Today is Easter Sunday, my sister's birthday, and time change day in Spain. My two new roommates were out late last night, so I tried not to wake them up when I got up. I went to 10 am. Mass at my local church and then took a walk, had coffee and read some more of an electronic book I am reading on my phone (or my movil as we say here).
Before I came on this trip, I was not much for electronic books. I had read a few on my Kindle Fire, but I still like books. That had to change when I came to Spain because I did not devote any of my luggage space to books. I put some audio books on my iPod and thought I might use Adobe Digital Editions or OverDrive to get some books on my computer. However, I bought my first smart phone for this trip and found that I could easily download free ebooks from Amazon. I have read eight since I arrived. I carry the phone with me all the time because Wi-Fi is available free just about anywhere and I have found that I like to pull it out when I have a few minutes and read whatever book I have going at the time. This is some gratuitous information about technology and books to fill in an otherwise dull day!
By the time I got back from Mass and the walk, roommate number three had arrived; Alvaro from Italy. John and Rickard speak English to me and Swedish to each other, but Alvaro speaks Italian and Spanish, so we will get some Spanish practice in anyway. John was wondering if I had heard Rickard and him return during the night. They had gone to a club and John suggested that I might want to go with them some evening. I assured him that I would leave the clubbing to them! Later all three went to the beach so I got my laundry washed and hung up to dry. John loves the balcony so we have the balcony door open more of the time now. We also have had four days of vacation so I imagine things will change a bit when we go back to class. I washed my two pairs of long pants, put on capris, and left my jacket at home when I went out for an afternoon walk. I felt all the people I met looking at me oddly because, of course, they were wearing their winter coats and scarves. Oh, well, it was starting to cool off a bit, but it still felt like spring to me! It will be near 70 tomorrow!
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Saturday I was up not so early and set off for the Hard Rock Cafe to meet the group for a trip to Tibidabo. We took a direct bus from the Placa de Catalunya, but it is also possible to take a train and a funicular. With a group of ten, it was easier for our guide to put us all on the bus. As our bus climbed the steep hill to the top, we passed many bicyclists, in full biking gear, straining up the incline.
Tibidabo is the tallest mountain (512 meters--or 1679 feet) in the Collserola range. It has an amusement park, a church, the Temple of the Sagrat Cor with a sculpture of the Sacred Heart on top, and a communications tower. The bus let us off just below the hill and we hiked up the rest of the way. A day that felt warm and inviting downtown turned blustery on the mountain top. We stood at the bottom of the church making our plans and our guide offered us two different return times. A shivering lady in our group (I say lady because she is older than the other students, but not quite as old as I am) had not dressed for the weather and she immediately piped up to say we should leave at the earlier time. After we went up to take the elevator, I never saw her again until we left, so I am sure she was hunkered down in a sheltered corner somewhere! We had about two hours to wander around. Our guide, Joan, walked us through the church to the elevator. I went up with the first group and I have to say that the wind was very strong up there. It really felt like you could get blown off if you weren't careful. I spotted the sign that said we could climb up to the statue and set off after a couple of other girls in our group. The stairs were somewhat enclosed, so the wind wasn't too bad and the last set of stairs was actually inside. We exited out at the foot of the statue and the view was amazing. Fortunately, the walkway around the bottom of the statue was somewhat sheltered from the wind so I was able to see the view from all sides.
After going to the top of the church we went down and walked through the amusement park. Our guide told us that Tibidabo is a tourist place and that people from Barcelona hardly ever go there. I am sure that is true but the same can probably be said about any attraction in one's home area. Once you have seen it, you aren't likely to keep going back.
At 1pm, Joan rounded us up and walked us part way down the hill. We met scads of people biking and walking up. I think many of the walkers had come from a bus or funicular stop or one of the parking lots along the way. We saw a lot of scenic views on our way down. We reached the funicular and Joan bought a group ticket for all of us and reminded us that we needed to travel together, because the ticket had to be scanned to get out. So one by one, he scanned the ticket and we each passed through the gate. We took a short funicular ride and then transferred to a train that took us right back to Placa de Catalunya. I don't know what is in store for us next week, but I have really enjoyed taking advantage of the tours that the school has arranged for us. There are places I would like to re-visit armed with a bit more knowledge of the area and there are other places that I am glad I saw once and that is enough.
