ride away from the City. While although it will
be impossible to describe everything I will pick out some of the highlights.
Swimming in the
Mediterranean Sea – Okay so I would say more or less I jumped in and out of
the Mediterranean because that day the water was freezing. It was a beautiful
beach though and was filled with people. We relaxed for an hour or so and built
a sandcastle together. After our early morning ride we decided that such an
activity was paramount. I do not have a bucket list, but if I did, visiting
that sea would be one of them.
Las Ramblas – This is a street almost geared exclusively towards
tourists, I feel, but still really fun to experience. Everywhere you could
smell food such as gofres con helado (waffles and ice cream) and paella
(Spanish dish), which I of course had to try both. The median of the road is
where the majority of people walk. It is filled with people, small shops with
local artisans, and street performers. The Spanish writer Garcia Lorca said
that it was "the only street in the world which I wish would never
end."
While on Las Ramblas in Barcelona,
I learned my lesson on gambling as I lost 20€ (about $26) in gambling. The group I
was with decided to do some shopping among the street vendors, so I decided to look
at a street performer who was moving three boxes and having people choose which
box a small tin ball was hiding under. After mixing the boxes some and flipping
one over that was empty, he looked up at me and asked where the ball was. I
thought I had followed well and proposed it was the on the top one, which it
was. I bent down to show him but he asked for money. I thought well maybe I
have a 1€ just to see what happens, but he saw my 20€ and with the pressure of
the crowd, I am ashamed to say I gave in and handed him my larger currency.
Then the man acted as if he was distracted and turned away, while another man
helped me” cheat” and lifted up the top box to show me the ball – right where I
thought it would be. Well when the distracted host turned back around and I
chose the top box, of course the ball had suddenly moved to the bottom box. He
said something along the lines of “tough luck” and that was that. I was
devastated. How could I have been so stupid?! Honestly this could be on one of
the top 5 dumb things I have ever done. So a little distressed I went off to
the side and started talking to one of my group members who happened to watch it
all unfold. I had figured out what happened and confirmed it with him. The man
who “helped” me had been the one that obviously switched it and I had just not
been as astute and I should have been. There were also people working alongside
the game player as well in the audience who were there to peer pressure me. In
explaining my theory aloud, I think they must have caught on that I had
discovered their snare, because out of no-where a guy comes up and gives me 20€
and another man started to follow me as if to make sure that I stayed away from
the game as to not give the secret away. I cannot express how thankful I was at
that moment and angry with myself for making such an error.
Museo
Picasso – Barcelona was where Pablo Picasso spent much of his youth. In
honor of him, there is a museum entirely dedicated to his earlier work. Because
of the period covered, Picasso’s most famous works are not found in the museum,
but scattered in other museums. It was interesting to see how his styles
developed over the years from realism to impressionism to cubism. He really was
a talented man and it was a neat experience going from room to room looking at
the work of a master artist. My favorite piece there was Picasso’s take on Velasquez’s
Las Meninas.
Sagrada
Familia – This building has to be one of the most beautiful pieces of
architecture that I have ever seen. The
basilica was started in 1882 and is supposed to be finished in 2026. That’s
right over 100 years and counting. The design was by Gaudí who worked on it
until his death in the 1920s. The work has since been carried on by various
individuals and continues. The building itself takes up a whole city block and
can be seen from just about any hill in the city. Walking inside, I just looked
around and dropped my draw. It is so spacious and so unique. Patterns, colors,
and size excite the mind. It will be hard to go to any cathedral here in Spain
now and be impressed. I keep telling myself that they are from different time
periods and need to appreciate the sacrifice, talent, and history that each
edifice reveals. 
La Pedrera –This is
another piece of architecture that Gaudí designed. Meaning “the quarry,” this building is
so unique in its outside design. The roof was probably my favorite to see with
the chimneys and vents that resembles ice cream cones and other crazy designs.
In a tour through one apartment, it was decorated in the 1920s fashion. The
attic was also uniquely arranged to with arcs that formed a chain, creating a
fun perspective while walking around. 
Parc Güell - This is a huge park that
was helped designed but none-other, Gaudí. Scattered throughout are fountains,
statutes, and benches featuring the work of the famous architect. My favorite
is the mosaic lizards and animals.
Barcelona
is honestly full of so much to do and see. I think we could have been there for
over a week and still could have had so much to do and see. I honestly plan to
go back one day and see more of it. Maybe in 2026 with the Sagrada Familia will
be done.
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