Barcelona finally feels like home. We have only been here a mere two weeks, but it feels like we have been here forever. We have made friends with restaurant managers and locals and it makes the city feel a lot smaller. Speaking Spanish with confidence has also become a lot easier. Locals appreciate it when you at least attempt to speak in their language, so I do my best to speak Spanish and make them feel respected.
This week was quite a busy week in terms of school. I had two presentations, one on Monday and another on Thursday. The Monday presentation was for Professor Gund?n?s class and it was over the transition from the Common Market Era of the European Union to the Union Era. This was a very interesting topic to research, and I am glad my group was chosen to study this topic. My presentation for Dr. Panina?s class was over architecture in Barcelona. My group covered a few different districts in Barcelona that reflected phases of architectural history and a few architects themselves. Gaud? is obviously the most popular architect in Barcelona and rightfully so. His work is breathtaking and timeless. Besides the projects, we listened to some very informative lectures this week. This next week will be the last week of actual class, so hopefully, it is a good week!
This past week we visited Fabrica Mortiz, Estadio Olymp?co de Montju?c, and Castella de Montju?c as a class. At Fabrica Mortiz we were able to learn about the entire process of producing beer and went on a tour of the facilities. It was fascinating to see the comparison of how they used to produce beer to how it?s done today. After the tour, we participated in a tasting and the beer was phenomenal. Montju?c, in its entirety, is spectacular. From the Mirador del Palau Nacional to the Olympic Village to the Castle on the top of the hill. (The view of the port from the Castella de Montju?c was fascinating.) Montju?c was full of history and beauty. I will say the hill was pretty big, so it was quick the hike. Fortunately, we all safely made it to the top and enjoyed the tour of Montju?c.
Outside of the program-related events, I traveled to Mallorca with a group of friends. This was such a fun experience with some of my best friends. We stayed in a smaller town called S?Arenal which was about 20 minutes south of Palma, the largest city on the island. We did venture into Palma and explore the stunning Cathedral and local stores. The beach in S?Arenal was exactly what we pictured. It was not crowded at all, with clear, light blue water and white sand. It was perfect and we spent a majority of the day soaking it in. Traveling in the midst of COVID-19 was definitely the most stressful part of the trip, but we made it home safely and all feel well as of right now.
Two weeks down, three weeks to go. The first two weeks flew by so I will for sure make sure to enjoy every bit of the next few weeks in this special country.