I trotted of to the apartment to do some laundry and found that I was wrong about not having another roommate. When I arrived home , I found a young man named John from Sweden. He has two more weeks at the Don Quixote school and was living in the school residence near the Enforex location. He described the horrors of living with other male students and is super happy to be here. He moved into the double room that has its own bathroom, so we shouldn't be in each other's way too much. At least that is what I thought until the housekeeper showed up a bit later and told me that two more "chicos" are moving in tomorrow. Well, I am to have three male roommates. I guess I have lived with three males before, so it won't be the first time. It has been so quiet living by myself that I wonder how it will be. John and I chatted and hung out on the balcony for a while. Then he went out to eat and I did my laundry. He was in his room and I was in mine when we heard someone in the hall and found that roommate number two had arrived. Rickard (spelling, I don't know..) also from Sweden had arrived. Rickard picked the other single room so that means he and I will share a bathroom. By then it was getting on toward 10pm and I left the two Swedes talking and retired to my room to work on my blog and other computer work. I heard them go out later so I guess they will get along fine! It was the end of my day but not theirs.
Tibidabo is the tallest mountain (512 meters--or 1679 feet) in the Collserola range. It has an amusement park, a church, the Temple of the Sagrat Cor with a sculpture of the Sacred Heart on top, and a communications tower. The bus let us off just below the hill and we hiked up the rest of the way. A day that felt warm and inviting downtown turned blustery on the mountain top. We stood at the bottom of the church making our plans and our guide offered us two different return times. A shivering lady in our group (I say lady because she is older than the other students, but not quite as old as I am) had not dressed for the weather and she immediately piped up to say we should leave at the earlier time. After we went up to take the elevator, I never saw her again until we left, so I am sure she was hunkered down in a sheltered corner somewhere! We had about two hours to wander around. Our guide, Joan, walked us through the church to the elevator. I went up with the first group and I have to say that the wind was very strong up there. It really felt like you could get blown off if you weren't careful. I spotted the sign that said we could climb up to the statue and set off after a couple of other girls in our group. The stairs were somewhat enclosed, so the wind wasn't too bad and the last set of stairs was actually inside. We exited out at the foot of the statue and the view was amazing. Fortunately, the walkway around the bottom of the statue was somewhat sheltered from the wind so I was able to see the view from all sides.
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| View from the top of Tibidabo |
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| Tibidabo Church view from below |
At 1pm, Joan rounded us up and walked us part way down the hill. We met scads of people biking and walking up. I think many of the walkers had come from a bus or funicular stop or one of the parking lots along the way. We saw a lot of scenic views on our way down. We reached the funicular and Joan bought a group ticket for all of us and reminded us that we needed to travel together, because the ticket had to be scanned to get out. So one by one, he scanned the ticket and we each passed through the gate. We took a short funicular ride and then transferred to a train that took us right back to Placa de Catalunya. I don't know what is in store for us next week, but I have really enjoyed taking advantage of the tours that the school has arranged for us. There are places I would like to re-visit armed with a bit more knowledge of the area and there are other places that I am glad I saw once and that is enough.
I trotted of to the apartment to do some laundry and found that I was wrong about not having another roommate. When I arrived home , I found a young man named John from Sweden. He has two more weeks at the Don Quixote school and was living in the school residence near the Enforex location. He described the horrors of living with other male students and is super happy to be here. He moved into the double room that has its own bathroom, so we shouldn't be in each other's way too much. At least that is what I thought until the housekeeper showed up a bit later and told me that two more "chicos" are moving in tomorrow. Well, I am to have three male roommates. I guess I have lived with three males before, so it won't be the first time. It has been so quiet living by myself that I wonder how it will be. John and I chatted and hung out on the balcony for a while. Then he went out to eat and I did my laundry. He was in his room and I was in mine when we heard someone in the hall and found that roommate number two had arrived. Rickard (spelling, I don't know..) also from Sweden had arrived. Rickard picked the other single room so that means he and I will share a bathroom. By then it was getting on toward 10pm and I left the two Swedes talking and retired to my room to work on my blog and other computer work. I heard them go out later so I guess they will get along fine! It was the end of my day but not theirs.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Friday, March 29, 2013
No school today, so I slept in! My roommate was out late last night so she did not get up until about 10 am. She had to get her apartment keys back to the Hotel Indigo (quite a ways down the Gran Via) and get to Girona for a flight at 4pm. The Girona airport is about an hour away from Barcelona. We chatted a bit and then she was on her way. I doubt if I will have anyone else move in with me during this last week I have class. I guess I will know if the cleaning lady shows up tomorrow.
