What a week it has been!?
I have spent most of my time here in Barcelona, and while I do like it very much, I didn?t want to miss the opportunity to see more of Spain. I loved the day trip we took to Girona and Tossa de Mar. Girona is what I imagined Spain to look like, and I loved the small town because I felt much safer than in Barcelona. The views were beautiful and walking up to the tower was amazing! The heavy Jewish influences also made the place super interesting and I loved sitting in the plaza while waiting for the rest of the group.?
Tossa de Mar was also beautiful, and the thing I loved most was the secret passageway that led to a pocket of a beach between 2 cliffs! The fortress was fun to walk up to and it wasn?t too much of a hike. There were so many cute shops and it felt more packed than Girona. But it was cool to walk along the tower and look at the water and mountains.?
That day was exhausting but so fulfilling. The next day, I made plans and met up with a local girl that I met at church. She took me to the Laberinto d?Horta and we walked around the maze (and didn?t cheat? twice) which seemed easy but actually took us a while. We talked a lot and I got to know a little about her life and Catalunya. We then went to Parc de la Ciutadella, and it was amazing to see the water and just stroll through. She was very nice and took some good pictures and videos.?
Once we got tired and hungry, we went to her apartment (piso) and she cooked a Catalan meal for us. I also tried a homemade tortilla de papa, and I learned the different ways use similar ingredients. She also told me that she was actually from Honduras and how hard it was adjusting to life in Barcelona. I was surprised to learn this because she sounded very Spanish. She then taught me all the words she had learned while making language mistakes, and afterwards we watched a TV show very similar to Vecinos, a Mexican show.?
It was a great day, and I am forever glad I decided to go to church and meet locals that are my age.?
I had to rush home, because the next day I had a flight to Granada! A few friends and I decided to leave Barcelona, and it was their idea to city hop. So, I had a flight to Granada, a train to Malaga the next day and a train to Seville that afternoon.?
Granada was great! We arrived at our hostel that was owned by a Texan woman and she showed us around a little. She suggested the Alhambra, which is a garden, and the Palace. We were able to stroll through the beautiful gardens, and it was honestly one of my favorite things. It took us a few hours to get through the whole thing, but it was worth it! That evening we went to a Lebanese restaurant (first time ever) and it was so good and filling and cheaper than meals in Barcelona! Afterwards we rushed to a flamenco show which was INTENSE. I could tell the performers felt it in their souls. It was very intimate; they danced directly in front of us. We had a good time and talked the whole night, finally settling in for our train the next day.?
Malaga was hot, but it was awesome because I got on my first catamaran. I swam in the middle of the Mediterranean for the first time, and that was amazing. The beach was not good, as the sand was hot and burned my feet. Then we had to hustle back to the train, on our way to Sevilla.?
We were almost there then we had a hiccup; we had to unboard the train, get on a bus, ride some, and reboard. It was confusing but we got to Sevilla!?
So far it has been great; the Airbnb is nice, we rode a scooter around town and that was an EXPERIENCE, and the food is cheaper!?
On the downside, as I write I am sad because I lost an AirPod while riding scooters. But at least that?s the worst that happened! Except that I fell twice.
Soon we will head back to Barcelona to finish out the rest of the study abroad. I am so glad I got to do this much, but I can?t wait to get back. I am desiring a steak from Texas Roadhouse!?