Terrific Tuesday!

Hello Everyone,

Sorry for such a grumpy post the other day. Yesterday was definitely not a good day for me - it was just one of those days where all the little things compound into one big thing and dampen the mood.

All's Well that Ends Well

I am very happy to report that today was MUCH better!

Everything is sorted:

1. I got a full nights rest yesterday (first in over 9 days!)

2. My schedule of classes worked out well and I will receive full credit from Santa Clara for all the classes I am taking.  I spoke with the Director of Academics today (who was raised in England but born in Mexico City) and said I do not have to take a Spanish class because I am already enrolled in the Spanish Internship Seminar (I'm doing an internship abroad), so it is unnecessary to enroll in a Spanish class that isn't relevant to my major (e.g. History of the Gypsies). I knew that Professor I spoke to earlier didn't have his facts straight.

3. I went back to the shoe store (couldn't get the shoes exchanged) but got another pair of navy blue boat shoes that do fit (I am apparently a size 40). I've noticed European shoe sizes don't account for those of us in between (e.g. I am an 8.5 in US), so the first pair of shoes were a 1/2 size too small. However, the shop assistants gave me some tips on how to stretch the first pair of shoes I bought (e.g. put wet newspaper at the toe end of the shoe and let it absorb the moisture for 1 day so the next time I wear it it'll have more give room for my feet). After all that stress, I've realized the British poster from WWII has never been more true: "Keep Calm and Carry On"

I came home (literally skipping to the metro) and had leftovers from yesterday. Since I hardly ate yesterday from all this stress, I helped myself to three servings of a pasta, a filet of salmon, sliced tomato with vinegar, olive oil, and salt, and a big slice of Pa Amb Tomaquet (traditional Catalan bread consisting of toasted bread, rubbed with tomato, and a drizzle of olive oil).

Pa Amb Tomaquet (or Bread with Tomato)

I relaxed in the afternoon in Bianca and I's room just surfing the net and responding to e-mails. At 3, we took the metro and met at the IES Center for our tour of the Gothic Quarter (Thanks, Santa Clara). Santa Clara kindly paid for two side trips (worth about 20 Euros each), in comparison, most students didn't even have their metro card or these optional trips paid for by their university.

Gothic Quarter Tour

On my tour of the Gothic Quarter, this area came "alive" thanks to our lively and comical tour guide. I had no idea that the city of Barcelona has history dating over 2000 years! For those who are unfamiliar with Barcelona, the Gothic Quarter is a beautiful neighborhood that was given this name because it used to be a Roman village and has many remnants of  its Roman past.   These days( because of the constant modernization) one sees an ancient building right next to one built in the 90s. It makes for quite an eclectic mix of old and new. Not to mention, the narrow, winding streets make you feel like you're in a labyrinth - one minute you're in a peaceful square (or placa) and the next you're "ooh"ing and "aah"ing at small boutiques carrying quirky, unique souvenirs. I can't wait to go back. In particular, I can't wait to visit the Barcelona Cathedral (we only saw it from the outside). If you're ever in Barcelona, the Gothic Quarter is perfect for an afternoon stroll! Here are some shots from my trip.

Bridge in Gothic Quarter

Ancient Roman Columns from Temple of Augustus

Placa de Sant Felip Neri

Barcelona Cathedral (Not to be confused with Sagrada Familia)

Me in a Spanish courtyard

Gothic Quarter

King's private prayer chamber

ADORABLE dog...he was so sweet and cuddly!

Placa de Sant Just

****For all the photos I've taken during my trip, check out my Barcelona 2011 Album. 

A Quiet Evening and Pleasant Surprise

After the trip to the Gothic Quarter, I walked around with my friends Bianca, Bonnie, Jessica, and Alysse and then strolled down Las Ramblas. Bonnie, Jessica, and Bianca were hungry so they left early to go home. Alysse and I haven't had much of a chance to catch up, so we stayed a bit longer, chatting and catching up while sitting on a bench in Placa Catalunya. Around 8:30, it started getting dark, so we said good bye and I headed off on the metro to get home. While on the metro, I met a lovely American couple from Sacramento, California and chatted about Spain and their travels so far. Turns out that one of their nieces went to Santa Clara and loved the experience. Who would have guessed that I would meet a couple from Sacramento whose niece went to Santa Clara on the L7 line of Barcelona's metro on a Tuesday night? What a small world!

Attack of the Giggles!

For dinner, Bianca and I each had a giggle attack! Her and I love putting salt on our food, especially on the tomatoes with olive oil and vinegar, for a little extra flavor. Tonight, as I was putting salt on the chicken (or at least I think it was chicken...), the cap popped off the bottle and i got a mountain of salt on my chicken. It doesn't sound funny as I write it, but it was absolutely hilarious to Bianca and I. For some reason, we couldn't stop laughing. We also noticed that our homestay mom's friend, Pilar, who is currently taking care of us while Isabel is away, has a tendency to smack her lips after every sentence. We think it's adorable, and it made us giggle even more. 

It's about 12:01 AM here on Wednesday (I've been here a week already!) but I'll go to bed soon. My class schedule is wonderful - I have class from Monday to Thursday but most of my classes start very late in the day. So, I can sleep in!