SPAIN:
Barcelona was a beautiful port city, with amazing architecture and a vibrant European feel.
Day 1:
On the first day, I decided to take off on my own and explore Barcelona. It always feels good to walk on land after a long leg at sea. We arrived on Good Friday, so a lot of the city was shut down, except for the touristy sites. I walked through Ramblas, which is "Barcelona's most characteristic avenue", aligned with restaurants, shops, street vendors, etc. Danelle compared it to 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica, California, which seems fitting. I was very struck by the architecture of the city--It's one of those places where every alley way looks like a picture. Chris B., you would have been in heaven. Barcelona is said to be the heart of the Catalonian region of northeast Spain, with it's own culture, language, and traditions.
I was pretty much just wandering around, losing myself in the city, when I came upon Casa Batllo, one of Gaudi's buildings, on the Passeig de Gracia. Antoni Gaudi is considered to be one of Barcelona's most famous modernist architects. His beautiful use of colored mosaics and ceramics are striking. Lorri S., I thought of you and the mosaic pots you make! And January, I could totally see you decorating your bathroom using this style. There was a long line into the Casa Batllo, so I just admired it from the outside, where I met Yudit, a woman from Hungary. We ended up walking together and chatting, as she had just recently arrived from England, and was also touring the city. From there, my new BFF and I walked through Placa Gracia, one of Barcelona's less touristy barrios. We ended up at Park Guell, a large urban park, filled with Gaudi's mosaic work and a spectacular view of the city. After walking around the park and visiting the Casa Museu Gaudi, we decided to hike up to Tibadabo, a magnificent castle-like church resting on top of a mountain, guaranteeing another great view of the city. Well, our little hike ended up being a lot longer than we anticipated, as we circled the mountain, following the music, towards what seemed like a mirage at the top. Once we finally reached the top, we realized that the music was actually coming from a fun fair-park next to the church. And we also discovered that were other direct routes by vehicle. Oh well; We earned the view, right?:-) The church was gorgeous--We even witnessed a confessional, which may not be unique for some, but it was my first time seeing one (other than the movies). It was quite cold and windy at the top, and Yudit and I were hungry, so we took the bus back down to Placa de Catalunya and found a cute little restaurant on a little side street off Boqueria. Before dinner, however, we witnessed a Good Friday processional parading through the streets--a float of who I assumed to be the Virgin May followed by a marching band.
Day 2:
This was a great day. I had the opportunity to spend time with Cherine, Isis (her mother and our staff psychologist), Chris (her brother who had just arrived to sail with us), Thea (one of the professors from California), and Joye (the visiting Executive Officer for the September 2008 voyage). It was so nice to spend time with a family again, as I felt the comfort of being with my own. There was one point during the day when we were riding in the taxi van, and I felt the familiarity of riding in my parents' van at home. It was nice.
We had a full day of:
*visiting the Torres Winery, where we took a tour that included an olfactory sensory experience of the four seasons
*traveling up to Montessarat, a unique natural mountain formation, where we toured the art museum, listened to monks singing at the Benedictine Monastery, and each toasted a glass of wine, as we expressed our gratitude for this special experience together
*enjoying an evening at a little cafe called Acoma on Boqueria, with an outdoor patio. It was such a perfect scene: delicious tapas, the musical sounds of the band's clarinet, guitars, and melodic voices (The man playing the clarinet was actually Pat--our Academic Dean's--friend from Scotland. The other band members were a beautiful guitarist from Cape Verde and one from Senegal), the Spanish ceramic wall pieces, the open night sky against an illuminating tower, and a tree canopy over our heads, with one single orange dangling down.
Day 3:
Okay, I'm realizing that this account is going to take a while if I continue to write out all the details, so I will switch to a summary of highlights:
*Went for early morning run through Barcelona by the water, through beautiful Park Ciutadella, and through alleys lined with tall pastel-colored buildings, flower pots hanging from balconies, bakeries, cafes--The scene reminded me somewhat of Venice.