I had an early morning chat with Mark McCullough on Facebook until he had to go to work and I needed coffee. There was no coffee in the apartment so I had to go out either to buy some more or to drink some! When I went out, all the stores were closed for Good Friday, so I had coffee out.
I took my usual walk today and ended up in the neighborhood where my travelling group will gather for the last days in Barcelona. I am in touch with my sister-in-law to plan the particulars of their arrival. She and my brother are flying in from Germany on April 15. The apartment we will stay at is a bit out of the way and we are weighing taxi costs with public transportation. For convenience a taxi usually wins, but when you weigh the costs, sometimes you don't mind pulling your suitcase for a couple of blocks. We will have to see how it works out.
My husband is due in Barcelona two weeks from today. He has been printing out the cruise documents and gathering together everything he needs to bring. I can't decide if I will ask him to bring me anything. I think that the items I missed earlier on will not matter to me by the time he gets here. I imagine he will be fighting jet lag the first few days and that is why I had him arrive before my brother and sister-in-law. He has been reading up on Barcelona and the cruise and is worried about pickpockets. I have been out and about a lot and had no problem and no one else at school had any problem except for poor Yudi, our new Chinese student. He has been robbed twice on the metro. They took his shoulder bag each time, once with his Spanish textbooks in it. I read somewhere that the pickpockets target oriental students, so that sounds like it is true. I do wear my purse slung over my neck and either under my jacket or around my front just for this reason. (I know, I know, I am a fashion goddess!)
I have three of my libraries lined up for visits and will try to do two more. I am afraid I have left the arrangements later than I should have, so I hope I can get them scheduled. I hope the librarians I am talking with don't go through too much trouble.for me. One has a whole day planned, meeting with other librarians and touring around. I am a bit apprehensive. I am not that entertaining!
I had an early morning chat with Mark McCullough on Facebook until he had to go to work and I needed coffee. There was no coffee in the apartment so I had to go out either to buy some more or to drink some! When I went out, all the stores were closed for Good Friday, so I had coffee out.
I took my usual walk today and ended up in the neighborhood where my travelling group will gather for the last days in Barcelona. I am in touch with my sister-in-law to plan the particulars of their arrival. She and my brother are flying in from Germany on April 15. The apartment we will stay at is a bit out of the way and we are weighing taxi costs with public transportation. For convenience a taxi usually wins, but when you weigh the costs, sometimes you don't mind pulling your suitcase for a couple of blocks. We will have to see how it works out.
My husband is due in Barcelona two weeks from today. He has been printing out the cruise documents and gathering together everything he needs to bring. I can't decide if I will ask him to bring me anything. I think that the items I missed earlier on will not matter to me by the time he gets here. I imagine he will be fighting jet lag the first few days and that is why I had him arrive before my brother and sister-in-law. He has been reading up on Barcelona and the cruise and is worried about pickpockets. I have been out and about a lot and had no problem and no one else at school had any problem except for poor Yudi, our new Chinese student. He has been robbed twice on the metro. They took his shoulder bag each time, once with his Spanish textbooks in it. I read somewhere that the pickpockets target oriental students, so that sounds like it is true. I do wear my purse slung over my neck and either under my jacket or around my front just for this reason. (I know, I know, I am a fashion goddess!)
I have three of my libraries lined up for visits and will try to do two more. I am afraid I have left the arrangements later than I should have, so I hope I can get them scheduled. I hope the librarians I am talking with don't go through too much trouble.for me. One has a whole day planned, meeting with other librarians and touring around. I am a bit apprehensive. I am not that entertaining!
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Wednesday evening we (students from the schools) had the tour of Barcelona after dark. We met at a metro stop at 8:15--full dark for full effect! My friend from China, Eva, talked me into going since I usually do not take part in activities that start after 8pm for fear they will interfere with my bedtime! Here is a picture of the group taken near the end of the tour. I am the old one!
