Montserrrat, Montjuec, Montblanc Muchas Montanas!!

Sorry for the time between posts, I have been extremely busy traveling, checking out the major tourist attractions, planning future trips, and (oh yeah) attending classes! This last week included the fiery spectacle that is the Feast of Saint Joan, fiestiaing (a new word?) at the posh CDLC on Barcoloneta beach, climbing the craggy peaks of Montserrat, and a refreshing swim in in the Piscinas Montjuic (beautiful pools overlooking the city, the former home of the high dive in the 1992 Summer Olympics. The scenery and landscapes that abound in the Catalunya region of Spain ane incredible and offer both high mountain peaks and ever-expanding sprawling overlooks of the Mediterranian sea and expansive beaches.

The feast of Sant Joan, an annual festival of fire and the Summer solstice emerging from pagan traditions, was an incredible displey of countless floral, shimmering colors exploding in the sky, all night reverly including enough cava to fill an ocean and bonfires that burn past morning. We spent the night on the beach with a large group of friends, and enjoyed the festivities and delicious ¨Coques¨, traditional pasteries made with fruit and anise. The fireworks were spectacular and not only relagated to the air above the water, with children and others ensuring that the fireworks continue in and around the crowd (I actaully took a firework to the leg, luckly my jeans saved me!). The night itself was filled with the youthful, ecstacic spirit of Spain, always full of life, happiness and appreciation for the ¨finer¨ (hedonistic :) ) side of life.

On Saturday, we traveled once again on the incredibly efficient train system for about an hour to the cable car that extends directly up the mountain to the classical monastery, museum and paths above. The cliffs of Montserrat are like none other in the same vicinity, showing a very rounded, ¨serrated¨appearance, that have shown through geologic evidence to have been under the sea millions of years ago in history! WE purchased both tickets at the Espanya station and were successful in reaching near the top of the mountain. I would highly recommend traveling to Montserrat for a day trip for all who visit Barcelona.

The monastery was incredible as well as the cathedral next to it, while the museum was also amazing. We came at the right time apparently, as the museum had on loan a comprehensive collection of archeological artifacts from the Sumerians, Egyptians and ancient Iberian peoples. They even had a mummy and pottery with cuneiform (the oldest form of writing!), and also many sculptures and tools. Even more exciting was the museum´s collection of Picasso, Monet and Dali, with several pieces on display nearly 5000 feet above sealevel in a building literally carved out of a mountain! A Bunch of pictures are to come!!

First post, hola Barcelona!!!

Hola!!! The first three days in Barcelona have been incredible, crazy, interesting, slightly disorienting, thrilling, and most of all unique. I have encountered the ubiquitous Iberian ham (a cured ham with generous amounts of salt that seems to hang in every market, restaurant, and store), rode the extremely efficient metro (subway) countless times, and experienced Barcelona nightlife at its best at Opium Mar (an all night club located ON the beach). In comparison to my former locale (Where I spent the first 2 days of my trip) the metropole of the Iberian Peninsula of Madrid, Barcelona presents a more laid back, beach vibe, with an enormous selection of culinary delight that will satisfy any palate. In addition to its location on the beautiful beaches of the Mediterranean, Barcelona is also an extremely green city, with most main streets lined with native trees and palms. The city itself is also surrounded by emerald peaks of mountains, the most well-known being Monseratt. Flowing plants and hanging clothes line the balconies of the majority of apartments in the city, further accenting its greenery and aiding in producing oxygen for the some 2.5 million denizens of this bustling Mediterranean port.



I arrived in Barcelona following a 10 hour bus ride from the gem of Toledo, an incredibly beautiful and old city originally founded by the Romans, complete with an extravagant cathedral that took 247 years to complete that towers over the city, and a discoteca in a CHURCH that gets crowded around 2 AM. Our bus trip took us through the heart of Spanish wine and olive country, with rolling, mountainous acres and acres of cultivated grape varietals and olive trees. As we grew closer to Barcelona the terrain saw a change to more mountainous deciduous trees reaching hundreds of feet. We arrived in the city at rush hour, around 6:30, later due to the all to well known siesta that many Barcolonians engage in during the scorching hours of 12-3 PM. The existence, accessibility, and popularity of public transportation was immediately evident, as we saw on our journey an above ground tram, countless buses and many metro stops with stairs descending into the subterranean strata whose complexity still perplexes me.

The arrival at my apartment was greeted by rain, and we had to run to the door, that required a foreign type of key, leading to another door and an small elevator with a sign (4 personas, or 300 kg). We got to the apartment and discovered that it was far more spacious than we had imagined, with 4 bedrooms and two bathrooms, with a view overlooking the street below from the 7th floor and a small peek of the ocean from the window. The first night we went to a local cafeteria (small, informal restaurant)/bar, and were happy to find more that ham on the menu. I got a hamburger and halfway through eating it realized that it was in fact a HAMburger, as in a burger made with ham and not beef. Still it was delicious, as was the beer for 1.30 euro each (about 1.80 US dollars), only slightly (okay, far :)) cheaper than the 4-6 dollar a beer prices at some American establishments. Day one ended with an early night and a relief for still jet lagged self.

Day two was eventful, starting with an orientation meeting at the Autonomous University of Barcelona campus, an ornately decorated early 20th century hospital building, converted into classrooms and faculty offices. The professors emphasized the difference in the Spanish schooling system, in that, grades are on a 1-10 scale, a 10 is very hard to get and the professor has all the power in deciding grades. Next me and Emily walked throughout the city, coming across the modernist master Gaudi's apartment building (pictured below), and coming across a foodie paradise of a Sushi restaurant Kaitensushi with a conveyer belt rotating all you can eat sushi, tempura, fresh seafood and noodles (over 65 dishes) for 8.50 euro. The food was exceptional with the salmon avocado rolls and shrimp with ginger and broccoli being standouts. Definitely go here if you are Barcelona.

The night's festivities was the Barcelona Summer kick-off party with DJ Chachi of New York City and someone playing the electric violin (incredible and unique). We spent some time at a local restaurant before that actually had very good thin crust pizza with, you guessed it, ham! Opium Mar opened its doors at 12 and was packed by 1:30, with people from all over the world dancing, partying, and soaking in all that Barcelona has to offer. The club served up overpriced drinks, but the location cant be beat, as the beach is steps away and patrons are allowed to go to the beach and return without a problem (See pictures). The night ended with everyone leaving around 6, just in time to watch the sunrise over the Mediterranean (camera died before, perfect!)

Thanks for reading my first post, there will be many more to come!!! Also, more pictures will be uploaded very soon.

Ciao,
Eric

Apartment View in Barcelona (The Mediterranean is on the right):



















Toledo from the Hotel Beatriz balcony:











Toledo Cathedral: