Orientation Session at IES
Bianca and I had our first orientation session this morning from 9 - 10:30 AM at the IES Abroad Center. Our host senora, Isabel, was kind enough to take us on the metro herself so we wouldn't get lost and familiarize ourselves with the area. We arrived promptly at 9 but were separated into two different classrooms because we're at different levels of Spanish. The orientation session consisted mostly of learning about the academics at IES (we'll be taking courses there, not at a local university), more rules and regulations, and fun activities they have planned for us. For instance, I plan on going to the weekend trips to Granada and Mallorca.
Fabulous (and cheap) Lunch
Aftewards, Bianca and I got quite peckish and decided to look around for lunch. As mentioned earlier, Menus del Dia are the way to go in Spain - great value and scrumptious food. Her and I are very indecisive when it comes to food because we're both foodies - we love good, delicious, and healthy food. We settled on Taller de Tapas Restaurant (apparently Scarlett Johansson did some scenes for a film here and its well-known for cheap eats). We had grilled tuna with ratatouille as our first course, steamed vegetables with paprika and olive oil as our second course, bread with olive oil and red wine vinegar, and moist chocolate cake for dessert. All coming out to 13 euros (we split everything). Not bad for Europe if I must say so myself. Not to mention, the food was delicious. Bianca and I take our time with the food, talk about how delicious it is, and take a good hour to two hours just having lunch. It's wonderful! Too bad I didn't take a picture of the food, I will next time! The thing is - it was so good, I didn't take my camera out fast enough!
Afternoon Adventures
After our coma-inducing lunch at Taller de Tapas, we walked it off by exploring the heart of Barcelona. I can't exactly say where we walked... one minute we were on the big avenue then followed the small, quaint European side streets that caught our eyes (and hearts!) As we explored the city, we "ooh"ed and "ahh"ed at the petite bakeries, gorgeous fashion, boutique shops, and the overall ambiance. Barcelona truly is one of Europe's most beautiful cities - it's modern yet traditional, energizing yet peaceful, historical but forward-thinking... it's incredible. I can't wait till my parents (and hopefully Nick!) come to visit me in November time. By then, I hope to be considered a local! Perhaps Samantha Brown or Anthony Bourdain will be calling ME for help on how to navigate Barcelona... it could happen ;)
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| Strolling through the central part of Barcelona. Look at that European architecture! |
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| Oh, the bread! So delicious and appetizing! |
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| Notice the heart-shaped wire in between both buildings? |
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| Another beautiful avenida in Barcelona. I love tree-lined streets! |
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| Another view of central Barcelona |
Evening
After our long walk through Barcelona (and retail therapy at H&M), Bianca and I headed to a nearby hotel for a formal Welcome from IES. We met the Consul for the U.S. Embassy and a few police officers that explained to us how to be safe in Barcelona, be cautious, etc. It went well but I was so exhausted that it's really not too interesting to talk about.
Once the session ended, Bianca and I teamed up with my friends Alysse, Lily, and Jessica (who are also from Santa Clara but in different homestay assignments) and got gelato! We had the most divine gelato... well I had part of Bianca's. She ordered a scoop of raspberry and peach. I definitely plan on going back, but I didn't want to spoil my 9 pm dinner (typical of most Spanish households), so I restrained myself.
Bianca and I took the metro back to Isabel's, took a quick shower, and quickly got into our PJs
Concluding Thoughts
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| What a great first day in Barcelona! I'm smiling from ear to ear! :) |
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