The first week in Barcelona was a whirlwind of new friends, places, and foods.
The program staff is fantastic at Barcelona International College (BIC). All are young and bilingual and eager to answer all of common sense questions like how to get around via the metro and where to get a local phone but also give us the scoop on good restaurants and gym memberships. Wednesday they took us on a beautiful hike along one of Barcelona’s 2 mountains (small by NW standards), Tibidado. The weather here is beautiful- nearly always sunny, low 60s during the day. After the hour-long walk, we enjoyed an authentic Spanish lunch that includes calcots (sort of like a sweet onion), pan con tomate (bread brushed with tomato, garlic, salt, & olive oil), lamb, and tiramisu. Most lunches here include 3 courses and one never leaves hungry after!
Later that evening, a big group of us caught a FC Barcelona futbol game. Though their opponent, Cordoba, made for an easy Barca win (4-0), experiencing the futbol culture and watching arguably the best team in the world play live was amazing. Hope to catch another one before I leave!
The program also took us on a day trip to Girona, a beautiful little city about an hour and a half north of Barcelona and an hour from the south of France. We were given a guided tour of the city and had lunch at a Catalan restaurant. The Catalan language is so tricky to comprehend, as it seems like a mix of Spanish and French. Luckily we had a menu translation! My first course was a macaroni plate, my second was similar to Shepherds Pie in the United States, and for the third I had a traditional regional dessert known as miel y mato (honey and fresh cheese). The cheese was in-between the milk and cheese stages, so almost like a cottage cheese consistency that was dipped in honey. Surprisingly so delicious.
From Girona, we then drove another 30 minutes north to the city of Gerona (very similar name!) to visit the Salvador Dalí Theatre and Museum. Not usually a museum enthusiast but this place was CRAZY. He was crazy. He actually bought and converted an old Roman era theater and designed the museum himself (he’s even buried underneath!). In addition to Dalí paintings from all decades of his career, there are sculptures, 3-dimensional collages, mechanical devices, a living-room with custom furniture that looks like the face of Mae West when viewed from a certain spot, and other curiosities from Dalí’s imagination. Truly incredible.