*Rode the train to Girona, a neighboring medieval city, where everything seemed to be closed for the Easter holiday, except of course, a small Japanese restaurant, where I had a late sushi lunch.
*Rode the train back to Barcelona and then onto Sitges, a beautiful neighboring beach town, which was truly picturesque. Received a spontaneous little tour of the town by Jordi, a student from Barcelona who was home for the holiday.
*Stayed the night in a little hotel after wandering around the town. Ate pintxos at a local bar in honor of Danelle. Pintxos, the basque version of tapas, are little slices of bread topped with any assortment of fish, cheese, ham, tortillas, fruit paste, etc. They're usually speared with a toothpick, that you leave on your plate, so the cashier will know what to charge you. Court, you would have been in sampler heaven!
Day 4:
*Spent the day admiring Sitges's quaint little coastal scenery, where again, every street reveals the beautiful Spanish architecture. Enjoyed a late picnic breakfast by the beach--fresh bread from the bakery, fresh cottage cheese, and a banana. A great little combo.
*Witnessed a Catalonian Easter tradition called Caramelles, still practiced by three families in Sitges, who spend the entire day serenading at different residencies and restaurants/cafes. They carry a tall pole, with a hanging money basket, and topped by a bouquet of flowers, receiving donations for future family trips (at least this is how it was explained to me). They would pop into local cafes from time to time for a drink and some snacks. Sara C., it was almost like an Easter pub crawl! I followed them around for a little while because it was just so fun to watch. Initially I was singing a little with them (They had passed out song sheets.) but then realized that it's traditionally men who sing for the families of their loves. Oops:-) When in Rome, right?
*Left Sitges as the sun was setting and rode the train back to Barcelona, where I hopped on the overnight train to Madrid. I know, I know--I'm an experience addict. Or as Ronalee and Michael would say "experience junky." Actually, Cherine, Sarah, and came up with a new term: "experience collectors."
*The sleeper train cabins were designated by gender (Mom, I can read your mind.), so I bunked up in a little cabin with 5 other females--a crying woman, two chatty friends (who I literally think would periodically wake up in the middle of the night to exchange a few words), and a mother and her child. It was a fun adventure--my first time taking a sleeper train. Plus, it saved me two nights of hotel. We (me and my bunkmates) went to sleep around 11 pm, and woke up at 7 am in Madrid! Easy.
Day 5:
If you're wondering why I wanted to go to Madrid, I don't really have a specific reason, other than I just wanted to see it. It's another region in Spain, it's the capitol city, and our Spanish students from both voyages are from there.
*Woke up very excited to tour the city. Left the train station, popped into a hotel to freshen up, and then made my way to the city center. Walked everywhere. For hours. Literally. I was hobbling by the end. Saw the Plaza Mayor--a plaza that has been the center of the city since Felipe II made it the site of the court in 1561.
*Saw a TV scene being shot for a Spanish TV series called "Second Opportunity." I randomly ran into it on one of the side streets. The producer filled me in on what was happening as best as he could considering our language gap. Sis and Jason L., I thought of you both!
*Visited the Museo Nacional del Prado, with a comprehensive collection from around the world. Artists include El Bosco (interesting depictions of heaven and hell and "earthly delights"), Goya (many portraits with exaggerated, blurred features), and Velazquez (appearing to portray a variety of themes and subjects). Okay, so I have to admit that I have never heard of any of these artists beforehand, but I felt good about my little "arts and culture" experience. Courtney R. from the UCI Career Center: A special little shout out to you--I needed you there to shed your art history wisdom. And David B., where was Sister Wendy when I needed her?
*Walked around the Parque del Retiro and then the Real Jardin Botnico, where I ran into Pablo (one of our students from Madrid), as he was giving a tour of his home to some of our other TSSers. The botanical garden was beautiful--You would have loved it, Mom. And Meagan T.--There were beds of tulips everywhere! I laid down on one of the benches for a little nap before heading to Malasana, more of a locals area in Madrid, where I enjoyed a delicious dinner at Casa Maraulass. I, with my Spanish fluency, took the waiter's advice and ordered the Sepia a la Plancha, not knowing what it was, but it turned out to be a tasty fish cooked in garlic. Can't go wrong, right Mariam M.?