Our guide, Joan, took us through narrow alleys in La Raval which is the poorest area of Barcelona and used to have a lot of crime, prostitution and drugs. There has been a major effort to clean up the area and last night I never felt unsafe as we walked along-safety in numbers and all that! Joan told us several stories about the area. There is a street that is supposedly haunted by a robber. Legend has it that a poor young man joined a war for the money a soldier got paid and stole things to sell for extra money to send home. At one point he stole a chalice from a church and hid it. After that he was killed in the war. He haunted his fiancee to get her to return it because he could not go to heaven until it was returned. She found the chalice but then he could not remember where he stole it from and it was never returned. So he still haunts the street looking for someone to help him. Joan also showed us a wall that kept falling down until the builder used human blood in the cement and human bodies within the wall. Another legend concerned a huge building which remains empty because every time someone lived in it, they jumped out the windows and killed themselves. Yet another story was of a woman who kidnapped children from poor neighborhoods and killed them, using their body parts for all sorts of purposes. Shades of Ed Gein! This one Joan swore was true and sure enough, I was able to find the story online. We all thought it was a horrible story!
Today my class had three of the students from Brazil have their last class with us. They all got their certificates and when class was over, our substitute teacher Veronica, hugged them all and wished them well. I hugged them too, Hanna, Tarsilla, and Pedro, because I will really miss them in class. We always had a lot of fun trying to joke around in Spanish. Tarsilla even friended me on Facebook. The class will be totally different without so many Brazilians although we do still have two left. I was talking about this with Eva who is attending the Don Quixote school until November. She said people are always coming and going and sometimes it is very sad. She was friendly with a young man from France and he is leaving this week too. My roommate has finished her crash course in Spanish and I imagine she will leave tomorrow. Keys are due by noon at the checkout point downtown and I can't imagine she would hang around for Easter in Spain.
As usual I took a walk this afternoon. I almost wished I did not wear my jacket! I really didn't need it, but at this point it is kind of a security blanket covering my purse. I was in the main plaza and it was really hopping with tourists everywhere, people getting on the express buses for the airport and people getting off to begin their stay in Barcelona. The crowds were more than I was willing to bear today and since I actually got tired of walking I caught the metro back to my neighborhood. I exited at Las Arenas to finally get phone service for Spain. The plan lasts a month which should cover the time I need it. The young man in the store sold me a sim and helped me get it set up. I now have a local phone number for emergency contact and for my library and travelling companion contacts plus a small data plan. I will make the number known so people can get me if they need to.
It is hard to believe that I have been here for four full weeks, but I still have more than four weeks before I return home. In two weeks my husband will arrive and my solo time will be over. What an experience this has been.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
I visited the Gracia Barrio with the after school tour group. Garcia was its own city until about 1900 and our guide said that most people there still consider themselves residents of Gracia rather than Barcelona. We saw a lot of flags hanging from the balconies that are different from the flag of Catalunya. The Catalunya flag has only orange and yellow stripes; the Gracia flag has the stripes but with a navy triangle on one end with a star in it. It is an area with a lot of elderly people in it but at the same time, kind of a bohemian population. Our guide also whispered to us that there are gypsies that live in the Gracia Barrio. He said they do not work at regular jobs but we don't have to worry about them snatching purses or the like. They are into bigger things and that we do not want to have any trouble with the gypsies. I think he was being melodramatic, because he gestured us all in close and whispered the whole time.
Gracia has a huge festival in August and here is a quote about one of the activities they do during the fiesta. "A very typical Catalan tradition is the colles castelleres or, in other words, human towers, which can reach seven or eight storeys high. These are a big feature of the festival and an incredible sight. But they don’t just stop at building a tower – during the week they also attempt to walk it for 200 metres between two of the neighbourhood’s main squares." So imagine that--a walking tower of people! It is also known for its many plazas where children play and parents sit in the patios of bars and restaurants to watch them. Our guide also tells us that it is absolutely forbidden to drink alcohol outside of a bar or restaurant area, but goes on to tell us how to do it. You set the glass down near you and drink from it whenever you want, but if a policeman asks you if it is yours, you just deny it. He also says that Catalunyans do not do any kind of organized dance steps except there is one move that everyone does. He held up his hand to show there would be a drink in it and grabbed the lower part of his shirt and moved it in a circular motion. Sometimes I wonder how much of what he tells us is true!
The Gracia Barrio also contains the first house that Gaudi built in the area (we can't say in Barcelona because in 1878 when he built it, Gracia was not part of Barcelona) Here is a link to some information about the house: Casa Vicens It is also quite near Parc Guell. The area only has one metro stop at the head of the area and only one bus goes through the area because most of the streets are too narrow. It is a very interesting and picturesque area.
