Benvinguda a Barcelona

Here goes, a more interesting update of my adventures (I still go to classes and all, but only out of habit).

A few weeks back, in full sightseeing mode, we made the trek up to Montjuic, a full-blown tourist’s Mecca complete with the gorgeous Museo Nacional d’Art de Cataluña (National Cataluñan Art Museum) housed in the Palau Nacional (National Palace) at the top of a huge hill. The Palace also overlooks fountains that, on Saturday nights, are the sight of an astounding light show. We walked a little further up and were treated to sights of some of the most famous structures of the 1992 Olympics held in Barcelona, including the Estadi Olímpic (Olympic Stadium). Montjuic also houses a number of museums and at the very top, after a worthwhile gondola ride, we experienced some great views from the Castell de Montjuic (Your standard fortress structure). Definitely a day well spent.

Next on the list:

A la Richmond’s study abroad program, we were treated to a trip to two beautiful areas of Cataluña, the riverside town of Girona, and the coastal region called Costa Brava. At Girona, we got the chance to do some sightseeing including Banys Arabs (Some of the best-preserved Arabic baths in Spain), and of course a Cathedral that’s been around since Roman times (Europe's go-to tourist highlights usually seem to be cathedrals or churches).

Next, it was bus time as we headed towards the coast to Costa Brava, where we explored vast Roman and Greek ruins the following day. After a beachside lunch, it was back on the bus for a long ride back to Barcelona. I must note how unpleasant for one’s stomach a four-hour bumpy, rickety, jerky bus ride can be.

And next, during our first semblance of a break from class (actually a single day off tacked onto a weekend), Katie, Courtney, Jess and I headed off to Amsterdam, excited but completely unsure of what to expect.

As we were informed by our tour guide on our three-hour free (sort of) tour of the city, Amsterdam has three rules of toleration:

1) Be discreet.

2) Don’t hurt anyone with your behavior.

3) Do what’s good for business.

And as we learned as we explored this fascinating old city, these three rules are what each and every Dutch individual governs him or herself by. After a bleak past marked by the war and repression, Amsterdam has rejected conventionalism and is all the better for it. Through the numerous coffee houses we passed in our wanderings and the multiple times we walked through the Red Light District, I was in awe of this people who insist on doing things their way. Biggest regret of the weekend: not paying a prostitute to just talk to us about herself and her city—definitely would have been an unforgettable experience (though I’m still unsure whether any of them would have actually taken us up on the offer).

Another of my favorite experiences of the weekend was our visit to the Anne Frank Museum (the actual house Anne Frank and her family hid in during Hitler’s regime). Though much to my despair, we were not permitted to take photos inside of the museums, it was nonetheless a memory that I’ll retain for years to come.

My biggest surprise was remembering the clarity and maturity with which the young girl wrote, as the museum included segments of Anne’s book on the walls:

I know what I want,

I have a goal,

I have opinions,

a religion

and love (April 9, 1944).

I can shake off everything

if I write,

my sorrows disappear,

my courage is reborn (April 5, 1944).

(No one ever said anything about not being allowed to frantically jot notes into my dorky Oh, the Places You’ll Go journal).

The rest of our weekend was packed with visits to Waterlooplein (A huge flea market), Bloemenmarkt (Only floating flower market in the Europe), and the Heineken Experience (I now officially know how to drink a beer), to name a few.

We were also treated to two food indulgences that I never would have suspected I would like:

1) French fries with mayonnaise? Surprisingly delicious.

2) Pancakes—But these are not your run-of-the-mill pancakes and syrup pancakes. At The Pancake Bakery we were faced with decisions such as whether to have the Cheese, mushrooms, onions, and tomatoes pancake…or the Nutella, powdered sugar, and bananas route. Though vastly different, I went with the savory route and my decadent mushroom and cheese pancake more closely resembled a crepe morphed with a pizza, most certainly 10 euros well-spent. Plus I got to snag a bite or four of Jess’s Nutella and caramelized banana pancake.

A few more weeks passed and another UR field trip sent us to Figueres, another Cataluñan town, which houses the Dalí Museum. In a (in my artsy opinion) way too short-lived tour of this crazy museum, we got to see Salvador Dalí’s extensive and eccentric body of work. I spent most of the day with my head tilted sideways like a confused puppy trying to understand what the hell this crazy guy was thinking—but the finished result was always impressive if strange.