Friday, April 12, 2013

I was up around 6 am this morning--making a plan for how to check out of my room, store my luggage, go the airport to meet my husband, and come back to check into a double room. I started to read my email and found out from my daughter-in-law that my husband missed his connection in New York and will not arrive until Saturday. I was disappointed but it does make moving from room to room in the Residencia easier. Check out time is noon and check in time is 11 am so I figured that would work out perfectly. I got everything into bags and settled down with the computer to work until time to check out/in. About 10:30, the nice young man at the front desk called to tell me that my double room was ready and I could come down and make the switch. So with a minimum of fuss I was soon installed in my new double room, just a few doors from where I started out earlier. The young man at the desk inquired about the second person and when he found out that Mike will not arrive until tomorrow, he adjusted the bill to one person for this evening. I would not have even thought to ask!

To begin with I wasn't sure I would like staying in the Residencia, but have found that I like it quite a bit. While it is not as posh as some hotels, it has everything I need. It is quiet and clean and very close to the action in Barcelona. I consider it a "green" sort of place, because they try to keep costs down by asking you to use towels more than one day and they have some of the hall lights on sensors. I actually feel quite special walking down the hall with the lights turning on as I approach. In addition, all of the staff here are very nice. I have to turn the key in at the desk whenever I leave, but when I return, whoever is at the desk remembers my room number and hands the key over without my having to ask. The security doors are usually open during the day and later on I push a button to have the door opened. I have felt secure and at home here.

Since I did not have to make a trip to the airport today, I stopped at the "Boqueria" market to get a glass of fresh juice (strawberry/coconut today) and then headed up the Rambla to the University of Barcelona. The part of the University of Barcelona that is located just up the Rambla from me is the historical  campus of the University and houses the Mathematics Faculty. It was built  in the neo-gothic style between the years 1863-1889 by the architect Elies Rogent who also designed the Placa de Universitat.

   
The campus is completely enclosed so when they close the doors, no one can get inside the grounds or the buildings. The grounds are quite nice and I spent about an hour wandering around inside and outside. I have a picture of the outside of the front of the building and the inside of the library. There were quite a few people using computers in the library, but I am not sure how many were using materials. They did have new materials too--although I guess you would not know it from looking at this picture. (sorry for all the glare)

Later on I was buying souvenirs and had already agreed on a price (like she gave me a great deal, right?) and the storekeeper asked me if I lived in Barcelona because my Spanish was very good! I decided it was a compliment because, as I said, we had already agreed on the price. I dropped things off at my new roomy room and remembered that I had not yet scoped out the location for my last library visit next Tuesday morning. I checked Google and my maps and hopped on the metro for a quick trip (or so I thought). I got off the metro and went the exact opposite direction that I should have gone. I knew where I was so I wasn't lost, but it took me quite a while to figure out where I wanted to be. When I did, I felt pretty dumb because it is an area I am familiar with, just had not noticed the street before. I had fun anyway, doing some people watching and taking another tram ride. I am counting on the fact that transferring from the tram to the metro only counts as one trip! With my luck, I will be a  trip or two short on my 10-trip metro card  at the end of my stay here.

I returned to the Residencia (the girl at the desk already knows my new room number) and spent some time looking through my packed bags for things I need the next two days. Grrr. I refuse to unpack again for just two days! Well, that is about it for today. My blog is updated and I discovered I get lots more channels on TV in this room. Do you suppose I just did not know how to access them in the other room?  I am watching the Disney channel--Sofia the First in Spanish.