After I got back to my apartment, I arranged a Skype date with my two granddaughters. We connected about 3:30 pm your time and 9:30 pm my time. I took my computer around the apartment so the girls could see where I live. When I showed the balcony Sophia noticed that it was dark outside in contrast to the full sun of afternoon that I was seeing them in. She also said I have a nice kitchen! We talked for a while and I found out that my post cards did not arrive. Lola sent some after I sent mine and hers arrived so I think mine are lost. They are excited about Easter and taking a trip to Fargo to see the other grandparents.
Wednesday at school we were down to only four students. Two more showed up after the break but the whole school seemed pretty quiet with students apparently skipping out early for long breaks during Semana Santa. I met my Chinese friend, Eva, after class today. We took a walk and had chocolate and churros and made plans to meet for the evening school activity, Barcelona after dark. More on that later!
Gracia has a huge festival in August and here is a quote about one of the activities they do during the fiesta. "A very typical Catalan tradition is the colles castelleres or, in other words, human towers, which can reach seven or eight storeys high. These are a big feature of the festival and an incredible sight. But they don’t just stop at building a tower – during the week they also attempt to walk it for 200 metres between two of the neighbourhood’s main squares." So imagine that--a walking tower of people! It is also known for its many plazas where children play and parents sit in the patios of bars and restaurants to watch them. Our guide also tells us that it is absolutely forbidden to drink alcohol outside of a bar or restaurant area, but goes on to tell us how to do it. You set the glass down near you and drink from it whenever you want, but if a policeman asks you if it is yours, you just deny it. He also says that Catalunyans do not do any kind of organized dance steps except there is one move that everyone does. He held up his hand to show there would be a drink in it and grabbed the lower part of his shirt and moved it in a circular motion. Sometimes I wonder how much of what he tells us is true!
The Gracia Barrio also contains the first house that Gaudi built in the area (we can't say in Barcelona because in 1878 when he built it, Gracia was not part of Barcelona) Here is a link to some information about the house: Casa Vicens It is also quite near Parc Guell. The area only has one metro stop at the head of the area and only one bus goes through the area because most of the streets are too narrow. It is a very interesting and picturesque area.
After I got back to my apartment, I arranged a Skype date with my two granddaughters. We connected about 3:30 pm your time and 9:30 pm my time. I took my computer around the apartment so the girls could see where I live. When I showed the balcony Sophia noticed that it was dark outside in contrast to the full sun of afternoon that I was seeing them in. She also said I have a nice kitchen! We talked for a while and I found out that my post cards did not arrive. Lola sent some after I sent mine and hers arrived so I think mine are lost. They are excited about Easter and taking a trip to Fargo to see the other grandparents.
Wednesday at school we were down to only four students. Two more showed up after the break but the whole school seemed pretty quiet with students apparently skipping out early for long breaks during Semana Santa. I met my Chinese friend, Eva, after class today. We took a walk and had chocolate and churros and made plans to meet for the evening school activity, Barcelona after dark. More on that later!
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Sunday, Monday...
I did not realize I was so far behind on my posts! I was thinking on Sunday and Monday that things were very normal. I just did not do very much and it didn't seem worth writing about but I should do it anyway to keep the tale going.
Sunday was a pretty lazy day. I had gone to Mass the night before so I did not have to go out. But I do take a walk every day so I walked toward Las Arenas and found a public library. It is right on the edge of Joan Miro Park which is right behind Las Arenas. Of course it was closed on Sunday, but I am hoping to go back sometime when it is open. I went up top of Las Arenas again. The view really is wonderful, but there were lots of people so I soon moved on and walked to Placa Catalunya and down Las Ramblas for a bit. Along the way I saw people with elaborately woven palms. What I saw in church on Saturday evening was probably laurel branches. It did not take long for me to get tired of the crowds so I headed back to the apartment.
My roommate has been to Barcelona before so she has friends to see. I thought she would be going to the same school as I am, Enforex, but she is going to Don Quixote. I think I mentioned that it is just across the street from the apartment so her commute is very short. Now that I know it is there, I have even seen Enforex vehicles making deliveries. The two schools are part of the same company.
