This week was one filled with school, good food, and travel. On Sunday we ate at a rooftop terrace that overlooked La Sagrada Familia. It was very cool to have such a good view of the architecture and enjoy some yummy food while doing it. The rest of the week was filled with lots of homework. We learned some interesting things in class and I had two presentations. On Wednesday night, a group of us on this study abroad trip went to watch a Barca scrimmage game. I’m not the biggest sports fan and watching soccer has never been my favorite, but this changed my mind. It was so cool and watching it in person amongst die-hard fans made it 10x better! Even though it wasn’t a real game and the best players weren’t on the field, I loved every second of it. It definitely made me want to go to an official game to be able to experience the energy of the crowd firsthand. It also allowed me to understand how cool the tour we went on of the Barca team stadium was. I don’t think I truly understood how passionate people were about their soccer team until they were so invested even during a scrimmage game.
On Friday morning, we went on a tour of a brewery for Moritz beer. I thought it was super interesting to hear how the beer was made and also how it differed from the process we learned about how to make cava during the Freixenet tour. Our tour guide was so friendly and he told us that Moritz was the oldest brewery still in Barcelona. Even though I’m not the biggest fan of beer, I can appreciate the work that goes into it. After looking around the brewery, we were able to taste some of the beers and eat a couple of tapas which were all very delicious. I also checked off the box of souvenirs for my dad and brother when I stopped by the gift shop! It was the perfect way to start off my weekend.
On Friday night a group of us got on a flight to Mallorca for the weekend. I had been so excited all week leading up to the trip and this was the first time I’d traveled outside of Barcelona since arriving. We got there pretty late so the exploring didn’t begin until Saturday. All-day on Saturday was spent on the beach. This had to be the most beautiful beach I have ever traveled to. The sand was so soft, the water was such a clear blue, and in the background was the mountain scenery. In the evening we taxied into the main part of Palma for an Italian dinner and some shopping. The nightlife here was pretty crazy, so for the most part we tried to avoid the rowdier scene. We encountered people from all over Europe and it was so fun to be in a place with so many different lifestyles. This weekend trip was very unique and beautiful.
This past week was just as wonderful as the first. I have enjoyed every second of this study abroad and will be sad to leave as we near the end. I am so excited for this next week and the rest of the trip!