Stop 2 - Barcelona

Day 3

So we awoke at 5:45am in Paris to catch our Barcelona train. In the station we bumped into some fellow Pacific students which was a nice surprise! By 7:30am we were off on a train that reminded me of the Capitol train in the Hunger Games. On our way we enjoyed beautiful views of France and Spain, and arrived in Barcelona around 3pm. We got lost at the station, but after a full lap we managed to get pointed in the right direction. 

Our hostel was brand new, we knew this when we booked, but were still surprised to find how modern it seemed. It was small and compact, and no space was wasted. The beds were like little pods, each with an outlet and shelf, and rail to hang your blanket, sheets, or towel as a curtain. We both put up our blankets and they blacked out the light perfectly allowing you to be hidden away in your own space. It was perfect. 

We had no plans for that evening so we headed for the beach. We took the metro which luckily wasn't too dissimilar to the one in Paris. It certainly felt like a busy city beach, and not like the white sandy beaches Megan is used to. We walked along for hours trying to find a place to eat, and in doing so we found Las Rambles, a famous street in Barcelona for its restaurants, street vendors, and culture.

In the end we headed back toward the hostel and ate in a restaurant nearby. The waitress warned us that the pizza we ordered was spicy, but we disagreed after the tasting. Here we had our first holiday beer. Estrella daam. A Spanish beer we think/hope, and it went down very easy. It had been three days hard earned. 

We tried to stay awake to watch Spain lose the football but we were too tired, and so we retired to the bedrooms had a great nights sleep in our little pods. 

Day 4

The next day I woke up unnaturally early for me and dragged Megan out of bed. At 7:30am we were headed for the 1992 Olympic park in Barcelona, somewhere I had been lucky enough to visit once on hockey tour. We walked since it was sort of close, and so by the time we got there it was 9am and it was deserted. We hung around until the stadium opened at 10 and took a peak inside. We also used the gift store to read Barcelona guidebooks to help us plan our day. In the guide books I saw the ceramic works of Gaudi and knew we couldn't miss it, so that's where we headed. 

On the walk to the metro station we also passed a National Gallery or Museum of some kind, and the Magic Fountain. The buildings and views were beautiful. We knew we already liked Barcelona more than Paris. That might've been partly due to the beautiful sunshine we had. 

The walk from the metro to Parc Guell required many steep hills, and escalators that were built into streets, so we were sure to buy an ice cream on our way up. While you had to buy tickets to get into the main parts of the park, you could walk around the surrounding gardens and see most of it  from a short distance. Being on such a steep hill we also had stunning views of the city. It was also possible to walk around to the famous Dorici columns, which looked like Gingerbread houses to us. 

After a quick picnic in the gardens we headed to La Sagrada Familia, the famous Gaudi temple. It's is well know that it is an unfinished work, but we did not expect to see so much scaffolding and building work taking place. Apparently there is a plan to finish it by 2015. As you walk around you can tell the brickwork old and new. It is an incredibly detailed exterior, and given more time I think we would both love to go inside in the future. 

We then headed to Barcelona's very own Arc De Triomf. Theirs is more red than the one in Paris, and smaller. We walked down the strip to find gardens and then Barcelona Gothic quarter. Here the streets are narrow and winding. We also found a well know cathedral, Cathedral de la Seu, and some kind of castle and city walls. Eventually we found ourselves at Las Ramblas once again, and after another long search for the right deal for dinner we bailed and headed back to our hostel. 

We stopped at another restaurant near to where we were staying because they advertised 70c beers. It had been a long day. Despite the language barrier we managed to order spicy potatoes and a meal of fries topped with two boiled eggs and chicken. I can't explain why it was good, but it was good. 

A few more beers for me and then we headed back to the hostel. We had just enough time to shower, pack, and plan for our day of travel ahead before the England game. Even though we stayed awake for the whole game, England decided not to. So back to the pods once more before our next journey to Marseille. 

- Evie

1) I remember much more Spanish than I thought I would. After we got lost on the way to the hostel, I was able to somewhat understand the nice lady trying to point us in the right direction. However, Catalan is not as much like Spanish as I had hoped.

2) Knowing a second language makes traveling so much easier, this trip has definitely inspired me to try to learn one. 

3) People in Barcelona seemed much more willing to help us throughout our stay. Our broken Spanish plus they're broken English could usually get the job done. It was always satisfying when we managed to order a meal from someone who didn't speak English. It felt like we had accomplished a mission with the other person.

4) Hostels are completely dependent on the people who stay there. The hostel in Barcelona was a completely different experience to the ones in Paris. 

5) Train strikes are not convenient for anyone (I know that's the point), but seriously, super problematic.

6) The Mediterranean Sea is beautiful. The water is so clear and five different shades of blue. I definitely wouldn't mind spending more time there.

7) Some of these beaches are topless, that definitely caught me by surprise.

8) I don't care how comfortable they are, speedos should not be a thing.  

9) Spain is so much cheaper than France. An entire dinner for two, plus drinks was under €15, those are my kind of prices.

10) If you are traveling, always try to make friends with the people who look like they know what they're doing.

- Meg