Class has been a little different this week. I mentioned that two students left last week, but we got two new students, one from Russia and one from China. Both are young men so we went from having one man in class to having three. The young man from Russia studied law and is here for an extended period studying Spanish because he likes Spanish. I am unclear about his plans--We communicate only in Spanish and sometimes I don't get everything! (understatement) The student from China hopes to study Economics in Spain but has to learn enough Spanish so he can successfully do it. He is unsure if he will be able to do this. We also have a substitute teacher for the afternoon session. Ana is on vacation this week and Veronica is filling in for her. Veronica has a bag of "tricks" and tries different activities to get us going. Some of the students don't seem to appreciate her efforts, but I find it engaging and she is very interesting in her own right. For example we were talking about how Spain was under control of the Moors, and she said we should not call them "moros" because it is considered a negative thing to say. One of the students from Brazil argued that the word is used a lot in Brazil, but Veronica said it is better not to use it here! Anyway, we were used to Ana but it is interesting to have Veronica this week.
I found out that there is no class on Friday because of Holy Friday--I was expecting that and there is no class on Monday either. I was also expecting that. So I have six days of class left. I assume my roommate will leave either Thursday or Friday since she will be done on Thursday. She said everything is going well and she thinks she knows what she will need for the test she has to take. I thought it odd that she would fly to Barcelona to study for four days for a test, but she said tutoring and this worked out to about the same and that she had been here before so it gave her a chance to see friends and get the work done fast.
The weather is warming up slowly. It is still coolish (probably 50) when I get up but warms up nicely in the afternoon. I am getting pretty tired of the few clothes I brought--I have some warmer weather clothes but it is not quite right to wear them yet. I hiked off to the big shopping center and bought two scarves, a long sleeved shirt and a belt. The long sleeves will be very welcome for evening activities and I hope to go to Tibidabo on Saturday. Tomorrow (Tuesday) I will visit the Gracia area of Barcelona.
Sunday was a pretty lazy day. I had gone to Mass the night before so I did not have to go out. But I do take a walk every day so I walked toward Las Arenas and found a public library. It is right on the edge of Joan Miro Park which is right behind Las Arenas. Of course it was closed on Sunday, but I am hoping to go back sometime when it is open. I went up top of Las Arenas again. The view really is wonderful, but there were lots of people so I soon moved on and walked to Placa Catalunya and down Las Ramblas for a bit. Along the way I saw people with elaborately woven palms. What I saw in church on Saturday evening was probably laurel branches. It did not take long for me to get tired of the crowds so I headed back to the apartment.
My roommate has been to Barcelona before so she has friends to see. I thought she would be going to the same school as I am, Enforex, but she is going to Don Quixote. I think I mentioned that it is just across the street from the apartment so her commute is very short. Now that I know it is there, I have even seen Enforex vehicles making deliveries. The two schools are part of the same company.
Class has been a little different this week. I mentioned that two students left last week, but we got two new students, one from Russia and one from China. Both are young men so we went from having one man in class to having three. The young man from Russia studied law and is here for an extended period studying Spanish because he likes Spanish. I am unclear about his plans--We communicate only in Spanish and sometimes I don't get everything! (understatement) The student from China hopes to study Economics in Spain but has to learn enough Spanish so he can successfully do it. He is unsure if he will be able to do this. We also have a substitute teacher for the afternoon session. Ana is on vacation this week and Veronica is filling in for her. Veronica has a bag of "tricks" and tries different activities to get us going. Some of the students don't seem to appreciate her efforts, but I find it engaging and she is very interesting in her own right. For example we were talking about how Spain was under control of the Moors, and she said we should not call them "moros" because it is considered a negative thing to say. One of the students from Brazil argued that the word is used a lot in Brazil, but Veronica said it is better not to use it here! Anyway, we were used to Ana but it is interesting to have Veronica this week.
I found out that there is no class on Friday because of Holy Friday--I was expecting that and there is no class on Monday either. I was also expecting that. So I have six days of class left. I assume my roommate will leave either Thursday or Friday since she will be done on Thursday. She said everything is going well and she thinks she knows what she will need for the test she has to take. I thought it odd that she would fly to Barcelona to study for four days for a test, but she said tutoring and this worked out to about the same and that she had been here before so it gave her a chance to see friends and get the work done fast.
The weather is warming up slowly. It is still coolish (probably 50) when I get up but warms up nicely in the afternoon. I am getting pretty tired of the few clothes I brought--I have some warmer weather clothes but it is not quite right to wear them yet. I hiked off to the big shopping center and bought two scarves, a long sleeved shirt and a belt. The long sleeves will be very welcome for evening activities and I hope to go to Tibidabo on Saturday. Tomorrow (Tuesday) I will visit the Gracia area of Barcelona.
