Hard to believe that we?re over halfway through with our time in Barcelona, and even crazier to think about how little time is left to spend in the city. This past week was filled with fun, but also required a decent amount of focus on schoolwork. In our time spent away from the classroom, we started off the week with a tour of Park Guell, a Barcelona classic. Before the tour began, I was interested to see if the park itself lived up to the expectation that I held in my mind. As per usual, Gaudi didn?t disappoint! The mosaic designs were breathtaking, and the attention to even the slightest details left me in awe. Beyond this though, the architectural and structural genius of the park was something that couldn?t be overlooked. From the curved benches for comfortable seating to the columnar tunnels, nothing in Guell was placed by accident. I?ve come to realize that one of my favorite parts of Barcelona, and the work of the many architects who have worked to design the city, is that nothing is accidental.
Because it was our last week of class, it was slightly hard to focus on studying for an exam when it felt as though the city was waiting for us to explore! However, I found it extremely rewarding to hand in my final exam, knowing that the ?study? portion of our study abroad experience had essentially come to a close. On Wednesday, after our exam and before our final quiz in Dr. Panina?s course, my roommates and some friends decided to celebrate the completion of Professor Gundin?s course with a fun dinner and gelato. Friday, our entire program got to take a visit to the Port Authority, and learn about how the port of Barcelona functions. We even got to head out on a boat to really see the port in action. Being from Houston, it was especially fun to think about how some of the cargo was probably on its way to my hometown! From there, we visiting Park de Citadel, the Arc de Triomf, and the Picasso museum. These have been on our ?to-do? list for a while, and getting to check them off was a great way to close out the week in Barcelona. After the week of school had finally finished, we decided that there was truly no better way to celebrate than getting out of town and taking a weekend girls trip to Madrid! The opportunity to travel within the country of Spain has been such an incredible experience, and has really added to the feeling of truly living in the country. Before we travelled, I had no idea what to expect from the city, as per usual. When we arrived, I was in absolute awe of the grandeur of the city. Madrid is stunning, and fosters a completely different lifestyle than the one in Barcelona! Walking around the streets with camera in hand, I felt like a true tourist, but couldn?t help but attempt to capture every last detail on the surrounding buildings. Much quieter than Barca, it feels like a much older city, which is definitely reflected in the regal architecture! After getting to walk around the city and seeing sights like the Royal and Crystal Palaces, I think I?m leaving a piece of my heart in Madrid!