*Finished off the evening at a Cuban cafe for dessert and tea before heading back to the train station.
Day 6:
*Woke up to the voices of men chatting outside the train cabin, as they awaited our arrival. They were eager beavers at 6:30 am--Ready for Barcelona!
*Walked from the train station up towards Placa d'Espayna, stopping by a bakery for some fresh bread and then a market for cheese and fruit. I think I could spend hours at these markets.
*Ate my little picnic breakfast on a bench, with a view of Placa d'Espanya on my left and the Museu Nacional D'Arte de Catalunya (MNAC) in the Montjuic park on my right. Montjuic is Barcelona's "most important national park and is an oasis of calm and nature in the middle of the urban agglomeration that is the city."
*Walked through the park--Actually, was really hobbling at this point from all the walking over the previous days (and I think that the long hike up to Tibidabo in my $8 boots from Shanghai didn't help). I couldn't go back to the ship, though; There was so much I wanted to see!
*Compromise: Found a little outdoor cafe in the park called La Font del Gat, where I sat for at least an hour, resting my feet, sipping tea, and writing in my journal. I ended up writing a closing poem for our voyage, as it helped me to begin articulating my feelings around re-entry. I'll remember to post it later.
*Took the metro to Sagrada Familia, a famous building in Barcelona which began construction over 100 years ago and is projected to finish by the year 2022. It has two facades: the Passion and the Nativity. Very striking. I found a little outdoor cafe nearby called Babilonia Gaudi, where I could enjoy the view of this grandiose structure,while finishing my leftover cheese with some fresh bread and sipping a glass of Spanish wine.
*Eventually headed back to the ship, where I immediately saw Alfred, the Director of OBL from our first voyage! He's coming back for the third voyage and is sailing on the remainder of our journey to Amsterdam. An inspiring, deep, heartfelt visionary, whose passion is contagious.
*Went out on the town with Ron, Christy, Amanda, Nancy, Chris, and two of our students, Luis and Taylor. We ended up at a little local tapas bar called Nou Candanchu in Placa Gracia (where I enjoyed some octopus--still love those tentacles) and then onto a couple other little bars off Rambla and Laietana. It wasn't until about 4 am when we made our way back on the ship. Not sure how the time passed so quickly!
Day 7:
*Slept in a little bit, as you could image. Then headed to Palau de la Musica Catalana, built by a modernist architect called Domenech i Montaner. The music hall has been declared a Unesco World Heritage site, and its lavish decor makes it look like "a piece of jewelry." A special shout out to Anthony T., as the music hall was not too far from the city's Gothic Quarter.
*Ran into a Dollar Store! Court and Mom, you would have been excited. It was actually a Euro store, but same concept. I took a photo for you both. Court, I'm sorry to say, there were no ring holders.
*Found another little market area, where I bought some fruit, drank some tea, and wrote a few post cards home. Did you know I like markets?
*Finally headed back to the ship for our 4:00 ETL (Embarkation Time Limit, in case I hadn't stated that before).
Well, I guess that sums up my trip in Spain. I really loved this port and would like to come back one day, when I can explore other regions of the country, as I imagine they each have their own unique culture. It also re-confirmed my desire to learn the Spanish language. It's interesting, though, how much you can communicate through non-verbals. I obviously couldn't have deep conversations but could still make out the gist of what was being said. I think some people would initially assume I was Spanish, too. It's funny because I would try to ask questions in Spanish, yet have no idea what the return responses would be. And I definitely don't speak Catalan--although, they say "valleh", which means "okay" and is pronounced like the farsi word "balleh". So that's at least one word:-)
Adieus for now! Time for Turkey...
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