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Today I slept in and did not get up until about 9am--very late for me. I started out by cleaning up the apartment and doing a load of laundry. Then I went out for a walk and to have some cafe con leche (some good coffee not the vending machine stuff from the school!) I also wanted to see where the Don Quixote Language School which many of the students I have met on the after school tours attend. From my trusty map, it seemed to be very close to me. Imagine my surprise to discover that I can actually see it from my balcony. My street, Avinguida de Roma, is a split sort of street and the far lane is actually a different street and is where the Don Quixote School is located. Of course, I walked around several blocks before I discovered this. Dumb, I know, but you would have to see the layout to understand my confusion.
As I walked, I picked up a few groceries at interesting looking places. I dropped these things off at home and went to pick up the rest of the things that I needed. I decided to quit buying the tiny bottles of wine and just go with a big one. I also bought a big jar of olives and have told myself that this is the last time I buy olives. I have always loved them and they are so cheap here, plus so interesting. You can get them with pits, without pits, stuffed with pimiento, garlic or anchovies and in small cans or big jars. Ok, I got a big jar, but that's it. No more. (good thing I can't check my blood pressure here!). I also found that I can get a good sized wedge of brie for 1E. Camembert was 1.3E but I haven't tried that yet. So, wine, cheese and olives, what more could I need. (well, I did get milk and another tortilla de patata)
When I returned, I found the door not double locked like I always do when I leave and found the woman from housekeeping inside making up the 2nd bedroom. She told me that I am to get a roommate this afternoon. Well, that is a surprise. I was beginning to think I would be alone for the whole time. No sooner did she leave than the door opened and a young woman from Holland walked in. She will be here a week. She said, in very good English, that she has to cram for a week for exams and then she will be off. So, I will have company for a week. I must say I have mixed feelings!
I left her to her unpacking (she told me her name, but honestly she will have to spell it for me!) and headed off toward the National Museum of Catalunyan Art which I heard is free to enter from 3-6 pm on Saturdays. I spent more than an hour there. Not only was the art very interesting, but the building itself was quite beautiful. I am hoping to go back another time. After I left there, I killed an hour at Las Arenas and then walked to Mass at my local church. It was the Palm Sunday service, and many people carried leaves of some sort, but they were not the palms I am used to. The Mass was supposed to be a bilingual Mass and I was wondering if it would be said in both Catalan and Spanish (and it was but not all parts in both languages just parts of it were in one of the two languages but mostly Spanish).
I returned to my now shared apartment and found it all dark. So my new roommate is either out or gone to bed. I think I will quietly read a book.
As I walked, I picked up a few groceries at interesting looking places. I dropped these things off at home and went to pick up the rest of the things that I needed. I decided to quit buying the tiny bottles of wine and just go with a big one. I also bought a big jar of olives and have told myself that this is the last time I buy olives. I have always loved them and they are so cheap here, plus so interesting. You can get them with pits, without pits, stuffed with pimiento, garlic or anchovies and in small cans or big jars. Ok, I got a big jar, but that's it. No more. (good thing I can't check my blood pressure here!). I also found that I can get a good sized wedge of brie for 1E. Camembert was 1.3E but I haven't tried that yet. So, wine, cheese and olives, what more could I need. (well, I did get milk and another tortilla de patata)
When I returned, I found the door not double locked like I always do when I leave and found the woman from housekeeping inside making up the 2nd bedroom. She told me that I am to get a roommate this afternoon. Well, that is a surprise. I was beginning to think I would be alone for the whole time. No sooner did she leave than the door opened and a young woman from Holland walked in. She will be here a week. She said, in very good English, that she has to cram for a week for exams and then she will be off. So, I will have company for a week. I must say I have mixed feelings!
I left her to her unpacking (she told me her name, but honestly she will have to spell it for me!) and headed off toward the National Museum of Catalunyan Art which I heard is free to enter from 3-6 pm on Saturdays. I spent more than an hour there. Not only was the art very interesting, but the building itself was quite beautiful. I am hoping to go back another time. After I left there, I killed an hour at Las Arenas and then walked to Mass at my local church. It was the Palm Sunday service, and many people carried leaves of some sort, but they were not the palms I am used to. The Mass was supposed to be a bilingual Mass and I was wondering if it would be said in both Catalan and Spanish (and it was but not all parts in both languages just parts of it were in one of the two languages but mostly Spanish).
I returned to my now shared apartment and found it all dark. So my new roommate is either out or gone to bed. I think I will quietly read a book.
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